Ag-Tech Career Exploration application deadline Nov. 1

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — In a field that’s increasingly data- and tech-dependent, there’s a new program that encourages youths to embrace the science and technology needed to grow food for a growing global population.

ACE, or Ag-Tech Career Exploration, is an intensive yearlong program that combines STEM skills as well as professional and leadership development for youth ages 16-19. The inaugural program will run from January to July 2025.

Nov. 1 is the application deadline for this U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported program.

Ag-Tech Career Exploration graphic. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image by Chris Meux)

“Agriculture is increasingly technology heavy,” said Jason Davis, extension application technologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We are soon to see more automated data collection, decision making and action taking systems in our production fields. It is important that Arkansas's next generation workforce understand these technologies and make early connections to the industry leaders that will bring these changes to fruition.”

Davis is among the researchers who will be working with youths in the program designed for high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers utilizing agricultural technology such as drones, sensors, food genetics and robotics.

Julie Robinson, professor of community, professional and economic development for the Cooperative Extension Service, created ACE as part of her work in community leadership development.  

“The goal is to engage students and pique their interest in careers in agriculture before they reach college,” she said. “Students will be able to work with professionals and be exposed to avenues of science they might not have been aware of, or never considered because it was in agriculture.

“The most exciting component of this program is our international trip,” Robinson said. “There are plenty of studies showing the benefits of international study for youths, and we want to help young Arkansans have that opportunity to travel internationally.” 

There is no cost to participate in the program. Robinson said some financial assistance is available for students to obtain passports for travel aboard.

“I think Arkansas is a perfect place to be a hub for ag technology,” Robinson said. “We have so many incredibly smart people that we work with, not only here in the Division of Agriculture but also our industry and institute of higher education partners.

“Producing future experts will benefit Arkansas farmers and consumers,” she said.

Find additional information online, including an application link.

The program has been funded for three years by grant No. 2024-67038-42795 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the USDA. The nearly $750,000 grant was part of NIFA’s $6.7 million investment in education and workforce development.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Saline County 4-H Robotics Club partners with Easterseals Arkansas to construct assistive technology device

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas 4-H members keep their hands and minds busy with a variety of science projects, part of the youth development program’s emphasis on STEM education. One such project found Saline County 4-H SeaCow Robotics Club members putting together a Voice It© assistive technology device at Easterseals in Little Rock.

HELPING HANDS — Katie West, Saline County extension 4-H agent, and Tamara Wald, parent volunteer for the SeaCow Robotics Club, look on as Wald's sons Issac and Luke get started with the video instruction portion of the Voice It© assembly. (Division of Agriculture photo.) 

Clad in their signature black and white checkerboard pants, SeaCow Robotics Club members Kyri Collins, Abby Wald, Issac Wald, Luke Wald and Sarah Wald, 4-H parent Brandon Collins, and coaches Mike Katsen, Stacy Statler and Tamara Wald gathered with Easterseals Arkansas staff to construct the device on April 5.

“Through our partnership with the SeaCow Robotics Club, we hope to shed light on an exciting opportunity for Arkansas school districts to collaborate with their Robotics, East, or STEM programs in order to assemble assistive technology devices,” said Katelynn Estes, doctor of occupational therapy and assistive technology specialist for Easterseals Arkansas Outreach Program and Technology Services. “This provides educational benefits for both the students receiving the device and for the students assembling the device.”

Estes said the Voice It© device reads RFID, or radio frequency identification, tags. These tags can be placed within everyday objects, tactile symbols, picture cards and more. When the Voice It© scans the tag, it speaks a word or phrase out loud using a prerecorded voice.

“For example, if a user has a tactile symbol representing the word ‘more’ with an RFID card installed, they can use the Voice It© in combination with the tactile symbol to speak the word ‘more,’” Estes said. “The Voice It© can also help individuals with low vision identify common objects around their home, school or work environment, such as medicine bottles.”

Tamara Wald, an occupational therapist and parent volunteer, said she was inspired to get involved after attending a course at Easterseals about helping children with multiple disabilities access assistive technology.

“I thought, ‘Why can’t our robotics club help them produce this assistive technology to get it in the hands of more children?’” Tamara said. “They told us there’s not enough of this technology to go around, especially when it comes to some of the 3-D printed items. We’re learning about 3-D printing as a club, so why not try to partner together? What more practical need is there than helping children?”

Some assembly required

Estes said that the assembled Voice It© device, made by the company VolkSwitch, is not available for purchase. However, the device’s design is available for free under a Creative Commons License. Estes said she 3-D printed many parts for the device, including the casing, which helped save on cost, as did the 4-H members’ assembly.

To assemble the device, 4-H members worked on its electrical circuitry, wired it for audio output, installed its battery, configured the device’s software and more.

“The student volunteers also installed feet on the device, verified it was working as expected and ‘wrote’ RFID tags for our Project Core Symbols,” Estes said.

The Project Core Symbols are a set of 3-D, tactile symbols that represent the 36 words in the Universal Core vocabulary, created by The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and also licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Estes said that thanks to the collaboration between the SeaCow Robotics Club and Easterseals Outreach Program and Technology Services, the Voice It© device will be available for public school districts in Arkansas to checkout, giving students an opportunity to try out the device before schools invest in purchasing one.  

“Through Outreach, we are able to assist public schools and coach teams through a process where they identify features of technology that a particular student requires,” Estes said. “We point them towards specific devices that match the student’s needs, and then the schools may borrow the device in order to ensure data supports the use of the assistive technology. Eventually, they will need to acquire the technology permanently for that student if the trial is successful.”

‘Something for everyone’ in 4-H

Katie West, Saline County extension 4-H agent, said community service projects like this partnership with Easterseals are an important part of 4-H programming.

“Community service brings the children in and makes them feel like a part of that community,” West said. “This helps them become the citizens we need them to be later on, and they’re more likely to lead and figure out what problems they want to address when they’re older.”

Science, technology, engineering and math — or STEM — education is one of the three mission mandates that all Arkansas 4-H project work falls within, West said.

“We have natural resources, wildlife, forestry, electronics — there’s a wide range of programs and activities that children can do,” she said. “This group does robotics, so they’re actually learning technology and coding as well as engineering and how to get things to work.”

Wald said her children have enjoyed the variety of activities and opportunities available in their local 4-H club.

“We are interested in so many things in my family,” Wald said. “Not only does my family participate in the robotics program, but we are also part of a 4-H science club in Bryant, which is led by our wonderful teacher Kristin Higgins, who works in the state extension office. I think 4-H has really opened doors for my children and broadened their horizons to different topics.”  

In just one day, West said her 4-H members were involved in three different competitions: the SeaPerch Challenge, which is an underwater robotics competition, a shooting sports competition, and the 4-H Ross Photography Contest.

“All of these were very different, and so are the children who were interested in these competitions,” West said. “Because of that variety, as they grow, they’re able to figure out what might be their best subject. They can get a lot of scholarships and learn new things as they go.

“They won’t start off knowing exactly what they want to be when they grow up, but with 4-H, they can try everything out, see what works and what doesn’t, and know more about what they are good at by the time they’re an adult,” West said.

Mention of product names does not imply endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

For more information about Arkansas 4-H, visit 4h.uada.edu or contact your county 4-H agent at uaex.uada.edu/counties/.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

UAMS to Host Health Care Technology, Data Science Summer Camp for 10th Graders in Northwest Arkansas

By David Wise

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is hosting a two-week summer day camp for rising 10th grade students in Northwest Arkansas who are interested in learning about STEM and data science as it relates to the health care field.

The Arkansas Technology and Data Science in Health & Medicine (AR Tech DaSH) camp will be held June 3-14 on the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville. Spots are limited to 25 students, and the deadline to register is April 12. Registration is available online at https://medicine.uams.edu/neurobiology/outreach/ar-tech-dash/.

The free, 10-day summer camp incorporates imaging technologies and a data science curriculum focused on health and medicine. Students who complete the AR Tech DaSH camp will be designated as STEM Ambassadors and will be expected to participate in limited community outreach activities during off-school hours during the next academic year. Program staff will also provide a short series of college preparation sessions for the STEM Ambassadors.

UAMS to Host Health Care Technology, Data Science Summer Camp for 10th Graders in Northwest Arkansas

Arkansas 4-H clubs celebrate National 4-H Week

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — On Oct. 1, the green and white 4-H flag was raised at the U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C., where it will fly through Oct. 7 to celebrate National 4-H Week. In Arkansas, 4-H members, volunteers, leaders and staff are highlighting the program’s impact on youth in all 75 of the state’s counties.

FROM AROUND THE STATE — As the nation’s largest youth development organization, 4-H has more than 6 million members. It’s also the largest youth organization in Arkansas, with more than 11,000 members and 600 4-H clubs. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proclaimed Oct. 1-7 as National 4-H Week on Sept. 28. As the nation’s largest youth development organization, 4-H has more than 6 million members. It’s also the largest youth organization in Arkansas, with more than 11,000 members and 600 4-H clubs. The 2023 theme of National 4-H Week is “I Heart 4-H,” which “reminds us that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around us,” according to Vilsack’s proclamation.

Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president-extension for 4-H and youth for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said 4-H Week aims to encourage families to participate in the organization.

“National 4-H Week is a great opportunity to promote 4-H during a time when youth and their families are deciding what activities they would like to engage in during the year,” Nistler said. “We want 4-H to be an attractive option.”

Nationally, 4-H’s mandates are STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — healthy living, civic engagement and leadership, Nistler said.

“These mandates lead our work in areas that help grow the individual and connect them to their futures and their communities,” Nistler said. “The essential elements of 4-H are belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. These elements help guide how youth engage and provide an intentional path to grow skills and competencies as they engage in 4-H.”

To celebrate the week, Arkansas 4-H’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages will be highlighting different 4-H programs, including 4-H Yoga and Tech Changemakers, and encouraging followers to wear 4-H’s signature green color and share how they love 4-H. Ashley Dingman, extension program associate for 4-H youth development, said she encourages 4-H supporters to tag Arkansas 4-H in their social media posts using #AR4H and #IHeart4H.

Nistler said 4-H is an important program for Arkansas youth because it helps cultivate skills and passions in many different fields, all of which create brighter futures.

“4-H provides a unique opportunity for youth to find their spark,” she said. “A certain project or passion may lead to a future career. That may be an animal science project, but more youth now engage in projects related to STEM, healthy living, leadership, natural resources, and even space through NASA programs.”

To learn more about Arkansas 4-H, its programs and scholarship opportunities, visit the organization’s website at 4h.uada.edu or follow on social media.

4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Arkansas 4-H teams test robotics skills with submersible robots at SeaPerch Challenge

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — For Arkansas 4-H’ers, the SeaPerch Challenge is an opportunity to practice their skills in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — and work as a team to solve problems.

GRANT COUNTY MIGHTY DUCKS — At the 2023 SeaPerch Challenge on March 3, the Grant County Mighty Ducks took home first place in the open class division. The competition challenges students to design and build their own remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, and then steer the ROV through timed obstacle courses. From left to right: Garrett Key, Jaxson Andrews, Priyam Laxmi, Luke Douhit, Miley McGinley and Madi Andrews. (Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas photo.) 

On March 3, Arkansas 4-H members and students from across the state gathered at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the 2023 SeaPerch Challenge. At the competition, hosted by Arkansas 4-H and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, junior high and high school student teams steered remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, through two underwater challenge courses. They also completed project workbooks and answered interview questions from judges.

Sixty-one teams from 12 of Arkansas’ 75 counties competed, as well as two teams from Grenada, Mississippi. The overall winning junior, senior and open teams will compete at the International SeaPerch Challenge at the University of Maryland on May 13.

• Winning Senior Team:

  • Turbo Flare 2.0 from Grant County: Gavin McGinley, Gracie McGinley, Riley Raymick and Callen Shaw, with coaches Serena and Brad McGinley

• Winning Junior Team:

  • Shock Waves from Howard County: Asher Howard, Ace McKinnon and Kody O’Brien, with coach Morgan Howard

• Winning Open Team:

  • The Mighty Ducks from Grant County: Jaxson Andrews, Madi Andrews, Luke Douhit, Garrett Key, Priyam Laxmi and Miley McGinley, with coaches Tina Melton and Brad McGinley

A list of all SeaPerch winners is available at 4h.uada.edu/programs/science/engineering-technology/seaperch.aspx.

Hope Bragg, extension instructor in 4-H youth development for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the SeaPerch competition “continues to see record growth” as the 4-H’ers’ engineering skills improve.

“Our 4-H youth amaze me with their skills in engineering as their robots become faster and more agile underwater,” Bragg said. “As part of the 4-H STEM program, SeaPerch allows our youth to broaden their experience with technology while realizing the real-world application of ideas they have.”

The 4-H “learning by doing” philosophy provides youth with opportunities for hands-on education in many subjects, including STEM. According to a 2018 study from the Pew Research Center, STEM employment has grown 79 percent since 1990. The SeaPerch Challenge incorporates basic engineering, design and science concepts, and it also challenges students to be creative and collaborative with their teammates, Bragg said.

To construct their submersible robots, teams used more than three dozen parts, including pieces of pool noodles, electrical tape, propellers, batteries, 12-volt motors and PVC pipe. Each team selected two members to steer the robot through two challenge courses. The “mission course,” designed to simulate space exploration, tested how well the ROVs could pick up and move objects. On the obstacle course, competitors navigated their robots through a series of plastic hoops floating at different angles.

Judges at each station evaluated teams’ performances and timed their progress through the courses. Teams were also scored on their technical reports and engineering notebooks for the project, which they submitted in advance. These notebooks contain documentation of the engineering and building process for the ROV.

A panel of judges interviewed teams about their design process, goals for the competition and each team member’s role in the robot’s construction. Judges rated teams based on their organization and creativity, their engineering and design process and presentation delivery during the interview.

Bragg said teams were encouraged to express their unique personalities by dressing up for their presentations to judges.

“I saw 4-H’ers dressed as sea monsters, wearing scuba gear and donning hula skirts,” Bragg said. “These kids made this year’s contest so much fun.”

Rob Roedel, director of corporate communications for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, said the organization has partnered with the Cooperative Extension Service for decades in efforts to improve the quality of life for Arkansas.

“Working in partnership, the Cooperatives and Arkansas 4-H have increased SeaPerch youth participation by more than 600 percent in five years,” Roedel said. “The SeaPerch program provides an economically efficient STEM-based learning opportunity for students and 4-H members. The program encourages problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, hands-on learning and much more.

“These are skills that are critical in today’s workplace and must be learned, and they can’t all be taught in a classroom,” he said.

For more information about the Arkansas 4-H SeaPerch Challenge, visit 4h.uada.edu. To learn more about the SeaPerch program, visit seaperch.org/about.  

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.