SALINAS, CA. (June 21, 2023) — Hartnell College was awarded a grant of $9,500,000 from the
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture's inaugural NEXTGEN program. The official
announcement was made during a presentation by the United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom
Vilsack in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning, June 20.
"This is the largest grant in the history of the college," said Michele Peregrin, Director of Grants
Development & Innovation at Hartnell College. "Thanks to a knowledgeable, dedicated team, we
submitted a thoughtful, comprehensive proposal to work directly on supporting our students."
The project, titled "Hartnell College Learning to Lead: Career Pathways Supporting US Leafy
Green Production," will be carried out in partnership with Imperial Valley College, Cal State
University Monterey Bay, and the University of Arizona, Yuma. The partner institutions are
interconnected through deep educational, economic, agribusiness, and cultural ties. The Salinas
Valley and the Imperial Valley-Yuma region have complementary agricultural seasons, providing
the United States and beyond with year-round leafy greens and fresh-cut vegetables.
"We are honored to be the only community college with a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
designation to be awarded as the lead of the NEXTGEN collaborative grant," said Shannon Bliss,
Program Director/Principal Investigator at Hartnell College.
This project aims to advance equity in high-skill agriculture occupations for educationally
disadvantaged, low-income, and Latinx residents. The four institutions will focus on building and
sustaining the future food and agricultural sciences workforce. Grant projects will magnify existing
student support and career development programs for students pursuing four agricultural
degree/transfer-track pathways: Agriculture Business Management, Agriculture Food Safety,
Agriculture Plant Science, and Industrial Automation/Mechatronics.
"With the aid of this NEXTGEN grant, we're strategically positioned to shape the future generation
of agriculture producers and scientists in the Salinas Valley and the Imperial/Yuma region," said
Clint Cowden, Dean of Academic Affairs at Hartnell College. "Our goal extends beyond increasing
agricultural productivity and to enhance the safety of our nation's year-round supply of leafy
greens."
To streamline the educational journey for students, programs at all four institutions will employ a
guided pathway approach, ensuring that students receive clear information on how to embark on
their educational journeys by eliminating unnecessary coursework and reducing time-to-transfer
and degree completion. The initiative is also designed to bridge the gap between high school/adult
school and four-year university degrees with flexible entry and exit options to help students
overcome long-term educational and career obstacles while providing comprehensive support to
individuals returning to the workforce.
"The power of a robust education, coupled with practical experience and a thriving job sector, is
incomparable," Bliss said. "The NEXTGEN grant allows us to pave a clear path for our students to
rewarding agricultural careers, creating a strong talent pipeline to sustain our regions' pivotal role
in national agricultural production."
During the five years of the grant, Hartnell's NEXTGEN grant will enroll over 850 eligible
students and increase the credential completion rate by 10%, including certificates, associate and
bachelor's degrees. Over half of the grant funds are planned to go directly to students through
internship stipends and scholarships.
The project's goals align with the USDA's primary NEXTGEN (From Learning to Leading:
Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals) program goal to
engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students to help build and sustain the next generation of
the food and agriculture workforce, including the future USDA workforce. It will accomplish this
by supporting USDA program priorities, including providing student scholarship support,
meaningful paid internships, job opportunity matching, and facilitating opportunities through
extensive outreach and engagement to promote the processes and pathways leading to training and
employment in industry and at USDA.
Hartnell College and the three grant partners are accredited Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
located in two of the nation's most productive agricultural regions: the 1,000-square-mile Salinas
Valley, the 500-square-mile Imperial Valley, and the 280-square-mile Yuma County agricultural
region. The Salinas and Imperial valleys are in two of California's top 10 agriculture-producing
counties, which lead the nation in agriculture production. Monterey County (including the Salinas
Valley) is ranked fourth at $4.4 billion in agriculture production, while Imperial County including
the Imperial Valley) is ranked ninth at $2.1 billion, according to the California Department of Food
& Agriculture.
About Hartnell College
Focusing on the education and workforce development needs of communities in the Salinas Valley,
Hartnell College strengthens communities by providing opportunities for students to reach career
and/or academic goals (baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees, certificates of achievement, and
transfer to four-year institutions) in an environment committed to student learning, achievement
and success.
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