26 HOURS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE | SPRING 2018
INSIDE 26 Hours Program Latinos in Agriculture Diversity & Agriculture in the Spotlight
Felipe Vallejo
26 HOURS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE
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or over 30 years, the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences also known as CAFES, has opened its doors to high school students to participate in the annual 26 Hours of Science and Technology in Agriculture Event. The 26 Hours program began as a senior project for Ruth Blakeslee (Agricultural Science) that has since grown into a large event through Latinos in Agriculture and CAFES. Blakeslee’s project aimed to serve low socioeconomic and minority areas to give students a chance to increase their awareness of higher education and career opportunities in agriculture. The Latinos in Agriculture Club plans the event logistics and invites about 12 schools, almost 100 students to come gain first hand experience about Cal Poly’s agricultural programs. Participants attend workshops led by Cal Poly students, relating to agribusiness or agricultural communication and even apple tree grafting facilitated by the California Rare Fruit Growers Association.
“It was an opportunity to learn that I could pursue a college education.” Miguel Rodriguez, an Agriculture Environmental Plant Science Junior from Gonzales participated in the 26 Hours Program as a attendee in 2013.
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“It was an opportunity to learn that I could pursue a college education,” Rodriguez stated. Now, as a product of the program, Miguel Rodriguez gives back and serves on the planning committee for the event.
Dr. Robert Flores serves one of the Co-Advisor along with Dr. Ann De Lay. Flores’ passion passion has played a large part in the success of the 26 Hours event. The event has been shown a lot of support through grant money donated through companies such as DOW Agrosciences, Wells Fargo and Cal Education Foundation. Flores added that the funding for the program allows the student committee to focus on planning rather than searching for funding. “[26 Hours] is a program for high school students to gain hands on experience, develop interest in higher education, break down education barriers and enhance the interest in agriculturally related careers and even hopefully get students to pick Cal Poly,” Flores says. This past year as 26 Hours celebrated 30 years, the program was fully funded by the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences. Success of the event and strong support from CAFES has lead to the adoption of a new and similar program. Discovering Agriculture, the Transfer Experience (DATE) aims to serve as a resource for potential transfer students similar to 26 Hours with high school students. Overall, the 26 Hours of Science & Technology has served as a resource to high school students to increase their awareness that college is a potential and to show these students that career opportunities in the agricultural industry are endless. From a senior project to a CAFES sponsored event, the 26 Hours program has grown and will continue to expand through the vision of Latinos in Agriculture.
Scan this QR Code to listen to Dr. Flores’ interview on the 26 Hours Program!
LATINOS IN AGRICULTURE The Latinos in Agriculture club was formed in 1975 by students who identify as part of the Latinx community in the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences (CAFES). As founding members graduated, the club became inactive but was reinstated in 1993 by Bill Kellogg, Ph. D. and Robert Flores, Ph. D. as coadvisors, according to Robert Flores. Latinos in Agriculture, also known as LIA, is a multicultural club in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. The club is under the blanket organization known as Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Science, or MANRRS. Through this organization, LIA is able to participate and interact with other clubs throughout the nation whose focus is diversity and agriculture. Members are able to attend a regional cluster (conference for schools on the west coast such as Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, UC Davis, Oregon State University and Arizona State University) and National Conference to compete in Job Interview, Business Pitch, Impromptu Speaking and more. Over the last few years, LIA has grown to over 30 members for the 2017-2018 academic year. Currently, the club is made of students in ten majors including (cont. on page 4)
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W Latinos in Agriculture, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Animal Science, Agribusiness, Wine & Viticulture, Agriculture & Environmental Plants Sciences and more. The leadership board consists of seven students; President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Reporter and two Ag Council Representatives. Together, the club hosts large scale events and socials for its members. In the 1990’s, Latinos in Agriculture began planning and hosting the 26 Hours program and has done so through student volunteers in the club. 26 Hours of Science and Technology in Agriculture event is one of LIA’s biggest events and had seen a great amount of success throughout the years. The success lead to a spin-off event known as Discovering Agriculture, the Transfer Experience, also known as DATE. 26 Hours is traditionally targeted towards high school students, however, a handful of LIA members come in as a transfer students. The club created DATE for transfers to experience Cal Poly agriculture for themselves.
As a multicultural club in CAFES, Latinos in Agriculture has focused on being intersectional by highlighting cultural roots and agriculture. This past year, LIA has been able to participate in PolyCultural Weekend for the first time, an event to increase a diverse student climate at Cal Poly by inviting conditionally admitted students of color. The event allowed LIA to be the only CAFES club to be showcased and give students and first hand experience of diversity in the College of Agriculture. Since the event, LIA has been able to interact with other cultural organizations on campus and be recognized outside of CAFES.
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“Latinos in Agriculture gave me a home and outlet to interact with students from different ethnic backgrounds in the College of Agriculture.” -MARISOL MARTINEZ, LIA PRESIDENT 2017-18
Latinos in Ag meets every other Thursday in 10-100 at 11AM
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Have questions? Email us at cpslolatinosinagriculture@gmail.com