Food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) disciplines are crucial for feeding the US population and maintaining important natural resources. With the increasing importance of current issues such as food safety and climate change, as well as an expected dramatic decrease in college enrollment in 2025—referred to as the “demographic cliff,” compounded by the economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic (Adams 2020)—the recruitment of the FANH workforce is an immediate priority and a greater challenge.

From Education and Experiential Learning to Employment (E3): Cultivating the NEXTGEN of Natural Resources and Food Science project is a timely and robust response to this challenge. NEXTGEN E3 will increase the graduation of diverse students in FANH disciplines. This will be accomplished through core classes, speakers, MANRRS chapter, mentoring, paid Summer internships, and guidance on how to navigate the pathways to employment in the federal sector.

NEXTGEN E3 will offer resources to students with limited FANH career exposure and to students interested in this field of study who plan to pursue majors in Biology. This program will build infrastructure that transforms the undergraduate experience, making SEU more effective at leading diverse groups of students to careers in this discipline.

The Education and Experiential Learning to Employment (E3) is a program sponsored by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to “enable institutions to engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students to build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences workforce, including the future USDA workforce”. Learn more about this initiative.