Palau Community College

The Main Goal of This Proposed Project From PCC Is to Enhance Knowledge in Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Classroom and Strengthen Supervised STUDENTS' Experiential Learning for Students in Agriculture and Related Science Degree Programs (associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science) at PCC Through the Following Objectives: (1) Improve Curriculum Design and Implementation for Agriculture and Related Science Program; (2) Enhance Faculty Preparation on Classroom and Laboratory Instruction in Sustainable Agriculture Practices for STUDENTS' in the Agriculture and Related Science Program; (3) Redesigning the PCC Agriculture Farm to an Organic-based Farming System by Optimizing Agroecological Principles and Resilience Through Allocated Resources (machinery, Equipment, Materials, and Supplies) to Achieve the PROJECT'S Goals and; (4) Strengthen Supervised Interactive Experiential Learning Among Agriculture and Related Science STUDENTS' in the Laboratory and in the Field.pcc Programs Including, the Food, Agriculture, and Related Science Fields, Provides Opportunity to Work Closely With Students to Overcome Barriers in Attaining Education by Building Interest, Confidence and Skills Through Experiential Learning Curriculum, to Increase Retention and Course Completion. Considering Climate Changes That Are Impacting Each Ocean State, Some of Which Are Island Atolls, It Is Essential to Introduce More Environmentally Friendly Techniques in Food, Agriculture, and Related Science to Our Students to Have a More Positive Impact on Their Livelihood and Their Respective States. Additionally, to Increase the Number of Professionals and Technicians in the Said Fields From the Republic of Palau and the Micronesian Region.for Decades, Developed Countries Have Produced the Bulk of Our Food Through Industrial Agriculture--a System Dominated by Large Farms Growing the Same Crops Year After Year and Utterly Reliant on Using Enormous Amounts of Chemical Pesticides and Fertilizers That Damage Soils, Water, Air, and Climate. for Student Learning Purposes, the Agriculture Program at PCC Also Depends on Chemicals to Allow the Crop(s) to Grow Until Harvest Time. However, This System Is Not Built to Last Because It Squanders and Degrades the Resources That It Depends on. Metaphysically, Sustainable Farming Techniques Are Not Fully Being Practiced in the PCC Agriculture Program. These Techniques Need to Be Introduced to the Program to Enhance STUDENTS' Knowledge and Literacy in a More Environmentally, Economically, and Socially Sustainable System.this Project Provides Opportunities to Strengthen STUDENTS' Knowledge and Skills in a Sustainable Agriculture by Redesigning an Organic-based Farming System That Uses Organic Inputs as Well as Synthetic Inputs, However, the Synthetic Inputs Are Used More Sparingly. It Is Well Documented That Conventional Farms Rely Heavily on Chemical Fertilizers, Pesticides, Fungicides, Insecticides, and Herbicid,es and That These Chemical Inputs Destroy Soil Health Over Time, Pollute Underground Water Systems, and Eventually Degrade the Surrounding Environment.the Proposed New Organic-base Farming Design and Practices Will Introduce New Sustainable Farming Technologies to Students and the Communities to Strengthen Food Security, Protect Our Environment, and Combat Climate Change. the Proposed PROJECT'S Overall Impact Is to Improve Curriculum Design Through Enhanced Faculty Preparation by Redesigning PCC Agriculture Farm to Organic-based Farming System and Strengthening Supervised STUDENTS' Experiential Learning Thereby Satisfying Student Learning Outcomes, Attracting More STUDENTS', Increasing STUDENTS' Retention, and Increasing Graduation Rate in the Agriculture and Related Science Programs.