Using Controlled Environment Agriculture as a Platform for STEM‐Training

Abstract

The purpose of this summer STEM Bridge initiative was to provide incoming first‐year university students with interdisciplinary STEM training using a Controlled Environment Agriculture hydroponic container farming tech platform coupled with soft skills and increased early access to the campus facilities. A pilot was conducted during the summer of 2021 on the La Sierra University campus. The two‐week collaborative experience included faculty from eight academic units including from Science, Humanities, and Business. We offered students experiments and projects from hydroponic basics, use of sensors and computer control systems, to developing sales presentations and business models. This approach introduced students to career pathways– many within STEM, centered around a tech platform capable of contributing to real‐world solutions to long‐standing community problems. We also emphasized the importance of inclusive representation in STEM, the importance of access, and of including all voices. Students developed a meaningful peer and faculty support system and as an additional benefit became familiar with how to navigate the campus culture. Preliminary results indicate the students felt their foundational understanding of the sciences improved after attending STEM Bridge. A portion of the students indicated a newly acquired desire to obtain a terminal STEM degree after attending STEM Bridge. Most of the students felt an increase in awareness of resources on campus to support them academically and knowledge of their way around campus. All students felt an increase in preparedness for the academic rigors of college life while most students reported feeling an increase in their ability to manage their time well after the program.