SALEM, Ore., October 28, 2021 — Chemeketa Community College has received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund the project titled, “Inspiring Hispanic Students to Pursue Careers in Agriculture and Technology through Experiential Learning,” which will prepare students for agriculture careers. The USDA distributed these grants as an investment to Hispanic-Serving Institutions of higher education. The grant amount is $274,590.

The Collegiate Agricultural Sciences & Technology Ambassador Program (CASTAP) will place twelve Agricultural Science college students as mentors in local high schools. Forty high school students will be recruited and supported through CASTAP to attend Chemeketa. The grant will fund paid internships for sixteen students with college faculty and tuition waivers for nine students in the Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry, Small Business Management Program.

“Chemeketa Community College is proud to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution of higher education. These grant dollars will create opportunities for students and support them as they grow into agricultural professionals,” said Jessica Howard, President and CEO of Chemeketa Community College. “Inspiring Hispanic Students to Pursue Careers in Agriculture and Technology through Experiential Learning will focus on building skills in communication, leadership, and innovation.”

Collaborators include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Marion Polk Food Share and Youth Farm, Woodburn and Gervais High Schools, and CAPACES Leadership Institute. For more information, contact Tim Ray at tim.ray@chemeketa.edu.

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For more than 50 years, Chemeketa Community College has committed itself to transforming lives and our community through exceptional learning experiences in the Mid-Willamette Valley. As the second-largest multi-campus district in Oregon, Chemeketa serves 30,000 students annually at its Salem and Yamhill Valley campuses, as well as centers in Brooks, Eola, Winema, Dallas, Woodburn and Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry (CCBI).