A $9,000,000 grant was awarded in June 2023 to FDLTCC and Leech Lake College

This grant is part of the USDA’s inaugural From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agricultural Professionals Program (NextGen). FDLTCC and Leech Lake Tribal College are excited to work together to build sustainable educational and experiential systems that prepare Tribal college students to enter agricultural and STEM workforces. Our NextGen project offers holistic support for students to successfully achieve academic and career goals through scholarships, internships, hands-on learning, and community engagement.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and Leech Lake Tribal College partner to provide sustainable educational and experiential opportunities for students interested in food, agricultural, natural resources, and human science career fields (FANH).

• Support students throughout their educational journey with academic and financial assistance with access to mentoring, peer to peer learning, and scholarships.
• Provide experiential learning opportunities for youth, college students, and community to explore FAHN disciplines through field trips, research, projects, internships, and camps.
• Increase student interest in food, and agriculture careers through community outreach, career counseling, direct recruiting, and professional development.

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students for transfer or the workplace in a variety of fields including natural resources, forestry, geographic information systems, and sustainability. We offer a variety of courses and several opportunities for students to participate in research projects in collaboration with Fond du Lac Resource Management, 1854 Treaty Authority, UMD, USDA Forest Service, NASA, and others. Our graduates go on to pursue educational opportunities in the field as well as enter the workforce.

• Ground students in Sustainability through hands on demonstrations.
• Increase student led research in our demonstration garden and agricultural learning spaces at FDLTCC.
• Students will learn about starting a farm focused business.
• Provide internships to FDLTCC students to pursue sustainability and agriculturally based programs.
• Support regional and Fond du Lac community members in their pursuit to become sustainable agricultural producers. Provide alternative and Indigenous perspectives to the field of sustainability.

The GIS program at FDLTCC offers hands-on training in advanced, industry-standard Geographic Information Systems software and related geospatial technologies including satellite positioning (GPS), remote sensing, drones, spatial analysis, cartography, and interactive web mapping. GIS training enables spatial thinking to solve complex problems with a location component. The college’s cultural mission adds a unique emphasis on capturing and visualizing a sense of place using GIS. The program is advised by a team of industry professionals in the public, tribal, private, and higher education sectors. Whether you’re coming straight from high school or from a prior career, our GIS program will give you spatial skillsets that are in high demand for a wide range of occupations and higher degree majors.

• The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate program provides specialized training in a technical, computer-based environment. Geospatial technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems or Global Positioning Systems, are powerful data-procession and mapping tools that are increasingly used by mainstream public professions, such as health care, law enforcement, and city planning, as well as in highly technical areas, such as military defense. Students who have a keen interest in working with computers as a career or who are pursing work with populations, human or non-human, can be well-served with a GIS certificate.
• Our 16-credit Geographic Information Systems Certificate is a perfect fit for students who are majoring in a different program area yet want to know the basics of GIS. The GIS certificate program nicely compliments a degree in Environmental Science, Law Enforcement, Art, Business, Human Services, Electric Utility Technology, Health Sciences, or American Indian Studies.

Career Opportunities in:

• Food – Environmental Science careers: include but not limited to agricultural technicians, irrigation, farming, farm management, sustainable agriculture education services, and more.
• Agriculture – Environmental Science careers: include but not limited to soil, chemistry soil genesis, plant physiology, agriculture education, conservation planning, sustainability, and more.
• Natural Sciences – Environmental Science careers: include but not limited to wildlife biologist, geologist, forestry, TEK, fisheries, aquacultural animals, conservation, research and more.
• Human Sciences -Environmental Science careers include but not limited to lab technicians, biology, chemistry, engineering, research and more.

• Increase student access and success in future FANH careers.
• Support students throughout their educational journey via mentoring, peer to peer learning, and scholarships.
• Provide experiential learning opportunities for youth, college students and community to explore FANH disciplines through field trips, research projects, internships, and camps.
• Increase student interest in in food and agriculture careers.

• College Preparation – focuses on addressing barriers as students transfer to a 4-year college. Students will have the opportunity to attend workshops, presentations, and college tours to neighboring 4-year institutions.
• Peer to Peer Community Building: Opportunities to work with fellow peers on research projects, and college preparation learning activities.
• Mentorship: Faculty and Environmental Institute staff provide a mentorship across many different academic levels, communities, and campuses.

• There are meaningful learning opportunities for students to participate in with local, regional, and tribal entrepreneurs and professionals to interact with in and outside of the classroom.
• Two-week career exploration opportunities with USDA APHIS and learn about Animal Care, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, International Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Veterinary Services, Wildlife Services, One Health, and Tribal Relations.

• Fond du Lac Resource Management
• 1854 Treaty Authority
• U.S. Forest Service
• Natural Resources Institute
• University of Minnesota – Duluth

• United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – USDA APHIS
• American Indian Higher Education Consortium – AIHEC

• DEET Launch & Lunch: Learn about the DEET Academic Scholarship Program and have lunch. The DEET Project creates opportunities for students interested in pursuing food, agriculture, natural and human sciences career fields.
• Earth Week: Focuses on promoting conservation practices through demonstrations, tabling, and videos.
• Research Symposium -features regional research experts and gives students a better outlook on research pathways in turn creating larger networks in their field of study.
• Sustainability Week: Builds on our Earth Week to incorporate and raise awareness in the field of sustainability.
• Fall DEET Scholar Retreat

Contact: maria.defoe@fdltcc.edu for more information