Thirty-six eager high school and rising college students moved into Fort Valley State University (FVSU) filled with anticipation for the start of the fourth year of the Rapid Education Prototyping (REP4) Southeast Summer Summit Program during June 23 – 28, 2024. The participants expressed their excitement for the upcoming design thinking summit, which is a creative, solution-finding framework rooted in learners’ lived experience and the experience of their peers.

The REP4 Alliance is a powerful network of regional and national leaders in education, industry, and technology led by eight higher education partners. The alliance works together to guide students (learners) along their transformative journeys, provide expertise, test prototypes, implement ideas, and shape the future of REP4. 

The theme ideas for the 2024 FVSU REP4 Southeast Summer Summit were financial literacy, food insecurity and mental health, all of which are significant topics to the middle Georgia and southeast communities.  

Under the guidance of expert Shanah K. Grant, Ph.D., a licensed financial professional, investor, and author of the book A Toolkit for Raising Wealthy Kidz, the students were immersed in the world of financial literacy. Grant's 'Planting Seeds of Wealth: Nurturing Investment for Growth' workshop series was tailored for high school students and provided a solid foundation in financial literacy. Karmen Hill, a 9th-grade summit attendee from Mount De Sales Academy, shared, "Money management is important, and you have to make sure that you save your money because you never know what will happen in life."

In the second session, James Brown, Ph.D., an expert in agriculture, addressed the critical issue of food insecurity. His presentation underscored the importance of farmland and the value of embracing sustainable agricultural practices to combat food insecurity. He provided a comprehensive overview of various crops, their cultivation, nutritional value and their potential impact on food security. His insightful presentation equipped the summit attendees with a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of ensuring access to an adequate and nutritious food supply.

Day two the summit began with Grant providing a thorough overview of the stock market and investing principles. She discussed the concept of giving stocks to her children and emphasized that people of any age can invest in the stock market. Attendee Rice Madison expressed how she now feels equipped to educate her family about investing in the stock market seeing it as the first step in creating generational wealth.

In the afternoon of the second day, students were divided into two groups and visited two local daycares in the Fort Valley community to interact with the children and read to them. The students read Grumpy Monkey to the children, a book about moods and friendships that discussed ways to effectively express one's emotions with friends and family by asking the right questions and supporting the people you care about. These visits were included in the summit to show how mental health starts when you are a child and how you can help your community by teaching wellness. Following the daycare visits, the students participated in further discussion about the world of mental health.

On the third day of the summit, students explored two distinct farms nestled within the expansive 1,365-acres of Fort Valley State University, hidden gems in Fort Valley. As they navigated through the farms, they were able to engage with and observe various aspects of agricultural life. They encountered grazing sheep and cattle, gaining insight into livestock management practices. Additionally, they had the chance to witness aquaculture systems in action, learning about sustainable and innovative food production methods. Students participated in the hands-on activity of harvesting and picking an assortment of fresh produce, including blueberries, pecans, muscadines, and chestnuts which they were able to take home with them.

The visit reminded the participants of the profound impact of land ownership, not just in terms of agricultural output but also for its broader benefits for families and communities. It underscored the pivotal role that responsible agricultural practices can play in addressing food insecurity and promoting sustainable food systems.

Part of the summit included a resource fair where mental health was further discussed. Tara Combs, a counselor and the Suicide Prevention Project Director for the Council on Alcohol and Drugs, spoke about suicide prevention strategies and the principles of questioning, persuading, and referring so that individuals can become gatekeepers and recognize the signs of someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts and how to assist them in getting help. Combs hopes that students can take away from her session the understanding that they can play a role in preventing suicide because it affects everyone, and anyone can help.

Students crafted their research findings during the five-day summit into a presentation based on their experiences at the workshops and site visits. They had a chance to do a trial run of their final presentation and received feedback from their peers and staff so they could perfect their presentation for the last day of the summit.

Jerry Haywood, Ph.D., a psychology professor at FVSU, has developed a course on the " Psychology of Hip-Hop" which is especially relevant as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. This course offers an overview of how psychology is interwoven with hip-hop, addressing mental health, financial literacy and food insecurity. Haywood encourages students to use hip-hop as a positive tool in their lives, emphasizing its potential to have a meaningful and positive impact. He also encourages students to ensure that their presentations are authentic reflections of themselves, as the topic relates to the FVSU REP4 theme. 

The event ended as participants proudly presented their research to an audience that included their families, friends, the President of Fort Valley, Paul Jones, Ph.D., REP4 staff, and many other distinguished guests. Their presentations were a culmination of their learning and experiences at the REP4 summit, and they demonstrated a deep understanding of the summit's themes and their relevance to the Middle Georgia and southeast communities.  

For additional information on future REP4 summits, contact Beth Day-Hairston, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education and Professional and REP4 National Fellow at 478-825-6250 or [email protected].