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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Education
Using Excel To Teach Agri-Business And Financial Literacy Concepts To 4-H Youth, Halee Prather, Maryfrances Miller, Marcy Ward, Craig Gifford
Using Excel To Teach Agri-Business And Financial Literacy Concepts To 4-H Youth, Halee Prather, Maryfrances Miller, Marcy Ward, Craig Gifford
The Journal of Extension
Teaching youth agribusiness subject matter and financial literacy through 4-H livestock projects is an important task. This article discusses using Excel as a record keeping tool to expand knowledge and comprehension of financial concepts and profitability in the beef industry. A description of the Excel record book contents and parent feedback is presented. Using the Excel record book expanded conversations about the beef industry and proved to be a favorable tool for increasing youth understanding of critical agribusiness concepts.
Youth Storytelling For Social Change: Guiding Questions For Effective And Ethical Delivery, Maru Gonzalez, Michael Kokozos, Nyawira Nyota, Christy Byrd
Youth Storytelling For Social Change: Guiding Questions For Effective And Ethical Delivery, Maru Gonzalez, Michael Kokozos, Nyawira Nyota, Christy Byrd
The Journal of Extension
Storytelling is a powerful medium through which to nurture and amplify youths' voices. When employed effectively and ethically, storytelling has been shown to foster connection, improve intergroup relations, promote socioemotional well-being, and motivate social action. Drawing on foundational research, Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, and our experience pilot testing the #PassTheMicYouth curriculum, we developed ten guiding questions for effective and ethical youth storytelling for social change. 4-H professionals can use these questions with youths to guide them through social impact storytelling creation and delivery.
Revisiting The Master Food Volunteer Program: Examining How To Enhance Nutrition Education In The United States, Stacey Viera, Lindsey Haynes-Maslow
Revisiting The Master Food Volunteer Program: Examining How To Enhance Nutrition Education In The United States, Stacey Viera, Lindsey Haynes-Maslow
The Journal of Extension
America’s diet-related illness crisis intersects with a lack of nutrition literacy, nutrition security, and systemic inequities. The Cooperative Extension Service’s (CES) national infrastructure could potentially provide equitable access to quality nutrition education in the US utilizing a Master Food Volunteer (MFV) model. This research brief examined preliminary evidence for the MFV model as a support for CES agents and paraprofessionals, and results show a paucity of evidence. Further research and a pilot program with pre-established measures for health-related knowledge and behaviors could elucidate the model’s potential to increase equitable access to evidence-based programming, nutrition, and implementation guidance.
Skill Up Tennessee: Job Training That Works, Christopher T. Sneed, Sreedhar Upendram, Clint Cummings, Janet E. Fox
Skill Up Tennessee: Job Training That Works, Christopher T. Sneed, Sreedhar Upendram, Clint Cummings, Janet E. Fox
The Journal of Extension
Employment and training services offered through Extension are part of and continue a long tradition of policy-focused employment and job training. This paper chronicles the successes of UT Extension’s work as a third-party partner in the delivery of workforce development programming geared toward individuals receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The paper begins with an overview of the federal program and a discussion of how Tennessee forged a state-level partnership for the delivery of workforce services. Data showing program success including number of participants served, supportive services offered, and economic impact are highlighted. Finally, lessons learned are outlined.
4-H Summer Of Stem: A Practical Approach To Increasing Workforce Readiness, Vernelle Mitchell-Hawkins, Jessica Mellon
4-H Summer Of Stem: A Practical Approach To Increasing Workforce Readiness, Vernelle Mitchell-Hawkins, Jessica Mellon
The Journal of Extension
4-H Summer of STEM is a workforce readiness program for high school youth. The goals of the program are to increase students’ interest in STEM careers, improve college and workforce readiness, and connect youth to businesses and industries in the local community. Selected youth receive hands-on development of workforce readiness skills, are paired with a STEM mentor for job shadowing, and participate in college campus visits. Preliminary findings show that participants reported having a positive relationship between participation in 4-H youth development programs and career skills. This article introduces the 4-H Summer of STEM and offers suggestions for implementation.
Building Volunteer Engagement In The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program From The Ground Up, Natalie Bumgarner, Debb Wilcox, Hannah Wright, Anna Duncan, Rachel Painter, Melody T. Rose, Lee Sammons, Celeste Scott, Gregg Upchurch
Building Volunteer Engagement In The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program From The Ground Up, Natalie Bumgarner, Debb Wilcox, Hannah Wright, Anna Duncan, Rachel Painter, Melody T. Rose, Lee Sammons, Celeste Scott, Gregg Upchurch
The Journal of Extension
This study was designed to assess key volunteer attitudes and perceptions about local and state Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteer programs. EMG volunteers in Tennessee completed a total of 759 surveys between January 22 and March 10, 2020. Survey responses showed there was a strong positive perception of local EMG groups and the connection with the University of Tennessee system overall. When respondents were segmented, answers to key questions showed illuminating differences between volunteers with positive and neutral or negative views of the program. The variations in answers show areas of potential emphasis to support healthy local group culture and …
Unique Conference Design Showcases Small Towns, Highlights Entrepreneurs, And Strengthens Capacity, Carey Andrew Northrop Mr., Katherine M. Jamieson Mrs., Parker B. Jones, Mary A. Reilly, Tyler Augst
Unique Conference Design Showcases Small Towns, Highlights Entrepreneurs, And Strengthens Capacity, Carey Andrew Northrop Mr., Katherine M. Jamieson Mrs., Parker B. Jones, Mary A. Reilly, Tyler Augst
The Journal of Extension
Michigan State University Extension (MSUE)’s annual conference, Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC), has served as a catalyst for entrepreneurial ecosystems across Michigan since 2012. Designed by MSUE for small towns, CEC has gained national interest as evidenced by the adoption of this conference model by four other Extension services. This article outlines the unique conference design, details the partnership between Extension and host communities, and explores conference evaluation data validating the need to continue this programming. Lessons learned and successes to date are provided to ensure readers learn the value this unique conference format has in Extension entrepreneurship programming nationally.
Transformative Partnerships: Expanding Extension’S Capacity To Support Texans With Developmental Disabilities, Andrew B. Crocker, Morgan D. Bradley, Shelby D. Vaughn, Beth Stalvey
Transformative Partnerships: Expanding Extension’S Capacity To Support Texans With Developmental Disabilities, Andrew B. Crocker, Morgan D. Bradley, Shelby D. Vaughn, Beth Stalvey
The Journal of Extension
New partnerships to reach new audiences are key to Extension’s future (Harder, 2019). But partnership is enhanced through shared decision-making, co-creation of content, and leveraging non-overlapping expertise and experience (Bertsch et al., 2020; Israilov & Cho, 2017; Ostrom, 1996). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service partnering with the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities provides a novel approach to using statewide presence to the benefit of a partner seeking to expand its footprint (Alford, 2014; Ostrom, 1996) and is, itself, an outcome (Voorberg et al., 2015). Additionally, Texans with disabilities benefit through greater access to the education and resources the partnership produces.
Ready To Serve: Opportunities For Cooperative Extension To Support Military Families, Rachel A. Brauner, Andrew B. Crocker
Ready To Serve: Opportunities For Cooperative Extension To Support Military Families, Rachel A. Brauner, Andrew B. Crocker
The Journal of Extension
The issues families in the military experience have been exacerbated by 20 years of continuous war. Families in the military across all the service branches are families first, sharing similar struggles as their civilian counterparts. Like many families, families in the military have day-to-day concerns about health, financial management, parenting and building positive relationships. Cooperative Extension is positioned to bridge the gap between building support systems and providing quality education, services and care to service members and their families–but are we ready to serve?
A Case Of Shifting Focus Friction: Extension Directors And State 4-H Program Leaders’ Perspectives On 4-H Lgbtq+ Inclusion, Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Donna Westfall-Rudd, Eric Kaufman, Megan Seibel, Rama Radhakrishna
A Case Of Shifting Focus Friction: Extension Directors And State 4-H Program Leaders’ Perspectives On 4-H Lgbtq+ Inclusion, Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Donna Westfall-Rudd, Eric Kaufman, Megan Seibel, Rama Radhakrishna
The Journal of Extension
Contemporary Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth are identifying and communicating their identities earlier in childhood than generations before as a result of more awareness and more acceptance of gender identity and sexual minorities by society. A qualitative study of U.S. 4-H program leaders and Extension directors generated an emergent theme around the importance of serving LGBT youth and the resulting implementation challenges. The administrators of 4-H, the largest youth serving organization in the country, recognize the presence of LGBTQ+ youth in 4-H and believe the organization must be inclusive. But challenges remain in ensuring youth experience inclusion at …
Engaging Stakeholders In Extension Strategic Planning, Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Donna Westfall-Rudd, Chelsea Corkins
Engaging Stakeholders In Extension Strategic Planning, Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Donna Westfall-Rudd, Chelsea Corkins
The Journal of Extension
Strategic planning is the deliberative, disciplined effort to produce decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why. [State] Cooperative Extension invested considerable time and effort in conducting a statewide process to engage internal and external stakeholders and nonusers. The strategic planning steering committee balanced negotiations in defining the process, determining who should be involved, and how to develop goals. The semi-structured interviews with the steering committee members, generated three themes: effectiveness of the team enhanced results; context and process can inhibit stakeholder participation, the steering committee needs a commitment to diverse voices.
Evaluating The Structure, Demographics, And Effectiveness Of The Mississippi Master Naturalist Program, Sarah Cunningham, Eric Sparks, Adam Rohnke
Evaluating The Structure, Demographics, And Effectiveness Of The Mississippi Master Naturalist Program, Sarah Cunningham, Eric Sparks, Adam Rohnke
The Journal of Extension
The purpose of our evaluation was to assess the structure, demographics, and effectiveness of the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program (MMNP) from 2015-2019. Results show that racial diversity within the MMNP was low and offering basic training courses during the work week attracts more retirees. Subsequently, an average retiree completed nearly three times more annual volunteer service hours than a non-retiree. Therefore, targeting retirees may be the most effective means of enhancing environmental stewardship within this program. Additionally, the results of this evaluation highlight that active recruitment of underserved populations is necessary to increase the diversity of participants in Extension programs.
4-H Engineering Design Challenge Program: Engaging Youth In Stem Learning, R.Michael Compton, Rebecca L. Meyer, Anne Stevenson, Somongkol Teng
4-H Engineering Design Challenge Program: Engaging Youth In Stem Learning, R.Michael Compton, Rebecca L. Meyer, Anne Stevenson, Somongkol Teng
The Journal of Extension
The University of Minnesota 4-H Engineering Design Challenge program is an experiential learning opportunity in which youth work with adult volunteers to create Rube Goldberg influenced machines to address real-world issues. The program components are designed to help youth develop STEM work skills using an Engineering Design Process, increase interest in STEM content knowledge, and explore STEM career interests/aspirations. Evaluation indicates a majority of participants learn the engineering design process, principles of mechanical engineering, teamwork, public speaking, and problem solving. Programmatic outcomes and supports provide for the successful replication, adaptation, and implementation in both formal and non-formal learning environments.
Empowering Teens To Make A Difference In Their At-Risk Community, Lisa Rothenburger, Alayne Torretta
Empowering Teens To Make A Difference In Their At-Risk Community, Lisa Rothenburger, Alayne Torretta
The Journal of Extension
When identifying problems and creating solutions that support the community culture of health, youths provide a unique perspective. This article describes how staff from Somerset County, NJ 4-H partnered with staff from Middle Earth, an at-risk youth service provider, to organize a group of teens who identified and implemented projects that affect the health and wellness of their community of Bound Brook, NJ. Extension professionals can replicate a sustainable and synergistic youth-adult partnership by creating the opportunities, making the initial connections within the community, and following the 4-H club model to ensure teens experience the essential elements.