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Journal of Extension

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Development Of A Health Survey Instrument For 5- To 8-Year-Old Youths, Marisa Neelon, Kelley Brian, Anne M. Iaccopucci, Kendra M. Lewis, Steven M. Worker Feb 2017

Development Of A Health Survey Instrument For 5- To 8-Year-Old Youths, Marisa Neelon, Kelley Brian, Anne M. Iaccopucci, Kendra M. Lewis, Steven M. Worker

Journal of Extension

Measuring program outcomes is required for documenting effectiveness of interventions with youths participating in programs funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) initiative. The California CYFAR program provided programming for youths aged 5–8, which necessitated the development of an age-appropriate survey measure. Evaluating younger youths to assess healthful living outcomes is challenging, especially with youths in kindergarten through second grade. This article addresses development and testing of the measure and resultant lessons learned. Recommendations for developing an evaluation survey for younger youths are provided.

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Organizational Capacity Survey: Capturing An Extension System's Current State And Pinpointing Areas For Improvement, Donna J. Peterson, Laura H. Downey Feb 2017

Organizational Capacity Survey: Capturing An Extension System's Current State And Pinpointing Areas For Improvement, Donna J. Peterson, Laura H. Downey

Journal of Extension

An organizational capacity survey (OCS) can reveal gaps in what an organization is doing and what an organization's employees feel the organization should be doing. Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension conducted an OCS to assess perceptions of MSU Extension's vision and commitment, plan of work, working relationships, diversity and pluralism, public value, personnel knowledge and expertise, and training needs. Questions were designed to measure perceptions of how MSU Extension is currently and how it should be ideally. This design allowed discrepancy scores to be calculated to identify areas in which capacity development was needed or desired that could then be …

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Collaborative Writing As A Scholarship Activity: A Framework For Extension Faculty, Dan Teuteberg, Anamaria Diaz Martinez, Jenn Crawford, Lauren Hrncirik, Renee Overath, Drew Lenore Betz Dec 2016

Collaborative Writing As A Scholarship Activity: A Framework For Extension Faculty, Dan Teuteberg, Anamaria Diaz Martinez, Jenn Crawford, Lauren Hrncirik, Renee Overath, Drew Lenore Betz

Journal of Extension

As Extension faculty and staff work to meet the requirements for increased scholarship activities through multiple outlets, a collaborative writing activity can be an important instrument in one's academic toolbox. Writing collaboratively allows colleagues to support one another's individual strengths and work through concerns together. This shared endeavor can help Extension professionals translate and disseminate the impacts of and findings from Extension programming for academic and practitioner audiences.

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New Approach To School Health Initiatives: Using Fitness Measures Instead Of Body Mass Index To Evaluate Outcomes, Joshua Phelps, Amanda Smith, Stephany Parker, Janice Hermann Aug 2016

New Approach To School Health Initiatives: Using Fitness Measures Instead Of Body Mass Index To Evaluate Outcomes, Joshua Phelps, Amanda Smith, Stephany Parker, Janice Hermann

Journal of Extension

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service provided elementary school students with a program that included a noncompetitive physical activity component: circuit training that combined cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility activities without requiring high skill levels. The intent was to improve fitness without focusing on body mass index as an indicator of fitness. Youths (111) in grades 3–5 underwent President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition testing at baseline and program completion. Significant improvements were observed in average fitness measures among youths who participated in the circuit training. Extension professionals looking for new tools to use with school-based physical activity programs may consider circuit …

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Rural Hispanic Youths' Perceptions Of Positive Youth Development Experiences, Jill A. Goedeken, Yan Xia, Tonia Durden, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman Aug 2016

Rural Hispanic Youths' Perceptions Of Positive Youth Development Experiences, Jill A. Goedeken, Yan Xia, Tonia Durden, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman

Journal of Extension

An exploratory study examined rural Latino youths' perceptions regarding positive youth development (PYD), particularly related to aspects such as the definition of PYD, potential benefits of PYD, and motivations for participating in PYD activities. A total of 28 self-identified Hispanic youths participated in focus groups. Findings suggest that participants identified key components of PYD (e.g., skills gained through participation) that are generally consistent with broader research on the topic. Youths' motivations for participating in PYD programs included familial encouragement, availability of the programs, and the engaging/enjoyable nature of the programs. Potential implications for Extension professionals are discussed.

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One Size Does Not Fit All: Effective Community-Engaged Outreach Practices With Immigrant Communities, Kari Smalkoski, Sara Axtell, Jeanne Zimmer, Ibrahim Noor Aug 2016

One Size Does Not Fit All: Effective Community-Engaged Outreach Practices With Immigrant Communities, Kari Smalkoski, Sara Axtell, Jeanne Zimmer, Ibrahim Noor

Journal of Extension

Generic outreach approaches are commonly used to target as many individuals as possible in a cultural community to achieve a greater response rate. However, this one-size-fits-all tactic is rarely effective. Community-engaged outreach practices have been successful with immigrant communities in Minnesota's Twin Cities. When practitioners, clinicians, and scholars engage in these practices, they not only build trusting relationships with cultural communities over time but also achieve mutual benefit, reciprocity, and the leveraging of institutional resources.

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A Formative Evaluation Of The Children, Youth, And Families At Risk Coaching Model, Jonathan R. Olson, Burgess Smith, Kyle R. Hawkey, Daniel F. Perkins, Lynne M. Borden Apr 2016

A Formative Evaluation Of The Children, Youth, And Families At Risk Coaching Model, Jonathan R. Olson, Burgess Smith, Kyle R. Hawkey, Daniel F. Perkins, Lynne M. Borden

Journal of Extension

In this article, we describe the results of a formative evaluation of a coaching model designed to support recipients of funding through the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) initiative. Results indicate that CYFAR coaches draw from a variety of types of coaching and that CYFAR principle investigators (PIs) are generally satisfied with the coaches' methods. Areas in which PIs would like to see changes to the coaching model include amount of technical coaching and amount of help with specific CYFAR funding requirements. We review strategies for incorporating this feedback into practice and discuss implications for CYFAR and for …

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E-Basics: Online Basic Training In Program Evaluation, Ben Silliman Feb 2016

E-Basics: Online Basic Training In Program Evaluation, Ben Silliman

Journal of Extension

E-Basics is an online training in program evaluation concepts and skills designed for youth development professionals, especially those working in nonformal science education. Ten hours of online training in seven modules is designed to prepare participants for mentoring and applied practice, mastery, and/or team leadership in program evaluation. In this article, implications for practice, policy, and research are reviewed.

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Poverty Simulations: Building Relationships Among Extension, Schools, And The Community, Karen L. Franck, Shelly Barnes, Julie Harrison Feb 2016

Poverty Simulations: Building Relationships Among Extension, Schools, And The Community, Karen L. Franck, Shelly Barnes, Julie Harrison

Journal of Extension

Poverty simulations can be effective experiential learning tools for educating community members about the impact of poverty on families. The project described here includes survey results from three simulations with community leaders and teachers. This project illustrated how such workshops can help Extension professionals extend their reach and impact by engaging coalitions and volunteers and building community partnerships with school systems and community leadership groups.

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Applying Coaching Strategies To Support Youth- And Family-Focused Extension Programming, Jonathan R. Olson, Kyle R. Hawkey, Burgess Smith, Daniel F. Perkins, Lynne M. Borden Feb 2016

Applying Coaching Strategies To Support Youth- And Family-Focused Extension Programming, Jonathan R. Olson, Kyle R. Hawkey, Burgess Smith, Daniel F. Perkins, Lynne M. Borden

Journal of Extension

In this article, we describe how a peer-coaching model has been applied to support community-based Extension programming through the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) initiative. We describe the general approaches to coaching that have been used to help with CYFAR program implementation, evaluation, and sustainability efforts; we discuss strategies coaches use to maintain effective relationships with CYFAR stakeholders; and we review common characteristics of effective coaches. Finally, we discuss implications that coaching strategies might have for Extension programming in general and present future directions for research and practice related to peer coaching.

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Regionalization Of The Washington State University Extension 4-H Youth Development Program: Employee Awareness, Buy-In, And Communication, Alison J. White, Dan Teuteberg Oct 2015

Regionalization Of The Washington State University Extension 4-H Youth Development Program: Employee Awareness, Buy-In, And Communication, Alison J. White, Dan Teuteberg

Journal of Extension

Washington's 4-H program is transitioning from a predominately single-county faculty model to a regional system. This article highlights survey results regarding the level of awareness and buy-in that Extension administration, faculty, and staff have concerning the regional model and how communication about the model took place. While most employees were aware of the change, the majority learned through informal conversation, either alone or in combination with formal communication. Those who learned through both formal and informal methods felt more knowledgeable and more comfortable assessing the model's merit. Our research recommends that administrators purposefully emphasize formal communication during staffing model transitions.

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Considerations For Creating Successful Camps For Military Families, Theresa M. Ferrari Oct 2015

Considerations For Creating Successful Camps For Military Families, Theresa M. Ferrari

Journal of Extension

Experiences of wartime deployment affect the entire family system. Due to the increasing popularity of camping with the military youth audience, the residential camp format has been extended to reach the entire family. Based on the experiences in our state for the past 6 years, we believe we have found a format that works well in meeting the needs of military families. This article discusses situations faced by military families experiencing deployment, presents a rationale for conducting camps for military families, and summarizes Ohio's experience conducting such camps, including staffing, types of program activities, and evaluation.

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Minnesota 4-H Youth Program Quality Improvement Model, Margo Herman, Samantha Grant Aug 2015

Minnesota 4-H Youth Program Quality Improvement Model, Margo Herman, Samantha Grant

Journal of Extension

The University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development made an organizational decision in 2011 to invest in a system-wide approach to implement youth program quality into the 4-H program using the Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) tool. This article describes the four key components to the Minnesota Youth Program Quality Improvement model, the reasons for investing in this work, and recommendations for other states that may build youth program quality improvement models.

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Strongwomen® Program Evaluation: Effect Of Strength Training Exercises On Physical Fitness Of Participants, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Beth Van Horn, Marilyn Corbin Aug 2015

Strongwomen® Program Evaluation: Effect Of Strength Training Exercises On Physical Fitness Of Participants, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Beth Van Horn, Marilyn Corbin

Journal of Extension

The StrongWomen® Program (SWP) is a nationally disseminated group strength-training exercise and nutrition education program delivered by Extension. The study reported here examined the effect of strength training exercises in SWP on improvement in physical fitness of program participants. Senior Fitness Test was used to collect data. Upon analysis of paired t-tests, significant differences were found between pre-test and post-test across all the six fitness measures. Overall, SWP helped participants to improve their body strength and physical fitness and decreased risk of falls and fractures, which indicates the increased independence and quality of life among older adults.

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Program Development From Start-To-Finish: A Case Study Of The Healthy Relationship And Marriage Education Training Project, Ted G. Futris, David G. Schramm Jun 2015

Program Development From Start-To-Finish: A Case Study Of The Healthy Relationship And Marriage Education Training Project, Ted G. Futris, David G. Schramm

Journal of Extension

What goes into designing and implementing a successful program? How do both research and practice inform program development? In this article, the process through which a federally funded training curriculum was developed and piloted tested is described. Using a logic model framework, important lessons learned are shared in defining the situation, identifying and maximizing inputs, clarifying and tracking outputs, and documenting and reporting outcomes.

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Common Evaluation Tools Across Multi-State Programs: A Study Of Parenting Education And Youth Engagement Programs In Children, Youth, And Families At-Risk, Pamela B. Payne, Daniel A. Mcdonald Jun 2015

Common Evaluation Tools Across Multi-State Programs: A Study Of Parenting Education And Youth Engagement Programs In Children, Youth, And Families At-Risk, Pamela B. Payne, Daniel A. Mcdonald

Journal of Extension

Community-based education programs must demonstrate effectiveness to various funding sources. The pilot study reported here (funded by CYFAR, NIFA, USDA award #2008-41520-04810) had the goal of determining if state level programs with varied curriculum could use a common evaluation tool to demonstrate efficacy. Results in parenting and youth engagement indicated that with effort to select valid and reliable measures, it is possible to use common measure across curricula. Lessons learned including evaluating goodness of fit are discussed in regards to the process of conducting common measures evaluations.

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Evidence-Based Programming Within Cooperative Extension: How Can We Maintain Program Fidelity While Adapting To Meet Local Needs?, Jonathn R. Olson, Janet A. Welsh, Daniel F. Perkins Jun 2015

Evidence-Based Programming Within Cooperative Extension: How Can We Maintain Program Fidelity While Adapting To Meet Local Needs?, Jonathn R. Olson, Janet A. Welsh, Daniel F. Perkins

Journal of Extension

In this article, we describe how the recent movement towards evidence-based programming has impacted Extension. We review how the emphasis on implementing such programs with strict fidelity to an underlying program model may be at odds with Extension's strong history of adapting programming to meet the unique needs of children, youth, families, and communities. We describe several techniques that Extension professionals can use to balance program fidelity and adaptability. We suggest that Extension stakeholders may be best served when we tailor certain aspects of interventions without changing the intervention's core components that are responsible for positive outcomes.

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The Effects Of Age, Gender, And 4-H Involvement On Life Skill Development, Bruce E. Haas, Claudia C. Mincemoyer, Daniel F. Perkins Jun 2015

The Effects Of Age, Gender, And 4-H Involvement On Life Skill Development, Bruce E. Haas, Claudia C. Mincemoyer, Daniel F. Perkins

Journal of Extension

The study reported here examined the effects of age, gender, and 4-H involvement in clubs on life skill development of youth ages eight to 18 over a 12-month period. Regression analyses found age, gender, and 4-H involvement significantly influenced life skill development. Results found that females have higher levels of competencies in life skills at the start of the program and were more likely to change in these areas during the year than their male counterparts. This suggests changes in program designs may be needed to better engage, retain, and affect males in life skill development.

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Process Monitoring Evaluation Of An Online Program For Parents, Yaebin Kim, Jill R. Bowers, Sally Martin, Aaron Ebata Apr 2015

Process Monitoring Evaluation Of An Online Program For Parents, Yaebin Kim, Jill R. Bowers, Sally Martin, Aaron Ebata

Journal of Extension

We conducted a process monitoring evaluation of the electronic delivery system of Just in Time Parenting (JITP), an age-paced newsletter for parents, to evaluate program implementation. A visitor-tracking website statistics program (Google Analytics) revealed the number of visitors, geographic location in which they accessed newsletters, and how visitors got to the site. A commercial email marking platform (Bronto) revealed the number of confirmed subscribers, the states in which they lived, and the number of subscribers who opened the emails and clicked on the link to read the newsletters. Implications center on areas for improvement for JITP and online program improvement.

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Sequential Online Wellness Programming Is An Effective Strategy To Promote Behavior Change, Lindsay R. Macnab, Sarah L. Francis Apr 2015

Sequential Online Wellness Programming Is An Effective Strategy To Promote Behavior Change, Lindsay R. Macnab, Sarah L. Francis

Journal of Extension

The growing number of United States youth and adults categorized as overweight or obese illustrates a need for research-based family wellness interventions. Sequential, online, Extension-delivered family wellness interventions offer a time- and cost-effective approach for both participants and Extension educators. The 6-week, online Healthy Families Challenge (HFC) resulted in increased daily fruit and vegetable servings and leisure-time physical activity. These findings suggest that an Extension-delivered, sequential, online family wellness program is an effective education strategy.

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The Systematic Screening And Assessment Method: An Introduction And Application, Laura H. Downey, Donna J. Peterson, Suzanne Lemenestrel, Joanne Leatherman Apr 2015

The Systematic Screening And Assessment Method: An Introduction And Application, Laura H. Downey, Donna J. Peterson, Suzanne Lemenestrel, Joanne Leatherman

Journal of Extension

The Systematic Screening and Assessment method (SSA) could be a useful approach to identifying Extension programs being implemented, to describing the nature of those programs, and to highlighting those that have proven effective. After a general discussion of SSA, we provide an application of SSA as recently used to identify 4-H Healthy Living programs with evidence of improving diet; physical activity; and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention outcomes. Our goal is to increase awareness about SSA and to demonstrate that it can be used to expand the knowledge and reach of Extension programs with evidence of impact.

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The 4-H Club Meeting: An Essential Youth Development Strategy, Alicia Cassels, Liz Post, Patrick I. Nestor Feb 2015

The 4-H Club Meeting: An Essential Youth Development Strategy, Alicia Cassels, Liz Post, Patrick I. Nestor

Journal of Extension

The club meeting has served as a key delivery method for 4-H programming across the United States throughout its history. A survey of WV 4-H community club members reinforces the body of evidence that the 4-H club meeting is an effective vehicle for delivering positive youth learning opportunities within the umbrella of the Essential Elements of 4-H youth development programming. This article discusses the findings of the West Virginia study and addresses the delivery of effective 4-H club programming that incorporates the Essential Elements.

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Serving Those Who Served: How Can Extension Reach U.S. Military Veterans?, Amy Rowe Dec 2014

Serving Those Who Served: How Can Extension Reach U.S. Military Veterans?, Amy Rowe

Journal of Extension

U.S. military veterans are often overlooked as an audience for Extension education despite a number of programs targeting military youth and families. This may be due to the difficulty in reaching a diverse and widespread veteran population. The Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System is a network of facilities across the country that can provide access to veterans, as a group. The VA's resources can be leveraged for Extension programming through unique partnerships that meet the institutional goals of both Extension and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Impact Of 4-H On Alumni's Community Involvement, Kyle Merten, Darlene Locke, Montza Williams, Meredith Carter, Kelli Lehman Oct 2014

Impact Of 4-H On Alumni's Community Involvement, Kyle Merten, Darlene Locke, Montza Williams, Meredith Carter, Kelli Lehman

Journal of Extension

The quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study reported here sought to measure how being alumni of the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program influenced their decisions toward community involvement and leadership positions within communities. Former Texas 4-H alumni at least 18 years of age were the assessable population. The study confirms former 4-Hers are using what they learned in the 4-H program by staying involved in their community organizations and holding leadership positions. Organizations listed at the top by most volunteers included: 4-H Volunteer, Church Organization, and Fair Board/Livestock Association/Group. Leadership positions most frequently held include president and secretary.

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Acquisition, Custody, And Storage Of Firearms Used In 4-H Shooting Sports Programs, David J. White, Jedediah D. Smith Oct 2014

Acquisition, Custody, And Storage Of Firearms Used In 4-H Shooting Sports Programs, David J. White, Jedediah D. Smith

Journal of Extension

Shooting sports has been a 4-H program offering since the 1930's. Tragic events related to the use of firearms as weapons have caused public and private entities to evaluate and consider the appropriateness of youth access to and usage of firearms. 4-H educators have the primary responsibility for managing the risk associated with shooting sports programs. All 4-H educators should follow protocols for the acquisition, custody, and storage of firearms. In Oregon, 4-H educators and volunteers must follow an Oregon-centric risk management plan. This Tools of the Trade article focuses on Oregon's precautionary system used to administer its 4-H Shooting …

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Buffering Negative Impacts Of Divorce On Children: Evaluating Impact Of Divorce Education, Jennifer K. Crawford, Jane Riffe, Dominic A. Trevisan, Olusola O. Adesope Aug 2014

Buffering Negative Impacts Of Divorce On Children: Evaluating Impact Of Divorce Education, Jennifer K. Crawford, Jane Riffe, Dominic A. Trevisan, Olusola O. Adesope

Journal of Extension

Following the call for more stringent evaluation methodology and recently documented national Extension presence in the field of divorce education for parents and children, the study reported here describes a local multi-level evaluation to capture program impact of a stakeholder-accepted divorce education program. Using a post-then-pre retrospective scale and validated measures of inter-parental conflict and child adjustment, participants showed significant gains in key co-parenting and community resources knowledge and significant decreases in inter-parental conflict. Selected components of the evaluation design are applicable to Extension faculty working in divorce education programs.

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Learnings And Recommendations To Advance 4-H Science Readiness, Lynn Schmitt-Mcquitty, Ramona Carlos, Martin H. Smith Aug 2014

Learnings And Recommendations To Advance 4-H Science Readiness, Lynn Schmitt-Mcquitty, Ramona Carlos, Martin H. Smith

Journal of Extension

The case study investigation reported here assessed California 4-H professionals' understanding of the essential components of effective 4-H Science programming as established by the National 4-H Science Mission Mandate. Using the 4-H Science Checklist as the basis for defining 4-H Science Readiness, academic and program staff were surveyed and interviewed to determine their understanding of what constitutes effective science programming in 4-H and their capacity to deliver science professional development and programs. Results indicated a need to build staff capacity relative to 4-H Science in California and outcomes may have implications for 4-H professionals nationally.

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4-H Youth Development: The Past, The Present, And The Future, Lynne M. Borden, Daniel F. Perkins, Kyle Hawkey Aug 2014

4-H Youth Development: The Past, The Present, And The Future, Lynne M. Borden, Daniel F. Perkins, Kyle Hawkey

Journal of Extension

The 4-H Program within Cooperative Extension is more than 100 years old. As we celebrate 100 years of Cooperative Extension, the foundation built by the 4-H Program serves as grounds to meet the needs of today's youth. The diversity of the youth who participate continues to grow, families continue to become less traditional, potential volunteers' time continues to shrink, and the growing number of digital devices steal time. These changes demand 4-H adapt and innovate to remain relevant. This commentary examines the role that 4-H Youth Development will play in the next 100 years to face these challenges.

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Experiential Learning For Extension Professionals: A Cross-Cultural Immersion Program, Jenna B. Daniel, Dennis Duncan, Maria Navarro, Nick Fuhrman Jun 2014

Experiential Learning For Extension Professionals: A Cross-Cultural Immersion Program, Jenna B. Daniel, Dennis Duncan, Maria Navarro, Nick Fuhrman

Journal of Extension

As the U.S. population becomes more diverse, Extension is called upon to modify its programming to meet the needs of its changing constituency. Georgia Extension created a professional development curriculum to assist Extension professionals in crafting effective programming for the rapidly growing Latino population. The study reported here explores qualitatively how Extension professionals in Georgia experienced their Cross-Cultural Immersion Program (CCIP). Through an interview-based study, three themes emerged from the data. Extension participants experienced: (1) diverse familial relations in Latino populations, (2) obstacles during programming, and (3) greater personal over professional gains through the CCIP.

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Strengthening 4-H By Analyzing Enrollment Data, Stephen F. Hamilton, Angela Northern, Robert Neff Jun 2014

Strengthening 4-H By Analyzing Enrollment Data, Stephen F. Hamilton, Angela Northern, Robert Neff

Journal of Extension

The study reported here used data from the ACCESS 4-H Enrollment System to gain insight into strengthening New York State's 4-H programming. Member enrollment lists from 2009 to 2012 were analyzed using Microsoft Excel to determine trends and dropout rates. The descriptive data indicate declining 4-H enrollment in recent years and peak enrollment at grade 5. New members are more likely to drop out than members who have been involved for more than a year. New members who are high school students drop out at the highest rate. Returning members who are high school students drop out at the lowest …

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