The image of 4-H as perceived by selected Tennessee seventh graders

The 4-H organization for youth ages 9-19, is the youth education program of the Cooperative Extension Service. Tennessee\u27s 4-H program had 185,000-plus members in 1993-94, up from 171,685 in 1992-93. Even though there has been an overall increase in enrollment, there has been an average 38 percent decrease in membership from the sixth to seventh grades during the past five years. One reason which could have an effect on the decreasing membership is the perception of the image of 4-H to these students. The purpose of this study was to look at relationships between 4-H membership and selected personal and family characteristics, and respondents\u27 attitudes regarding the image of 4-H; to study the relationships between selected demographic variables and the 4-H members\u27 level of participation in 4-H; to study the relationship between the level of parental support and the 4-H members\u27 level of participation in 4-H; and to determine nonmembers\u27 and drop-out members\u27 perceptions of why they did not join or dropped out of 4-H, respectively. A questionnaire was developed with these objectives in mind. The surveys were administered by 4-H agents to seventh grade students at one school in each of six randomly selected counties. The findings in this study indicated that 4-H\u27ers who were more involved in 4-H made better grades (A\u27s and B\u27s), lived on a farm, were influenced by a 4-H agent to join, and had strong parental support for their participation in 4-H. The findings also indicated that 4-H members in general made better grades (A\u27s and B\u27s), had a mother/guardian working outside the home, had parents who were previous 4-H members, had friends who were 4-H members, and had positive attitudes toward 4-H. However, the findings also indicated that those 4-H members making better grades (A\u27s and B\u27s) were less likely to remain in 4-H—as were those 4-H members who were 14 or older. Findings also indicated the three main reasons nonmembers never joined 4-H and drop out members left 4-H were: 4-H didn\u27t meet their interests, they didn\u27t have time, and there were other reasons. Nonmembers also felt they didn\u27t know enough about 4-H. Another finding was that more than 50 percent of the 4-H members either agreed with or were undecided about the statement that 4-H was boring. Based upon these findings, it is recommended that: 1) more activities be developed which deal with more current issues facing the 4-H members or needed life skills; 2) more activities be developed for the older 4-H members in order to retain their membership; 3) a more aggressive program be implemented where the older members provide leadership, activities, and support for the younger 4-H members; 4) family activities be provided to encourage parental support of 4-H; and 5) 4-H agents should work with 4-H members in this age group to see what aspects of 4-H the members feel are boring and obtain suggestions and ideas for improvement

We Were There : Anatomy of a Successful Series of Historical Novels for Young People

The study of history has always been an important part of learning. Young people might ask, Why do I need to learn about something I cannot change? When asked Why Study History? William H. McNeill states in Historical Literacy : The Case For History in American Education that the value of historical knowledge obviously justifies teaching and learning about what happened in recent times, for the way things are descends from the way they were yesterday and the day before that (104). Between the years 1955 to 1963 Grossett and Dunlap Publishers introduce a concept that brings personal involvement into historical events by integrating young boys and girls into the action. The We Were There books seem to be developed as lessons in story form to teach young readers how to become the responsible, productive adults. This series is diverse in historical events, such as a cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail and Darwin\u27s discoveries of nature. The authors tend to follow Margaret Mallett\u27s thoughts, in Making Facts Matter, concerning non-fiction in that it helps satisfy the young child\u27s great curiosity about the world of people, plants, animals, inanimate objects and events and feelings about all these things. But knowledge is not just a matter of acquiring facts, it includes coming to understand the significance of the facts (68). The goal of the We Were There book series is to enhance the learning experience by incorporating influential teachers, such as parent figures, employers, neighbors, friends, and famous historical leaders, and by including lessons on foreign Schwartz 2 language, science, religion, ethical conduct, social and political issues, and family relationships. The We Were There series concept and popularity are validated by Scholastic\u27s recently published Dear America Series for girls and the My Name is America Series for boys, in which similar historical events are written in diary and journal form for young readers. Each We Were There book contains a lesson that takes the reader one step closer to understanding what is required when entering into the :final stages of adulthood, such as absorbing events, analyzing those events as to how they influence their lives, then taking what they perceive as the appropriate action. Once a young person has traveled with the We Were There” characters through the series, in its entirety, an evolution will have taken place, within the reader, that encompasses an enhanced understanding of the universe he or she shares with diverse people and events that form life lessons

Parental safety concerns and active school commute: correlates across multiple domains in the home-to-school journey

Abiodun O. Oluyomi, Eileen Nehme, and Deanna M. Hoelscher are with The Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, UT School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Austin, TX USA -- Chanam Lee is with the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Architecture, Texas AM University, College Station, TX USA -- Diane Dowdy and Marci G. Ory are with the School of Rural Public Health, Texas AM HeaBackground: Empirical evidence of the relationship between safety concerns and walking to school (WTS) is growing. However, current research offers limited understanding of the multiple domains of parental safety concerns and the specific mechanisms through which parents articulate safety concerns about WTS. A more detailed understanding is needed to inform environmental and policy interventions. This study examined the relationships between both traffic safety and personal safety concerns and WTS in the U.S. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis examined data from the Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE) project, an evaluation of state-wide obesity prevention policy interventions. All study data were from the survey (n = 830) of parents with 4th grade students attending 81 elementary schools across Texas, and living within two miles from their children's schools. Traffic safety and personal safety concerns were captured for the home neighborhood, en-route to school, and school environments. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the odds of WTS controlling for significant covariates. Results: Overall, 18% of parents reported that their child walked to school on most days of the week. For traffic safety, students were more likely to walk to school if their parent reported favorable perceptions about the following items in the home neighborhood environment: higher sidewalk availability, well maintained sidewalks and safe road crossings. For the route to school, the odds of WTS were higher for those who reported "no problem" with each one of the following: traffic speed, amount of traffic, sidewalks/pathways, intersection/crossing safety, and crossing guards, when compared to those that reported "always a problem". For personal safety in the en-route to school environment, the odds of WTS were lower when parents reported concerns about: stray or dangerous animals and availability of others with whom to walk. Conclusions: Findings offered insights into the specific issues that drive safety concerns for elementary school children’s WTS behaviors. The observed associations between more favorable perceptions of safety and WTS provide further justification for practical intervention strategies to reduce WTS barriers that can potentially bring long-term physical activity and health benefits to school-aged children.Public [email protected]

Chapter XV: Success Factors for the Global Implementation of ERP / HRMS Software

This research observes a global implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP)/human resources management system (HRMS) software at an international company. The software was implemented in 16 countries. Variables such as cultural differences, communication-distance, management support, trust, and resistance to change were evaluated in the literature review. These variables have an impact on implementation success during global HRMS implementation. Further analyses on specific success factors faced with global implementations were evaluated using semi-structured interviews. The authors prepared a questionnaire to further explore the data. Respondents rated questions related to management support the highest overall. An interesting find was that the semi-structured interview results indicated that the software chosen was not a perfect fit for the global community. The mean for questions related to global HRMS success was higher for respondents located in the United States than those located in other locations

Improving Discharge Medication Education on a Sepsis Unit: A Quality Improvement Project

Ineffective discharge education plays a role in increased readmission rates, adverse drug events, and worsened patient outcomes post-hospitalization. When combined, the resulting financial burden on America’s healthcare system is exorbitant, as is the physical and mental toll on unsuspecting patients. To close the current gaps in discharge teaching, this project is incorporating the teach-back method and utilizing updated medication handouts. Starting on the sepsis unit of a large, local medical center – the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) interns employed assessment tools to identify areas for improvement. The data revealed rushed, incomprehensive discharge medication education and reflected in low HCAHPS scores in the areas of “Communication about Medications” and “Care Transitions.” Utilizing the Plan, Do, Study, Act tool, more succinct and personalized medication class worksheets were conceived and the unit’s discharge education protocol for nurses was updated to include the utilization of teach-back regarding prescribed medication purpose and side effects. Said changes were based on evidence-based practice and relevant literature. In order to determine the success of the project, HCAHPS scores will be analyzed. Within ten months of implementation, the anticipated HCAHPS scores will be 58.2% (from 36.7%) in “Communication about Medications” and 56.9% (from 39.1%) in “Care Transitions.” Additionally, the potential unit savings is estimated to decrease by $949 to$44,190 per patient by improving medication education upon discharge. Improved discharge medication education is attainable by utilizing enhanced medication education sheets in combination with the teach-back method. The success of this quality improvement project on the given unit can and should be seen as framework to enact similar positive changes to additional units