Message from the \u3ci\u3eJournal of Extension\u3c/i\u3e Editorial Committee

This editorial addresses upcoming changes to the Journal of Extension. These changes are intended to facilitate more efficient editorial processes and continued enhancement of the scholarly and editorial strengths of the journal. The new editorial model will involve associate editors who will be an integral part of the manuscript review process. In addition, a new publishing arrangement with Clemson University Press will be effective January 1, 2021. The commitment to publishing a high-quality journal and supporting author development remains a priority

Considerations for Creating Successful Camps for Military Families

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\u27s experience conducting such camps, including staffing, types of program activities, and evaluation

Blender Bikes: Blending Nutrition and Physical Activity

Many Americans do not meet the recommendations for diet and physical activity. A blender bike can be an effective tool when coupled with hands-on activities that reinforce health recommendations. We created Blending Nutrition and Physical Activity: An Activity Guide for Use with Blender Bikes to use when incorporating a blender bike into educational sessions held in classrooms and at afterschool programs, camps, fairs, and other venues. We provide a research-based rationale for implementing blender bike demonstrations and describe activities in the guide that take blender bike use beyond a fun, eye-catching display to experiences that convey nutrition and physical activity concepts and help achieve Extension\u27s health-related goals

An Exploratory Study of Adolescents\u27 Motivations for Joining and Continued Participation in a 4-H Afterschool Program

Youth development professionals are interested in how to attract and retain participants in after-school programs. In open-ended interviews and a focus group, seven adolescents in an urban after-school youth development program provided rich descriptive data regarding their participation and potential barriers. There were many reasons why adolescents joined and continued to participate. Themes of caring adults, homework assistance, program environment, program opportunities, fun, learning, friends, character development, and life skills emerged from the data. Although these themes are consistent with those from past research, the process of soliciting youth input is itself important. Implications for youth programs are discussed

Positive Youth Development: What\u27s Camp Counseling Got to Do With It? Findings from a Study of Ohio 4-H Camp Counselors

The study reported here sought to identify contributions of 4-H camp counselor participation to positive youth development. Researcher-developed questions addressed intensity, duration, and breadth of camp counseling. The Youth Experiences Survey (YES) was used to measure personal, interpersonal, and negative experiences. Data were collected from 779 counselors in Ohio using a Web-based survey. They reported a high level of Teamwork and Social Skills, Initiative, Identity, and Interpersonal Relationships and very low levels of Negative Experiences. The more years teens were camp counselors, the higher their Leadership and Responsibility. The research suggests several important implications for those who work with camp programs