Bold Ideas for the 4th H in 4-H: Teen Identified Concerns and Actions

This article summarizes a literature review; teen-identified health concerns and issues; and teen bold ideas for actions. Findings from the National 4-H Council and Molina Healthcare Teens Take on Health initiative are provided and implications for 4-H programming tied to the new Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health and Wellness are addressed. The article is intended as background for Extension educators, volunteers and administrators as they review the 4-H Healthy Living Mission Mandate, learn what mattered to teens and consider how to incorporate the findings into state and local 4-H youth development programming

Informing Youth Health and Well-Being Programs: A National 4-H Healthy Living Evaluation Study

4-H Healthy Living programs address healthy eating; physical activity; social-emotional health and well-being; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention; and injury prevention. Using the Systematic Screening and Assessment Method, this paper identified 32 4-H Healthy Living programs across the nation ready for comprehensive outcome evaluation and/or national replication based on 6 criteria. Weaknesses in an additional 78 programs that did not meet the criteria were also identified. Programs that failed to meet the criteria did so primarily because they lacked a clearly delineated theory of change or appropriate evaluation. Implications for practice include ways to strengthen program planning and use of a comprehensive evaluation framework. Specific attention is given to professional development for 4-H professionals

Programmatic Environmental Scans: A Survey Based on Program Planning and Evaluation Concepts

Within Extension, environmental scans are most commonly used to assess community or organizational issues or for strategic planning purposes. However, Extension has expanded the use of environmental scans to systematically identify “what programs exist” on a given topic or focus area. Yet, despite recent attention to the topic of environmental scanning in Extension, survey instruments used to conduct environmental scans have not been published. Given the emphasis on implementation of evidence-based practices and programs, having a ready-made survey that can be used to identify programs on a specific topic and that could subsequently lead to an evaluability assessment of those programs would be a useful resource. To encourage the use of environmental scans to identify existing evidence-based programs, this article describes a survey instrument developed for the purpose of scanning for 4-H Healthy Living programs ready for rigorous outcome evaluation and/or national replication. It focuses on the rationale for survey items, as well as provides a summary and definition of those items. The survey tool can be easily adapted for future programmatic environmental scans both within and outside Extension

Bold Ideas for the 4th H in 4-H: Teen Identified Concerns and Actions

This article summarizes a literature review; teen-identified health concerns and issues; and teen bold ideas for actions. Findings from the National 4-H Council and Molina Healthcare Teens Take on Health initiative are provided and implications for 4-H programming tied to the new Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health and Wellness are addressed. The article is intended as background for Extension educators, volunteers and administrators as they review the 4-H Healthy Living Mission Mandate, learn what mattered to teens and consider how to incorporate the findings into state and local 4-H youth development programming

From Territorial to Transformational: A New Framework for Master Volunteer Engagement

Meaningful volunteer engagement depends on the Extension professional\u27s volunteer management philosophy, training, and organizational support for using volunteers. Volunteer development and leadership development are typically absent from management-focused volunteer models used in Extension. Professional development of the Extension professional, beyond discrete management tasks, is lacking but is needed for authentic volunteer engagement through master volunteer programs. A volunteer engagement framework is described to guide a shift from volunteer management to engagement, including use of principles of the community-based participatory approach. The volunteer engagement framework can help professionals identify and self-assess the skill set needed for authentic and sustained volunteer involvement in support of Extension

The Systematic Screening and Assessment Method: An Introduction and Application

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