Coalition Sustainability: Long-Term Successes & Lessons Learned

While most Cooperative Extension projects begin with worthy goals, to truly measure a project\u27s long-term success, it is necessary to assess the project\u27s impact over time. The purpose of this article is to analyze the sustainability and continued impact of a USDA funded youth-at-risk project coalition building project 10 years after the onset of the initial project and 5 years after cessation of funding. The lessons learned through the work of the coalitions involved in this project can provide insight into the planning and implementation of other projects and strategies that can be used to ensure long-term project sustainability

NF97-331 Using Values and Resources as Criteria for Decision Making

This NebFact contains information about learning to develop criteria such as values and resources to use when making decisions

Online Leader Training for 4-H Volunteers: A Case Study of Action Research

4-H Volunteers Leaders recognize the importance of training and the need for continual education about the 4-H program. The challenge is to use the most innovative teaching tools to reach them. Online instruction is valuable in that it provides the medium and method for training more consistently, more regularly and at any time or place. In order to test the feasibility of online training for 4-H Volunteer Leaders, an Action Research Study was conducted. Results of the study showed that an online training is an acceptable method for training 4-H Volunteer Leaders

Community Capacity Building: Supporting Military Children and Families Environmental Scan of Extension Professional Development Opportunities for Early Childhood and School-Age Providers: Final Report

The purpose of this environmental scan was to discover what professional development is offered through the Cooperative Extension System to early childhood or school age providers across the nation. A secondary focus was to assess the availability of professional development opportunities offered through the Cooperative Extension System for providers who serve children (birth–12) from military families, both on and off installation. Through this process, the strengths of Extension were highlighted and existing resources that could be replicated for use in other states were identified

Science Literacy: Using Research-Based Facts to Make Real-World Decisions

Science Literacy: Using Research-Based Facts to Make Real-World Decisions As the next generation of leaders is entering the educational pipeline, it’s important to have an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to solve the grand challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050

The association of family characteristics with housing conditions: A study of mother-only families

A dramatic increase in the number and percentage of mother-only families in the United States has occurred in the last twenty years. One of the major problems faced by this population is the attainment of adequate housing. The purpose of this study was to develop models (for families with children in general, and for mother-only families) that identify family characteristics associated with each of four housing conditions that reflect United States housing norms. To ascertain additional insights on the impact of family type on housing conditions, models of associations between change in family type and change in housing conditions were also developed. The data for this were drawn from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), a longitudinal survey conducted by the University of Michigan Survey Research Center. Descriptive statistics ad logistic regression, using the CATMOD procedure of SAS were used for the analyses. The major findings include: (1) the family characteristics that predict the housing conditions of mother-only families are similar to those that predict housing conditions for families with children, in general; (2) at the same levels of education, income, and employment as families in general; mother-only families are less likely to obtain housing conditions that meet societal norms; (3) different types of mother-only families tend to have different probabilities of living in housing conditions that meet societal norms; (4) of those mother-only families studied, those who were headed by widows tended to have a higher probability of living in housing that meets societal housing norms than other mother-only family types; (5) change in marital status from two parent to mother-only appears to have the greatest negative impact (except for space adequacy) on change in housing conditions. This research contributes to and expands upon the theoretical constructs that are used to study the housing of mother-only families. The implications for public policy, education and future research are discussed

Extension\u27s Capacity to Deliver Quality Early Childhood Professional Development

In recent years much attention has focused on the role of enhancing a teacher\u27s professional knowledge and skills in helping to improve the quality of early care experiences for young children birth–5. In the study reported here, an environmental scan of the early childhood professional development programs offered within the Extension system was conducted to identify the programs\u27 content, delivery, scope, evaluation, and partners. Results indicate that Extension has been a player in providing professional development opportunities for early childhood professionals and with a focused effort in streamlining the current resources has the capacity to become a leader in this field

Preparing Adults to Work with Youth: An Environmental Scan of Professional Development

This feature article shares the results of a national environmental scan conducted to identify professional development programs offered for school age providers across the nation through the Cooperative Extension System. A purposeful sample comprised of representatives from state extension offices throughout the country included 135 respondents from 48 states. Results showed 139 professional development programs for school age providers were offered through the Cooperative Extension System. The majority of programs offered professional development in the areas of health, nutrition, safety, youth development, and quality afterschool environments. This article summarizes the findings of the environmental scan, including number of contact hours, program scope, and program partners, as well as discussion and recommendations for future work in this area

STEM Professional Development for Youth Workers: Results of a Triangulated Study

To increase the quality of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities, many youth development professionals working in out-of-school time (OST) programs need professional development focused on facilitating these types of activities. Nebraska Extension developed an open-access repository of resources that support an ongoing, blended approach to STEM professional development for youth workers. The current study evaluated the impact on staff, programs, and youth achieved by implementing Click2Science resources in sites at a large youth serving organization. Data sources included site or program director/coordinator and frontline staff perceptions about their experiences during the professional development events, observations of staff facilitating STEM learning with youth, and youth interest in STEM. Findings demonstrated an increase in STEM program quality, as measured by the Dimensions of Success (DoS) Observational Tool (n.d.). Site or program director/coordinators and frontline staff found the professional development eye-opening and user friendly, and noted increased youth engagement following the intervention. Youth reported positive perceptions of STEM learning experiences. Triangulation of these three sources confirmed the promising utility and effectiveness of this professional development approach. Further research is needed to extend the preliminary findings and support the case for increased investment in STEM professional development for youth development professionals

Life skill development through 4-H clubs: The perspective of 4-H alumni

It is becoming increasingly important to document the impact of 4-H programming. In order to do this, a mixed model survey was administered to 264 4-H alumni. The purpose of the study was to determine if 4-H alumni perceived themselves as having gained life skills through the 4-H Club experience. Results showed that 4-H Club membership did have an influence on the development of all 32 life skills identified. These findings can be used to share 4-H program impact and how club participation plays a role in the development of youth