VISIONS Service Adventures: China; A Comprehensive Program Design

The proposed international education program design offers an innovative way for American high school students to participate in a community life and community service in the Chinese province of Guizhou. The proposed design entitled, Visions Service Adventures: China will not only provide a new location and expansion for this third party provider company, but will also give participants the experience of staying with a local family for a portion of the program. The homestay experience will allow Visions participants the chance to interact and experience Chinese culture and language. Susan M. Knight (2008) found in her study the effects a homestay have on students abroad positively enhanced the overall participant experience. This comprehensive program design will contain a number of essential components needed to provide a well-rounded experience for the Visions participants. Arrival preparation in country (including the screening of potential homestay families) and in-program orientation (health and safety, Chinese language and culture, community service project) will be a continuous effort of the hired guides and program director. Homestay orientation (student/family homestay preparation), as well as post-program assessment and closing activities will be a continued process through out the duration of the program. Many studies of successes of abroad programs directly relate to the ability of a student integrating into local culture. The homestay is a foundational distinction that will give Visions participants a unique advantage, not only for their age, but also as Americans living and learning in China. This homestay design will provide a new platform for short-term experiential education programs to use towards transforming and improving the already existing designs present in the field

Pandemonium: An Evolution of Steel Pans and its Place in Music Education

This thesis is aimed at researching the development, benefits, and drawbacks of steel drums, also known as steel pans and even more commonly known amongst Trinidadians as “pans.” Steel pans are relatively new instruments having come about in the last century. They are recognized instruments with immense cultural identity on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Steel bands have been well established in the United States and around the globe with the help of various pan players who have cultivated an interest in these instruments. Their popularity appears to be infectious. Using research conducted from previous studies as well as a survey distributed to a population of music educators, steel bands and their contribution towards music education is discussed in its entirety

Caregiver Support And The Mental Health Of Transgender And Gender Expansive Youth: Race-Specific Effects In A Clinic-Based Sample

Parental and caregiver support has been shown to be a protective factor against poor mental health in transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth. However, little is known about how race and ethnicity might affect this relationship. This study extends the literature by examining whether the associations between parental support and mental health outcomes are moderated by race. A clinic-based sample of 81 TGE youth (mean age = 15.31, SD = 1.61) completed assessments of their anxiety and depression symptoms. Caregiver support scores were gathered from youth and the caregivers themselves. Results show that TGE youth of color have decreased odds of anxiety and depression when they feel supported by their caregivers. Decreased levels of anxiety in TGE youth of color were also found when their caregivers reported higher levels of support. This was not found true for Non-Latinx, White youth, for whom no significant relationship existed between caregiver support and mental health. These findings suggest the important role of caregiver support in the mental health of TGE youth of color and call for future studies of interventions to foster such support

Using Geographic Information System Technology to Identify Environmental Education Field Sites

Natural resources Extension educators use outdoor environmental education sites to increase public knowledge of environmental issues, but locating appropriate sites can be time-consuming. Geographic information system (GIS) software and geospatial data can help Extension professionals choose such sites more efficiently. We describe our use of GIS technology to select a natural resources field day site in Tuskegee National Forest in Alabama. We used site characteristics such as forest type, road access, and slope to narrow potential sites from 94 possibilities to the two best options. Sources of free and low-cost geospatial data also are discussed

Reducing Interpersonal Discrimination for Pregnant Job Applicants Seeking Professional Jobs

This study seeks to extend previous research on the experiences of pregnant job applicants from retail settings (see Botsford Morgan, Walker, Hebl, & King, 2013) to entry-level professional jobs. The current research utilized a 2 (expectant status: not pregnant, pregnant) x 4 (counterstereotypic information: control, competence, commitment, flexibility) betweensubjects factorial design to empirically test the relative efficacy of real, practical interventions designed to reduce the interpersonal discrimination (enhanced negativity and reduced positivity) that pregnant women may encounter when applying for entry-level professional jobs. Results reveal that pregnant job applicants experience more positive interactions when presenting information about their competence than when they say nothing. This study extends our understanding of manifestations of bias and its reduction with regard to pregnant workers applying for entry-level professional jobs