Financial Literacy Effectiveness in Central Texas

Many psychological and social factors influence financial behavior. Changing financial behavior requires teaching behaviors, as well as content. Evaluation of financial education programs now focus on behavioral modifications made, rather than changes in recitative knowledge. Financial literacy and financial education programs are widely used in the cooperative extension system to promote stability and consumer welfare. WieUp is a program offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to increase savings and decrease debts. WieUp was designed with Generation X and Y in mind and was offered to thousands of participants both online and through classroom sessions. Using 125 final surveys of participants who took the course, collected three months after completion, we study the changes made by participants who took Wi$eUp’s savings and debt modules. From these surveys reporting changes in behavior we find that, holding other factors constant, debt behavior changed significantly with Wi$eUp participation in the module on debt. Participants who took both debt and savings modules had the highest gains in healthy debt behavior. Gains in healthy savings scores were not statistically significant, but participants who received both debt and savings education modules did score higher than single-module participants. Savings behavior appears to be not as malleable as debt behavior, potentially because of the psychological nature of saving and the need for a longer timeline. Highest level of education attained before Wi$eUp also contributed significantly to changes in behavior

The Baptist Church in Warren: Rehabilitation and Preservation Report

The Baptist Church in Warren is located in the Warren Waterfront Historic National Register District. Warren also has a Voluntary Historic District. Both the National Register Nomination and the Voluntary Historic District have regulations which pertain to changes to the exterior view shed of the building. Exterior work on this project will need to abide by the State of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations Rehabilitation Code for existing buildings and structures and the Town of Warren Department of Building and Zoning. Exterior work done on a voluntary basis, according to the Warren Voluntary Historic District guidelines, will qualify for a 20% tax credit. The Baptist Church in Warren does not meet the requirements for the local and state tax credit

The Current State of Healthcare in The United States: Barriers to Healthcare, Quality of Care, and Self-Reported Health

A primary goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to increase health insurance coverage, reduce health care costs, and improve quality of care. Insurance coverage expanded, however, the effect of the ACA on barriers to accessing care and quality of care is less apparent. Outcome variables related to barriers (having a usual source of care, delaying care due to cost, forgoing care due to cost) and quality (whether healthcare providers always: showed respect, spent enough time listened, explained; and an overall rating of providers) from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) were examined to evaluate whether barriers to healthcare and quality of care have changed since the implementation of the ACA. The analysis was performed on all adults who participated in MEPS aged 18-64 and on subgroups: young adults aged 18-25 due to the provision expanding coverage from their parents’ insurance; and adults aged 18-64 with a chronic condition and private insurance to assess secular background changes. In all groups, having a usual source of care decreased from 2009 to 2019 while delaying and forgoing care due to cost rose significantly. Quality of care showed differences across race; Whites reported no improvements or slight declines while all other races reported improvements. Results show that barriers to accessing care may have worsened from 2009 to 2019, however, some evidence suggests that the quality of care reported by minority racial groups have improved. It is unknow to what extent barriers to accessing care and quality of care impact health. Mental and physical self-reported health were examined as outcomes associated with barriers to accessing care and quality of care in all adults aged 18 and over who participated in the 2019 MEPS. Most of the sample reported good self-reported health, although the impact of barriers on self-reported health were largely negative, suggesting delaying or forgoing care due to cost is done at the expense of health. High quality of care was positively associated with good self-reported health in Whites. Results suggest that exposure to barriers to accessing care and a negative quality of care may have a negative impact on health

From Adair to Woodford County and All Points In-Between

At 
the
 Agricultural 
Information 
Center 
(AIC) 
we 
are 
trying 
to 
provide
 relevant
 content
 for
 Cooperative
 Extension
 personnel
 located
 throughout 
the 
state 
of 
Kentucky.
 
The
 College
 of 
Agriculture, 
Food, and 
Environment
 is 
the 
University 
of 
Kentucky\u27s
 largest
 college 
and
 has
 employees
 located
 in 
all 
of 
the 
120 
Kentucky
 counties.
 
Therefore,
 we 
are 
working 
to 
create
 and
 maintain
 relevant 
outreach
 services
 for
 a 
geographically 
and
 culturally
 diverse 
user 
group.
 
Throughout 
this
 process,
 we
 have
 realized
 that
 creating
 online
 tutorials
 and
 virtual
 training
 sessions
 is
 not
 enough
 to
 support
 outreach
 services—we must
 stay 
visible. 

To 
stay 
visible, 
we
 have
 visited 
regional
 meetings
 and
 networked
 throughout
 the
 state
 and,
 in
 doing
 so,
 we
 have
 recognized
 that
 personal
 contact
 has
 driven
 access
 and
 use
 of
 our
 library
 resources.
 This
 session
 will 
show
 how
 the AIC
 is
 assessing 
its users\u27
 needs
 and
 providing
 relevant
 content
 for
 our
 Cooperative
 Extension 
agents

ASSETS AND CONSTRAINTS RELATING TO THE LOCATION DECISIONS OF SMALL MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES IN VERMONT

The goal of this research is to identify the assets and constraints that exist specific to small business manufacturers in Vermont. To satisfy this goal, the study examines factors that influence location decisions as well as identifying what obstacles business owners have experienced. The idea for this project originated in response to the troubled economic condition of several Vermont communities, where unemployment rates are unusually high and income unusually low. Understanding what obstacles business faces might enable future ideas on how to solve these problems. Once assets are identified, they can be capitalized on, leading to more successful business operations. Preliminary data was collected through a telephone interview survey with Vermont small business owners. The data was analyzed in order to discover incentives and obstacles that existed for Vermont manufacturers as a whole, as well as in specific industries. Results from the survey suggested that Vermont's largest asset is that it offers an excellent quality of life. However, results alluded to several difficulties that owners are faced with, particularly complying with certain rules and regulations, obtaining adequate finances, a low-skilled workforce, and a weak communication network for small businesses.community development, small business, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Transformative learning in an African American agriculture course

Despite agricultural education’s prioritized efforts to increase diversity, people of color remain minimally represented. The overwhelming majority of all School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers are White, non-Hispanic. The limitations of SBAE teachers’ prior experiences or knowledge base of ethnic and racial diversity could lead to challenges in successfully supporting minority students. Agricultural education programs play an essential role in supporting preservice teachers’ attainment of deeper understanding by providing multicultural education curriculum that encourages growth in their critical awareness of diverse cultures. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the transformative learning experience of students completing an African American (AA) Agriculture course. This study analyzed responses provided by students both at the beginning and end of the course experience to understand if and to what degree the transformative learning process occurred. Findings revealed evidence of transformative learning among the students in the way of six emergent themes that described their perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about AA agriculture when comparing responses acquired before and after the completion of the course. With the limited representation of AA teachers in SBAE programs, the evaluation of the transformative learning process of students in this course may open the door to create a more culturally inclusive environment in SBAE and the agricultural industry as a whole.Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadershi

A PR Case: Understanding Public Perception from a Perspective of Lakeshore Public Media through Research

The perception of an organization by its publics is a critical component for establishing a relationship. To identify an organization\u27s relationship with publics, the perception of Lakeshore Public Media was examined through three platforms: television, radio, and its interactive website. Noting that the educated public are the most serious followers of public media, the sample from the membership list of the public media provided contacts to the most dedicated group. The general public was composed of a sample from those who utilize the county library system. The first sample had already expressed its commitment through a membership donation. The general public, although probably more educated with a library membership, reflect an uncommitted population that are likely to be seen as promising candidates if there are not serious intervening variables to establishing a relationship. Comparing and contrasting the two sample groups established the importance of identifying and addressing the perception of a relationship between an organization and its publics