The Youth Conservation Corps experience: strategies for the post-pandemic classroom

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is an organization that utilizes outdoor, project-based learning and critical service learning techniques to support young people in completing large-scale conservation and farming projects statewide. This study aimed to examine the perceived mental health effects of participating in the VYCC, the strategies in the organization that may have led to those changes, and feasible ways for educators to bring those methods into the post-pandemic classroom. Now is an important time to study youth organizations that may have already been having a positive effect on youth mental health, especially because of the negative effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health. A phenomenological qualitative research study was used to examine the perceived mental health effects of the VYCC, the aspects of the organization that led to those changes, and the feasibility of bringing these strategies into the classroom setting. This researcher interviewed five first-time participants in the VYCC throughout their summer experiences, focusing on their perceived mental health and whether they reported changes throughout the summer, as well as the programming that could have led to those changes. This researcher interviewed five recent alumni of the VYCC who currently or recently worked with young people about the lessons or strategies that they took from their VYCC experience into their current or recent work with young people. The study revealed the following results in terms of the VYCC’s perceived effects on mental health, what may have led to those changes, and feasible strategies for the post-pandemic classroom: ● Most VYCC participants in this study reported an increase in confidence and self-efficacy, particularly because of the project-based nature of the work. ● Participants reported decreases in perceived anxiety from the project-based, outdoor nature of the work and the supportive relationships with crew members. ● The nature of the work in the VYCC, in terms of its impact on local communities and tangible results led to increased feelings of joy, pride, satisfaction, and accomplishment. ● Working with people of varying abilities led to both increased stress and feelings of connectedness and empathy for others. ● Negative feedback, breakdowns in communication, and pressure to lead those with varying needs and accomplish projects without feeling properly supported led to feelings of frustration, stress, burnout, and increased anxiety. ● Participants in this study examined their own strengths, personalities, and self-image as a result of the reflective nature of the program. The following results relate to the feasibility of bringing strategies or lessons from the VYCC into the classroom: ● The VYCC inspired participants to teach their own students that the process of learning was just as important as the end product, and that mistakes were opportunities for growth in the learning process. ● The VYCC instilled a strengths-based perspective in alumni participants, and they found that maintaining that perspective in the classroom was beneficial to their students. ● The VYCC crew experience helped participants to view others as holistic beings, and inspired them to get to know their students on a personal level in order to make connections and to build a culture of belonging in their classrooms. ● Alumni participants learned that not every style of communication works well with every student; it is important to try various communication styles with students who learn differently. ● The alumni reported that it was important for teachers to instill in their students a sense of joy of discovery and praise curiosity, encouraging them to celebrate when they learn something new or see something in a different way. ● Alumni participants found that the VYCC experience helped them to learn they should prioritize guiding students in discovering their passions and exploring unique pathways to achieving their own definitions of success. The findings in this study were consistent with the literature on project-based learning, outdoor education, and critical service learning’s positive effects on intrinsic motivation, student engagement, and deeper learning (Einfeld et al., 2008; Grant, 2002; James & Williams, 2017; Kokatsaki et al., 2016; Krsmanovic, 2021; Mackenzie et al., 2017; Myers-Lipton, 1998; Smith & Walsh, 2019). The findings in this study added to the limited literature on the Youth Conservation Corps experience, shining light on its perceived effects on the participants in this study’s mental health (Creed et al., 1996; Dickerson, 1977; Driver & Johnson, 1984; Hamilton & Stewart, 1978; Sayegh et al., 2019). The study indicated the positive effects that project-based learning (PBL) can have on perceived anxiety and self-efficacy of participants in this study, which adds to the research on the mental health effects of PBL (Erdem, 2012; Miguel & Carney, 2022; Samsudin et al., 2020; Shin, 2018). This research also uncovered multiple strategies and lessons from the VYCC model that have already been successfully used in the classroom setting

The Poetics of Karama or Why the Egyptian Revolution Was a Poem

This chapter addresses the central research question of the book, considering not only how the Arab uprisings expressed themselves through creative forms but why this was so. It correlates the dependent co-arising of revolutionary dynamics with the dynamics of poetic composition and goes on to argue how this pertains to the way in which the horizontal axis at stake is crucial to the Egyptian Revolution's ethical affirmation of dignity (karama)

In-situ feasibility study of freshwater mussel reintroduction : survival and growth of the wavy-rayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola) in the Pigeon River, NC

The Pigeon River, North Carolina has a long history of habitat degradation due to water diversion and high levels of toxic effluents from a paper mill. Over the last 20 years the paper mill has modernized its processes and reduced water use and waste production greatly. Historically, the wavy-rayed lampmussel, Lampsilis fasciola, was believed to have been present throughout the river from Canton to its mouth in Tennessee, but it currently persists only upstream of Canton, NC. In this preliminary study of the feasibility of restoring the mussels to the downstream reach, I compared the survival and growth of L. fasciola placed in the Pigeon River downstream from Canton with those placed upstream. Captively propagated mussels were individually marked and placed in enclosures in the river at two upstream sites and three downstream sites in December 2008. They were monitored for survival and growth monthly from December 2008-November 2009. Mortality rates among sites were not significantly different; however, growth rates of mussels held in the downstream sites were significantly greater than for those held at upstream sites. Highest growth rates were observed at a site located approximately 18 km downstream from Canton. Several influences may have impacted these growth rates, such as elevated temperature due to heated effluent and agricultural runoff with elevated nutrients. Assessment of survival at other life stages is needed before the full extent of potential for reintroduction of mussels to the studied reach of the Pigeon River is known

Text messaging to help women with overweight or obesity lose weight after childbirth:the intervention adaptation and SMS feasibility RCT

Background There is a need to develop weight management interventions that fit seamlessly into the busy lives of women during the postpartum period. Objective The objective was to develop and pilot-test an evidence- and theory-based intervention, delivered by short message service, which supported weight loss and weight loss maintenance in the postpartum period. Design Stage 1 involved the development of a library of short message service messages to support weight loss and weight loss maintenance, with personal and public involvement, focusing on diet and physical activity with embedded behaviour change techniques, and the programming of a short message service platform to allow fully automated intervention delivery. Stage 2 comprised a 12-month, single-centre, two-arm, pilot, randomised controlled trial with an active control. Setting This study was set in Northern Ireland; women were recruited via community-based approaches. Participants A total of 100 women with overweight or obesity who had given birth in the previous 24 months were recruited. Interventions The intervention group received an automated short message service intervention about weight loss and weight loss maintenance for 12 months. The active control group received automated short message service messages about child health and development for 12 months. Main outcome measures The main outcomes measured were the feasibility of recruitment and retention, acceptability of the intervention and trial procedures, and evidence of positive indicative effects on weight. Weight, waist circumference and blood pressure were measured by the researchers; participants completed a questionnaire booklet and wore a sealed pedometer for 7 days at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Outcome assessments were collected during home visits and women received a voucher on completion of each of the assessments. Qualitative interviews were conducted with women at 3 and 12 months, to gather feedback on the intervention and active control and the study procedures. Quantitative and qualitative data were used to inform the process evaluation and to assess fidelity, acceptability, dose, reach, recruitment, retention, contamination and context. Results The recruitment target of 100 participants was achieved (intervention, n = 51; control, n = 49); the mean age was 32.5 years (standard deviation 4.3 years); 28 (28%) participants had a household income o

Sexual health care provision in cancer nursing care:a systematic review on the state of evidence and deriving international competencies chart for cancer nurses

Background: Sexual health care should be an integral part of holistic, person-centred care for patients with cancer. Nurses can have a pivotal role, but nurse-led care in this context has been historically challenging. Objectives: To update the state of scientific knowledge pertinent to nurses’ competencies in delivering sexual health care to patients with cancer; better understand moderating factors; and evaluate interventions developed/tested to enhance nurses’ competencies. Design: Systematic literature review in line with published PRISMA Statement guidelines. Data sources: Electronic bibliographic databases; journal content lists; reference lists of included studies; author/expert contact. Review methods: Nine electronic databases were searched (June 2008-October 2018) to identify studies employing diverse research methods. We applied pre-specified eligibility criteria to all retrieved records and integrated findings in a narrative synthesis. Results: Of 2,614 returned articles, we included 31 unique studies. Five articles reported on two randomised controlled trials and three single-arm, before-and-after trials. Current evidence suggests that nurses’ knowledge and skill in providing sexual health care still varies widely across different settings, phases and cancers. A plethora of intra-personal, inter-personal, societal and organisational factors may hinder nurse-led care in this context. Nurses’ perceived professional confidence was repeatedly examined as influencing provision of care in this context; unfortunately, it was found lacking and complicated by unhelpful views and beliefs about SHC. Despite the magnitude of the problem, the few trials that tested, sexual health-targeted continuing professional development programmes for nurses, were of low-to-moderate methodological quality, while the associated high risk of methodological bias downgraded the evidence on the interventions’ effectiveness. Conclusion: Our systematic review replicates previous findings and highlights a continuing problem: nurse-led provision of sexual health care in cancer care remains sub-optimal and challenging, due mainly to nurses’ assumptions and prejudices towards sexuality, lack of professional confidence in dealing with sensitive issues, and a complex health care system environment. To realistically deal with this problem, we propose a flexible, two-level chart to promote development of basic competence among all nurses caring for patients with cancer (entry-level), and facilitate subsequent transition to a more specialised, self-pursued role for a subset of nurses (champion-level). The chart itself can be relevant to an international audience, while it might be transferable to other long-term conditions. Accordingly, we propose additional rigorous research to test multi-component educational programmes, customised to meet entry-level and champion-level requirements to realise continuous nursing provision of sexual health care in cancer care

Depression and anxiety in glioma patients

Glioma patients carry the burden of having both a progressive neurological disease and cancer, and may face a variety of symptoms, including depression and anxiety. These symptoms are highly prevalent in glioma patients (median point prevalence ranging from 16-41% for depression and 24-48% for anxiety when assessed by self-report questionnaires) and have a major impact on health-related quality of life and even overall survival time. A worse overall survival time for glioma patients with depressive symptoms might be due to tumor progression and/or its supportive treatment causing depressive symptoms, an increased risk of suicide or other (unknown) factors. Much is still unclear about the etiology of depressive and anxiety symptoms in glioma. These psychiatric symptoms often find their cause in a combination of neurophysiological and psychological factors, such as the tumor and/or its treatment. Although these patients have a particular idiosyncrasy, standard treatment guidelines for depressive and anxiety disorders apply, generally recommending psychological and pharmacological treatment. Only a few nonpharmacological trials have been conducted evaluating the efficacy of psychological treatments (eg, a reminiscence therapy-based care program) in this population, which significantly reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms. No pharmacological trials have been conducted in glioma patients specifically. More well-designed trials evaluating the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments for depressive and anxiety disorders in glioma are urgently needed to successfully treat psychiatric symptoms in brain tumor patients and to improve (health-related) quality of life

Returning to work after long term sickness absence due to low back pain – the struggle within: a qualitative study of the patient's experience.

Background: low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of work absence. Assisting individuals back into work is an important part of rehabilitation. Objective: to explore the experiences of individuals returning to work after an episode of sickness absence due to LBP. Participants: Five women employed by a UK University who had returned to work. Method: in this qualitative study, participants underwent semi-structured interviews about their experiences. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: two primary themes emerged 1) perceived pressure to return to work and 2) strategies employed to relieve the pressure to return. Pressure to return to work arose from a number of sources including guilt and a personal work ethic, internally, and from colleagues and management, externally. This pressure led to the individual employing a number of strategies to reduce it. These ranged from a simple denial of health concerns and decision to return to work regardless of their condition, to placing the responsibility of the decision not to return to work onto a significant other, such as a family member or health care professional. Cconclusions: individuals returning to work with LBP experience considerable pressure to return and use a range of strategies to mediate that pressure