Creating Inclusive Youth Programs for LGBTQ+ Communities

It is vital for youth to experience inclusive programming that is welcoming. Extension has a responsibility and an obligation to provide youth with programs and spaces that are inclusive of all sexes, gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. This article provides an overview of appropriate terminology, as well as steps for creating inclusive Extension spaces and programs for youth who identify as members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) communities. With a focus on urban Extension audiences, this article uses accessible language, self-reflective prompts, and supporting visual aids to share lessons learned from ongoing inclusivity trainings with Extension personnel across the nation, as well as from research activities and inclusive programming

So You Want to Do Post-Intentional Phenomenological Research?

In this article, phenomenology, both in its philosophical and methodological variants, is introduced in the form of a fictional dialogue between a student justifying her interest in using a post-intentional phenomenological approach in her dissertation to her major professor. The dialogue tackles founding philosophers, notably Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty; contemporary researchers, including A. Giorgi, B. Giorgi, van Manen, and Vagle; several phenomenological concepts, such as intentionality, bracketing, and bridling; and provides examples of three distinct approaches to phenomenological research

Incorporating Cultural Competence & Youth Program Volunteers: A Literature Review

The increasing diversity of youth in the United States necessitates a shift in the ways that youth services and programming are designed and implemented. This article examines existing scholarship on developing the cultural competency of volunteers in youth development programs in an effort to improve 4-H YDP protocol. Drawing from a diverse, interdisciplinary range of peer-reviewed, academic articles, this literature review plots out recent pedagogical trends, theoretical concepts, and empirical studies dealing with the cultural competence of service workers and mentors interacting with youth. Based on a synthesis of the findings, this paper presents guiding principles for increasing cultural competence of youth program design through both training and organizational changes

Guidelines for Safe Canning of Acid Foods in a Steam Canner

Steam canning, or atmospheric steam canning, can be a safe as well as energy efficient method for home preservation of most high-acid foods. This leaflet explains the differences between steam canners and boiling water canners and explains how to use a steam canner safely

RESOURCE QUALITY AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY: A MULTI-COUNTRY COMPARISON

This paper builds on earlier studies of agricultural productivity by incorporating spatially referenced soil and climate data combined with high-resolution land-cover data. Econometric analysis of these data, along with panel data on agricultural inputs and outputs from 110 countries for 1961-1997, quantifies the significant impact that differences in land quality have on agricultural productivity.Productivity Analysis,

Safety of Carrageenan

Carrageenan, a naturally occurring gum derived from red seaweed, is used as a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier in food products such as chocolate milk, infant formula, and pie filling. In 2016, because pesticide residues had been discovered in some carrageenan imported from the Philippines, a citizen group that advises the U.S. Department of Agriculture voted to remove carrageenan from a list of foods labeled “USDA Organic.” The controversy surrounding carrageenan is not due to ill health effects caused by carrageenan itself. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has evaluated carrageenan as “generally recognized as safe.