A statewide need for Latino cultural competency training for Utah State University (USU) Extension personnel was identified. The solution involved the collaborative efforts of our team of two USU Extension faculty members and one Washington State University (WSU) Extension faculty member on adaption and customization of a needs assessment tool and a training program originated at WSU. Our collaboration leveraged important limited resources such as subject-matter expertise, training materials, time, and funding while providing a venue for feedback and ideas to improve, update, and enhance an existing program. Garnering administrative support from the start is key to successful cross-state collaborative work and implementation of specialized training to expand Latino outreach capacity in Extension

Garcia, José L.

Garcia, Zuri

Wille, Celina G.

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

Journal of Extension Volume 57 Number 3 Article 4 6-1-2019 Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise Celina G. Wille Utah State University Zuri Garcia Utah State University José L. Garcia Washington State University Recommended Citation Wille, C. G., Garcia, Z., & Garcia, J. L. (2019). Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise. Journal of Extension, 57(3). Retrieved from https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol57/iss3/4 This Tools of the Trade is brought to you for free and open access by TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. June 2019Volume 57Number 3Article # 3TOT6Tools of the TradeCollaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural CompetencyExpertiseAbstractA statewide need for Latino cultural competency training for Utah State University (USU) Extension personnel wasidentified. The solution involved the collaborative efforts of our team of two USU Extension faculty members and oneWashington State University (WSU) Extension faculty member on adaption and customization of a needsassessment tool and a training program originated at WSU. Our collaboration leveraged important limited resourcessuch as subject-matter expertise, training materials, time, and funding while providing a venue for feedback andideas to improve, update, and enhance an existing program. Garnering administrative support from the start is keyto successful cross-state collaborative work and implementation of specialized training to expand Latino outreachcapacity in Extension.Keywords: Latino cultural competency, collaboration, subject-matter expertise, training, Latino outreach  IntroductionCollaboration in Extension across organizations leverages limited assets such as subject-matter expertise,training resources, time, and funding. One organization may identify and address specific training needs bydeveloping resources that another organization may also find useful. Collaborating across state lines in Extensionis not uncommon. For example, after conducting needs assessments, Extension trainers in Virginia and NorthCarolina teamed to develop educational materials for a joint communication series based on shared goals(Greiner & Hampton, 2016). During the needs assessment stage, they found that faculty at both institutionsinvolved had similar training needs, and after the training, all participants expressed high satisfaction with it(Greiner & Hampton, 2016). Collaboration can take on many forms. This article illustrates how a short-termcollaboration initiative occurred between Utah State University (USU) Extension and Washington State University(WSU) Extension. Latino cultural competency subject-matter experts from both institutions worked together onadapting and customizing a WSU needs assessment tool and a training program to meet the needs of USUExtension faculty.Understanding the Need for Latino Cultural Competency TrainingCelina G. WilleAssistant Professorand Extension LatinoPrograms SpecialistUtah State UniversityLogan, Utahcelina.wille@usu.eduZuri GarciaExtension AssistantProfessorUtah State UniversityKaysville, Utahzuri.garcia@usu.eduJosé L. Garcia-PabónLatino CommunityStudies and OutreachSpecialistWashington StateUniversity ExtensionEverett, WashingtonGarciajl@wsu.eduCensus data indicate increasing Latino populations in the United States. The proportion comprising the Latinopopulation rose from approximately 6.5% in 1980 to almost 18% by 2015 (Pew Research Center, 2015). Utahhas experienced similar demographic changes for a number of years, and Latinos constitute its largest minority,at 14% of the state's population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). An underserved group, Latinos in Utah bear theconsequences of inequities—with gaps in areas such as health, well-being, and youth academic achievement.Moreover, Latinos participate in Extension activities in low numbers, a fact confirmed in a recent survey of USUExtension faculty (Wille & Garcia, 2017).Culturally Responsive Programs Increase Minority ParticipationWe know that "to successfully engage Latino audiences, particularly first- and second-generation Latinos,programs must be culturally responsive; that is, they must reflect the cultural traditions, beliefs, and values ofthe people" (Hobbs, 2004, para.2). With respect to Extension specifically, research has shown that Latinoparticipation increases dramatically with culturally responsive programs (Hobbs, 2004). Guion and Brown (2010)suggested that to serve Latinos, Extension educators must "become more culturally aware, responsive, andcompetent" (para. 4). The authors further stated that "the cornerstone of cultural competence is a betterunderstanding of individuals within the cultural groups that we currently serve and/or desire to serve" (Guion &Brown, 2010, para. 1). For example, traditional program marketing strategies that work for mainstreamExtension audiences do not always work for Latino families. Email invitations or flyers may fail to attract Latinosto events if the community prefers to develop personal relationships with organizers prior to participating inunfamiliar activities.Culturally Diverse Programs Preserve Extension's FutureBy taking time to learn about the cultural backgrounds, histories, values, and norms of Latinos, Extensioneducators can create more effective Latino outreach efforts and programs. Developing cultural capacity forworking with Latinos also affects Extension professionals' appreciation for diversity. As their cultural awarenessgrows, so do their abilities to adapt programming to the needs of diverse populations, maintaining the futureviability of Extension as an organization.Methods and FindingsAssessing USU Faculty Latino Outreach, Training, and Support NeedsIn carrying out the project we report here, we represented Extension programs from two states. Authors Garciaand Wille, from USU Extension, reached out to author Garcia-Pabón, from WSU, to draw from his extensiveexperience as a Latino program specialist. Since 2012, Garcia-Pabón has offered professional education onworking with the Latino community. His expertise helped guide our assessment of the current state of Latinooutreach in USU Extension and faculty training needs. The assessment included questions to identify past andpresent Latino outreach efforts, includingprograms provided,success achieved, andTools of the Trade Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise JOE 57(3)©2019 Extension Journal Inc. 2interest in resources and training.Providing full endorsement, USU Extension administration distributed an online survey to reach all faculty in theUSU Extension system. Of the 380 faculty and staff on the official Extension electronic mailing list who receivedthe survey, 159 responded. Having full support from the highest level of administration led to a 42% responserate. The assessment confirmed a significant need for training on cultural competency and Latino outreach inUtah. Tables 1 and 2 highlight the survey findings.Table 1.Latino Outreach Needs Among Utah Extension ProfessionalsExtension faculty interest %aCultural concerns and issues when working with Latino audiences 88Best practices for reaching out to and communicating with Latino audiences 85Participating in a Latino cultural competency 1-day workshop 68Accessing resources in Spanish to support programming 71aModerate to high interest responses only.Table 2.Level of LatinoParticipation inExtension ProgramsParticipation level %No participation 20.21Low participation 51.06Moderate participation 24.47High participation 4.26Adopting and Adapting ResourcesWith these findings, we then engaged in the process of sharing, reviewing, and adapting for use in Utahresources and training materials on Latino cultural competency already available from WSU Extension. Weprovided a full-day Latino cultural competency workshop in a central location. The workshop was offered tofaculty from the 15 counties in Utah with highest Latino population concentrations, which ranged from 8.8% to17.6%. Postworkshop survey results showed that participants highly rated the training and reported an increasedcomfort level for engaging in Latino outreach. Participants also identified more than 40 ways to reach out toLatinos. Those outreach efforts ranged from finding Latino 4-H volunteers and writing Latino programming grantsto adapting and developing Latino-specific programs.Benefits and ImplicationsCollaborating to access WSU Extension faculty expertise on Latino cultural competency and outreach, andTools of the Trade Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise JOE 57(3)©2019 Extension Journal Inc. 3customizing an agenda for a training workshop to fit the needs in USU Extension produced many benefits withimportant implications. We determined that partnering across state lines allows Extension professionals tostreamline resources and save time by using already developed, ready-to-use assessments, curricula, andother program materials;capitalize on peer experience in subject matter;customize another state's tools and resources to meet the needs of local audiences and programs (e.g.,providing paper/pencil versus online surveys); andimprove, update, and enhance programs through mutually beneficial collaborations.Garnering administrative support from the start is key to successful cross-state collaborative work for assessingLatino outreach needs and providing training at the district, region, or state level. Administrative backing caninclude program endorsement through direct emailing and financial and logistic support. It also legitimizes theneed for any type of cultural competency training across the organization. This support can increase efforts toengage with underserved audiences across the state Extension system.Extension needs to be in tune and remain relevant regarding the educational needs of the nation's diversecommunities. Local and state challenges to reach underserved audiences are mirrored across the country.Collaborating across state lines to leverage cultural competency expertise, as our example shows, can enable andexpedite Extension's work to engage with underserved audiences.ReferencesGreiner, L., & Hampton, N. (2016). Collaborating across state lines [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.slideshare.net/lgreiner/collaborating-across-state-linesGuion, L. A., & Brown, K. (2010, June). Culturally competent Extension educators. Retrieved fromhttp://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.505.8661&rep=rep1&type=pdfHobbs, B. (2004). Latino outreach programs: Why they need to be different. Journal of Extension, 42(4), Article4COM1. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2004august/comm1.phpPew Research Center. (2015). Facts on U.S. Latinos, 2015: Statistical portrait of Hispanics in the United States.Retrieved from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2017/09/18/facts-on-u-s-latinos-current-data/U.S. Census Bureau. (2017). Utah population estimates, July 1, 2017, (V2017). Retrieved fromhttps://www.census.gov/quickfacts/utWille, C., & Garcia, Z. (2017). [Utah State University Extension faculty cultural competency training and programsupport needs]. Unpublished raw data.Copyright © by Extension Journal, Inc. ISSN 1077-5315. Articles appearing in the Journal become the property ofthe Journal. Single copies of articles may be reproduced in electronic or print form for use in educational orTools of the Trade Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise JOE 57(3)©2019 Extension Journal Inc. 4training activities. Inclusion of articles in other publications, electronic sources, or systematic large-scaledistribution may be done only with prior electronic or written permission of the Journal Editorial Office, joe-ed@joe.org.If you have difficulties viewing or printing this page, please contact JOE Technical SupportTools of the Trade Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise JOE 57(3)©2019 Extension Journal Inc. 5

Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise

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Collaborating Across State Lines to Leverage Cultural Competency Expertise

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