Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network

Author: Mincemoyer, Claudia; Daniel Perkins, Pennsylvania State University
Description: PROSPER (PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience) is an innovative model for bringing scientifically-proven prevention programs to communities to strengthen youth and families. The PROSPER program's main purpose is to reduce rates of youth substance use and problem behavior and foster positive youth development. This is accomplished by teaching skills that foster improved family life and parent-child communication and providing students with skills for planning, problem-solving and peer resistance against problem behaviors. PROSPER is a research-outreach initiative that links three existing infrastructure systems to provide prevention programming and enhance the resiliency of youth and families – the land-grant university, the Cooperative Extension System, and the public school system.

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Author: Copeland, Alison; Lisa Hamilton-Hill
Description: 4 Habitat is a partnership between the University of Missouri 4-H Youth Development Program, Human Environmental Sciences Architectural Studies Extension, and Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity. The 4 Habitat team integrates: (1) 4-H/Extension staff, volunteer, and youth abilities and skills, (2) opportunities for 4-H youth to apply life skills and practice service to others, and (3) support for low-income homeowner families. Working with a Habitat for Humanity family, youth and volunteers engaged in a year-long service experience that enhanced youth skills in the areas of collaborative project planning and execution, home maintenance, interior design, energy efficiency, landscaping and nutrition. The Habitat for Humanity family learned about interior design and to care for their new home in a more energy efficient and cost efficient manner. Youth focus group data revealed that the program fostered a sense of giving and accomplishment, the development of new skills and the transfer of knowledge to real world experience. In particular, youth learned about energy efficiency and electric bill savings, how to prepare and make meals last longer to save on grocery bills, and interior design concepts such as color and furniture selection. The family appreciated learning practical skills that will help them sustain their new home. They also valued working as a team with the youth, learning together as spouses, and all that 4 Habitat did for the family.

Description: Michigan State University Extension in Leelanau County, Michigan, has successfully initiated four sustained community-based after-school programs since 1993. This rural northwestern Michigan County has garnered substantial school, parent and community support through their thoughtful process. The initial program, Suttons Bay 4-H Kids Club, opened its doors in September 1993. Leland 4-H Kids Club was established in September 1999. Glen Lake 4-H Kids Club was instituted in June 2005. In September 2006, Northport 4-H Kids Club began operation. Each of the three subsequent programs was modeled after the pioneer Suttons Bay program. All licensed programs are serving youth in grades K-6. All youth in each program are enrolled as Leelanau County 4-H members. Each site has a program director with paid staff based on program size. This is complimented by each program having consistent daily routines. All programs have shown that where there are caring staff with a goal of creating a positive youth development environment, community, school, family and child connections can flourish.

Author: Arnett, Nate (1 more by this author); Kim Catchpole, Theresa Ferrari, Graham Cochran, Parker Charles Burks, Jennille Love, Ashley Krogel, Lois Woods
Description: A recent study conducted by the Afterschool Alliance found that in these challenging economic times afterschool programs are needed more than ever. Demand for programs is up, funding is down, and while overall afterschool programs are struggling, this need is even more pronounced in African-American communities. Adventure Central in Dayton, Ohio is a program that is filling this gap by serving at-risk, African-American children and their families by providing non-formal educational programs outside of school hours. Adventure Central is a positive youth development partnership of 4-H, Ohio State University Extension, and Five Rivers MetroParks. Using nature, staff nurtures families in life-changing activities that strengthen values, build lasting life skills, and empower youth to explore life's possibilities. The afterschool program is the primary programmatic effort for this dynamic youth education center. Evaluations with parents and long term youth participants indicate that the program is delivering educational and social benefits as well as opportunities to do new things ina safe and supportive environment. Adventure Central integrates high touch with opportunities to connect with nature. The result: participants gain strengthened values, lasting life skills, and both an eagerness and confidence to explore life's possibilities and the natural world.

Author: Phillips, Ruthellen
Description: Energy Express, under the leadership of West Virginia University Extension 4-H Youth Development, is a research-based summer reading and nutrition program for children living in rural and low-income West Virginia communities. Each summer Energy Express serves 3,000 school-age children in 80 communities. Professional educators supervise almost 500 summer AmeriCorps members in their 300 hour service assignments. A county collaborative provides leadership for Energy Express locally and raises 30% of the site cost. At each community site, four to eight college-student AmeriCorps members serving as mentors each work with a small group of eight children. The group eats breakfast and lunch served family-style and engages in reading-related activities that make reading meaningful. Each child receives a weekly take-home book related to the "place-based" curriculum. AmeriCorps members serving as volunteer coordinators recruit, train, supervise and recognize community youth and adult volunteers who support children's learning. Not only is the typical summer slide halted, children's reading scores increase and they receive much-needed nutrition. Energy Express has developed an outstanding reputation for meeting the needs of children, for involving the community in children's learning, and for delivering a high quality program with demonstrated impact.

Author: Bovitz, Laura (4 more by this author)
Description: The Middlesex County 4-H Project GIFT program is a service learning activity planned and implemented by the County 4-H Teen Council. This event provides a free day of holiday shopping for limited resource families, and reaches approximately 300 youth from 130 families, representing 12 county agencies annually. This project provides parents with a sense of empowerment by providing for them the opportunity to choose and “buy” gifts for their children, rather than receiving anonymous donations. 4-H teens raise $6,000 through fund raisers and receive almost $5,000 yearly in donations from local and regional service organizations, businesses and individuals. 4-H members work in partnership with adults to plan, deliver and evaluate this program and work cooperatively in committees led by older 4-H teens. Teens report that involvement in this program helps them develop and practice valuable life skills such as team building, cooperation and leadership. Agency staff and clients attending the event indicate that this project provides a valuable service to them and the community, and helps them meet their emotional and psychological needs.

Author: Scheer, Scott
Description: The Ohio 4-H Cloverbud program serves over 40,000 5 to 8 year-old children throughout Ohio. The overall objective of the program is to promote healthy development of the children by advancing life skills of self-confidence, social skills, decision-making abilities, subject matter knowledge and physical skills. The program was developed to help reach children before the usual 4-H starting age of eight or nine. In doing so, 4-H programs can reach children at an earlier age to have a positive impact on their development. Numerous delivery methods are utilized to implement the program which includes community clubs, classroom settings, after-school environments, and day/overnight camps. In addition, resources have been developed to assist in the design and delivery of the program. These resources include: 4-H Cloverbud program curriculum -- Series I and II, Spanish version for Series I, volunteer guidebook, horse curriculum instructional materials, volunteer training video, educational activity kits, and the Cloverbud Connections newsletter. Formative and summative evaluations have been conducted. Results indicate positive experiences by participants increased their life skills through a positive youth development environment. The program has long-term implications for helping children navigate successfully through adolescence into young adulthood.

Author: Duncomb, Mary
Description: The Youth Teaching Youth: Alcohol & Tobacco Decisions program is built upon the premise that teenagers can deliver important messages about alcohol and tobacco to younger youth who will hear and take the subject more seriously. The program integrates the 4-H concept of older youth teaching research-based curricu-lum to younger youth (through cross-age teaching). Teen teachers are recruited and trained to present the three-session curriculum. This delivery method, peer-teaching is key to the success of this prevention education program.

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Author: Roesch, Gabrielle; Jana Ferris
Description: The 4-H Fish and Forest Stewards Program teaches 4-H Essential Elements in a School Enrichment and After-School format. This program works with diverse schools within Snohomish County, Washington. We have worked with Tulalip Tribal youth as well as rural communities affected by poverty and job losses. Our program is generally taught throughout the entire school year with visits once or twice a month. We focus our curriculum on Environmental Stewardship which includes sessions on watersheds, water quality, native plants, salmon habitat/stewardship, forests and wildlife, climate change and local history. Our program focuses on learning about the environment both in the classroom and out in the field through experiential field trips where youth experience recreation, service and learning in an afternoon or for the whole day. The 4-H Fish and Forest Stewards Program also incorporates team-building activities that teach students life-skills such as problem solving, teamwork, communication and reflection. These activities are based on the 4-H philosophy of Do-Reflect-Apply. This fusion of team-building and challenge activities in conjunction with environmental stewardship makes this program effective at engaging students, teachers and parents along with our partners. Our strategy also offers opportunities for engaging students in life-long learning and skill-building.

Author: Lawson, Lynna
Description: Focus groups were conducted with families of offenders in Missouri. The goal of the meetings was to determine ways that the University Extension could help families of incarcerated men and women, particulary those with children. Included in the issues of concern were insufficient family programs and parent-child separation. The family strengthening program, Living Interactive Family Education (LIFE), was created in order to address these issues. The purpose of the program is to help children and youth successfully overcome some of the challenges of parental incarceration. The program was developed jointly between the incarcerated parents and local 4-H staff to address the needs of the children. Project LIFE consists of three main components: 4-H activities, parenting training, and planning/coordination. At monthly meetings, children, parents, and care-givers work together on traditional 4-H club activities in order to develop life skills. The program offers the opportunity to break the cycle of incarceration and to remove barriers between offenders and their families.

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Caring Relationships, Community Spirit

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