Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Military youth of Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, Military child and youth program staff and Extension personnel were the ultimate target audience for this project. Military children and youth regularly face parent deployment, reintegration, risk of parent death or injury, and relocation. 4-H provides consistency and predictability in their lives and quality programming at a time when reliability is needed. Youth have the opportunity to belong to 4-H and participate in 4-H opportunities through local connection with 4-H no matter where they live. 4-H programming provides youth opportunities to continue to develop life skills in leadership, citizenship, health, and STEM, goals found in the military child and youth programs. Military youth staff are provided the opportunity to participate in training at the local, state, and/or national level through hands-on training or webinars. The Extension 4-H Military Liaisons are the target audience for the Annual 4-H Military Partnership meeting and the 4-H Military Partnerships Grant Program. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The annual 4-H Military Partnerships meeting provided an opportunity for Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and Military Partners to share updates and information in a collegial environment. 4-H Military Liaisons and Military staff serve on the committee identifying outcomes and assure topics address relevant issues, including research and outreach. Through staff training provided by state and local 4-H staff, military youth program staff gained skills in using 4-H Essential Elements and managing 4-H clubs to insure that youth feel a sense of belonging and develop life skills. Nearly 5,000 military child and youth personnel participated in professional development opportunities. Training was provided through face-to-face opportunities (more than 70%) and distance education. Through the delivery of quality positive youth development programs, 4-H helped military youth develop confidence and become capable and caring youth with life skills to thrieve in today's world. As travel tightened for both military and extension staff, webinars have become a mode of providing training. Webinar topics included "Intersections of Resilience and Vulnerability: A Study of over 1000 Youth in Military Families" and "Understanding the New Qualtrics Online Reporting System". How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?With the multiple partnerships in this project, information is shared regularly through multiple avenues. The 4-H Military Partnership annual report is disseminated in print to 4-H National Headquarters, Military Partners in Army, Air Force, and Navy, and the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons to share with Extension administrators and military partners in their state. The report is also on the 4-H Military Partnerships website at www.4hmilitarypartnerships.org. The 4-H Military Partnerships Project exhibited at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents meeting using marketing materials and showcasing curriculum developed through the military partnerships. The 4-H Military Partnerships website disseminates information to the public, Extension professionals, military partners, child and youth program staff, and parents. Conference calls, Webinars, exhibits at conferences, marketing materials, emails, and phone calls are used to communicate and disseminate information about the 4-H Military Partnerships Project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The 4-H Military Partnerships Grant Program provides military youth consistency and predictability in their lives wherever they may live. The 4-H Military Partnerships Grant Program gives military connected youth the opportunity to join 4-H clubs to develop skills in the area of Citizenship (concern for others, sharing, nurturing relationships), Healthy Living (self-responsibility, disease prevention, resiliency, stress management), and Leadership (decision making, learning to learn, teamwork, problem solving). These skills are learned and demonstrated through multiple educational activities in which military youth participate. Youth engaged in citizenship programming become well-informed citizens and connect to their communities by giving back. Youth exhibit skills in teamwork, leadership, and communication as they plan and implement service projects. Military youth shared/demonstrated leadership skills at the state, county and local levels. 4-H engages youth in the exploration and discovery of STEM which are essential youth skills today. Military youth participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day experiments and enter regional and state science/robotics contests. Underwater robots (SeaPerch) are used to test water quality in nearby communities. Additional skills learned include learning to question, record outcomes, and discovering the how and why of things. Youth involved in healthy living activities are encouraged to make decisions that lead to positive well-being of themselves, family, and community by being mentally, physically, and nutritionally healthy. Youth gain an understanding of the importance of the food systems by growing, harvesting, cooking, and using food safety practices by growing their own fruits and vegetables. Skills demonstrated by youth include assisting with food preparation at home and trying new foods. The 4-H Military Partnerships Grant Program is a partnership of 4-H National Headquarters, Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Children Youth Programs, and Navy Child and Youth Programs. Bringing together these entities to collaborate to create environments and programming experiences for military connected children and youth to promote the development of life skills is significant. Kansas State University successfully manages 45 sub-awards for this 4-H Military Partnerships Grant Program. Military funding enables Extension to support this partnership with personnel (37 funded positions, 77,000 hours) to enhance staff training and expand youth engagement in 4-H clubs and other 4-H educational programs. 4-H, through its state and local staffing, have embraced this partnership with Extension staff contributing 305,760 hours in support of military programming. More than 30,500 geographically dispersed military connected youth and 34,000 military youth on installations gained skills and knowledge through participation in 4-H clubs and opportunities. Recognizing the importance of this audience, 4-H volunteers contributed nearly 38,000 hours of support valued at $820,692. Additionally, community partners and State 4-H Foundations contributed $104,721 by providing curriculum and other program resources. The 4-H Military Partnerships website provides the opportunity for public, Extension, and Military audiences to gain awareness and knowledge of the 4-H Military Partnerships and access to resources and curriculum for use in military youth programs. Military families access the website to learn of camping opportunities available for their children and youth. Extension professionals from around the country gained knowledge and awareness of the 4-H Military Partnerships at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents through the partnership exhibit. Webinar participants gained knowledge about a research project conducted with over 1000 military youth on the intersections of resilience and vulnerability.

Publications

Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Military youth who live on installations and in geographically dispersed areas, Military child and youth program staff and Extension personnel are the target audience of this project. Military connected children regularly face parent/loved one deployments, reintegration, risk of parent death or injury, and relocation. 4-H provides consistency and predictability in their lives and quality programming at a time when reliability is needed. Children and youth have the opportunity to belong to 4-H and participate in local 4-H opportunities wherever they live. 4-H programming provides youth the opportunities to continue to develop life skills in leadership, citizenship, healthly living, and STEM. Goals align with the military child and youth program goals. Military youth program staff have the opportunity to participate in training at the local, state, and/or national level through hands-on trainings or webinars. The Extension 4-H Military Liaisons are the target audience for the Annual 4-H Military partnership meeting. National updates and program successes are shared in a collegial environment. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The annual 4-H Military Partnerships meeting provides an opportunity for Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and Military Partners to share updates and information in a collegial environment. 4-H Military Liaisons and Military staff serve on the committee to identify outcomes and assure topics address relevant issues. Military Partner’s concerns include their youth’s health and development of skills in the science area. Topics included newly released 4-H/Military curriculum and support for National 4-H Science Day. Military youth program staff gain skills about the 4-H Essential Elements and managing 4-H clubs to insure that youth feel a sense of belonging and develop life skills through staff training provided by state and local 4-H staff. As travel tightened for both military and extension staff, webinars have become a mode of providing training. Webinar topics included 4-H National Youth Science Day, cyberbullying, Military REACH Lab, and 4-H Common Measures. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? With the multiple partnerships in this project, information is shared regularly through multiple avenues. The 4-H Military Partnership annual report is disseminated in print to 4-H National Headquarters, Military Partners in Army, Air Force, and Navy, and the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons to share with Extension administrators and military partners in their state. The 4-H Military Partnerships Project exhibited at the Extension Galaxy Conference using marketing materials along with conducting a training session of the newly developed 4-H 201 curriculum. The 4-H Military Partnership website disseminates information to the public, Extension professionals, and Military Partners, child and youth program staff and parents. Conference calls, Webinars, exhibits at conference, marketing materials, emails and phone calls are used to communicate and disseminate information about the 4-H Military Partnerships Project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The 4-H Military Partnership Grant Programs provide military youth consistency and predictability in their lives wherever they may live. The 4-H Military Partnership grants give military connected youth the opportunity to join 4-H clubs to develop skills in the area of Citizenship (concern for others, sharing, nurturing relationships), Healthy Living (self-responsibility, disease prevention, resiliency, stress management), and Leadership (decision making, learning to learn, teamwork, problem solving). These skills are learned and demonstrated through multiple educational activities in which military youth participate. Youth engaged in citizenship programming become well-informed citizens and connect to their communities by giving back. Youth exhibit skills in teamwork, leadership, and communication as they plan and implement service projects. Military youth shared/demonstrated leadership skills at the state, county and local levels. 4-H engages youth in the exploration and discovery of STEM which are essential youth skills today. Military youth participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day experiments and enter regional and state science/robotics contests, winning first in multiple contests. Underwater robots (SeaPerch) are used to test water quality in nearby communities. Additional skills learned included learning to question, record outcomes, and discovering the how and why of things. Youth involved in healthy living activities are encouraged to make decisions that lead to positive well-being of themselves, family, and community by being mentally, physically, and nutritionally healthy. Youth gain an understanding of the importance of the food systems by growing, harvesting, cooking, and using food safety practices by growing their own fruits and vegetables. Skills demonstrated by youth include assisting with food preparation at home and trying new foods. The 4-H Military Partnership Grant program is a partnership of 4-H National Headquarters, Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Child and Youth Programs, and Navy Child and Youth Programs. Bringing together these entities to collaborate to create environments and programming experiences for military connected children and youth to promote the development of life skills is significant. Kansas State University successfully manages a total of 46 sub-awards, 10 through this funding, for this 4-H Military Partnership grant program. The 4-H Military Partnership website provides the opportunity for public, Extension, and Military audiences to gain awareness and knowledge of the 4-H Military Partnership and access to resources and curriculum for use in military youth programs. Military families access the website to learn of camping opportunities available for their children and youth. A partnership with Burpee Seed Company for Welcome Home Gardens assists Military youth, families, and veterans to strengthen youth knowledge in growing and harvesting garden products, and learning about citizenship by gardening in a family/community setting. Extension 4-H Military Liaisons indicate this project has strengthened their community partnerships and visibility. Due to weather related problems, the 4-H Military Partnership meeting was canceled, however, where applicable, Webinars served to enable participants to collaborate and strengthen their skills. Participants gained knowledge on topics such as cyber bullying, positive youth development training resources, 4-H outcomes from the Tufts study, and 4-H Common Measures. A new reporting system, designed in the Qualtrics platform for the 4-H Military Partnership Grant Program, will provide accurate information from the grant funded states on demographics, outputs and outcomes of their state projects. Participants at the Extension Galaxy conference gained information about the 4-H 201 curriculum in a workshop presentation. A 4-H Military Partnership exhibit informed participants about the resources and curriculum available through the project.

Publications

Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Military connected youth, Military youth program staff and Extension personnel were the target audiences for this project. Military youth are at increased risk as they face the challenges of having parents deployed to dangerous places, and moving often. The stresses of reunion and reintegration are as difficult as those of deployment. 4-H provides consistency and predictability in their lives and quality programming at a time when it is greatly needed. Youth have opportunities to belong to 4-H clubs and participate in other types of 4-H programming. These opportunities developed leadership, citizenship and life skills in military connected youth. Military youth program staff members participate in 4-H trainings, offered at the national level as well as with the local Extension 4-H County Agent. Trainings on the basics of 4-H enable youth program staff to conduct 4-H clubs on military installations around the world. They also receive technical support from project staff and local and state Extension personnel. The Extension 4-H Military Liaisons are the target audience for the annual 4-H Military Partnership meeting. National updates and program successes are shared in a collegial environment. Military youth program staff and Extension personnel are the target audience for the 4-H 101 training. The experiential learning model used for the trainings enables staff to return to their installations ready to provide 4-H clubs and programs for military youth in their school-age and youth centers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The annual 4-H Military Partnerships meeting is an opportunity for Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and Military Partners to share updates and information in a collegial environment. It is an opportunity to gain skills and knowledge through workshops offered by Extension 4-H Military Liaisons or guest presenters on relevant issues. Some of the topics presented this year included: Bullying Prevention, Research: Rand Study/Serving Military Families Book, 4-H Health Jam, Welcome Home Gardens – An acknowledgement of Service, 4-H Science Explorations, Enhancing Youth’s Leadership and Resiliency Skills, Groovin’ with OMK Tech Discovery, Military 4-H Tech Wizards, National Guard 4-H Clubs, Doing the Partnership Dance, and 4-H Robot and ROV’s. Participants gained knowledge they can use to work with Military youth programs in their state. A Share Fair gave states an opportunity to highlight program successes and share projects that can be replicated in other states. Military youth program staff gained knowledge and skills in conducting 4-H clubs for military connected youth in their installation programs through trainings presented by the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and county 4-H staff. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The 4-H Military Partnership annual report is disseminated in print to 4-H National Headquarters, Military Partners in Army, Air Force and Navy, and the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons to share with Extension administrators and military partners in their state. The report is also posted on the 4-H Military Partnership website. The 4-H Military Partnerships Project exhibited at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents meeting using marketing materials developed for the project. Marketing materials included pull up banners, flyers, pens with the website URL, and reports. Attendees gained knowledge of curriculum and resources available through the project. The exhibit at the conference increased awareness of the Extension-Military partnership for all Extension 4-H staff. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The Military 4-H Club Grant Programs gives military connected youth the opportunity to join 4-H clubs to develop leadership, citizenship, and life skills. Youth increased their skills in Science, Citizenship and Healthy Living through project clubs that for example, helped them build robots, record their work using digital cameras, and present their project exhibits to their peers, parents, and communities. Youth learned how chicks form and hatch in the Embryology project while developing life skills in communication, teamwork, patience, and positive relationships. Youth not only developed gardening skills but learned about giving to others. The Military 4-H Club Grant program is a partnership of 4-H National Headquarters, Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Child and Youth Programs, and Navy Child and Youth Programs. Bringing together these entities to collaborate on a grant program focused on creating environments and offering experiences to military connected children and youth to promote their growth and development is significant. Kansas State University successfully managed the 46 sub-awards, 10 through this funding, for this 4-H Club grant program. The 4-H Military Partnership website allowed the public, Extension, and Military audiences to gain awareness and knowledge about the 4-H Military partnerships and access resources and curriculum for use in military youth programs. The website allowed Military families to become aware of the camping opportunities available to them throughout the summer. An online report form was prepared and released to the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons to report numbers and impacts/outcomes for the 2013 Military 4-H Club Grant. These will be due October 31, 2013. These reports will be compiled into a national report for the 2014 4-H Military Partnership meeting. A partnership with the Burpee Seed Company lead to 4-H clubs growing gardens in honor of military service members and veterans. The Welcome Home Garden projects are featured on the website. Youth gained life skills while learning how to grow vegetables and flowers. Their generosity was exhibited in sharing the produce with others.

Publications

Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Military 4-H Club Grant program is a collaboration of Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Airman and Family Services, and Navy Child and Youth Programs. The funding supports the county 4-H staff responsible for chartering the 4-H clubs, enrolling members, training leaders and integrating these clubs into the ongoing 4-H program in the county. Kansas State University entered into sub-award agreements with 13 states for the Military 4-H Club Grant Program to support 4-H clubs on and off installations. For the 2011 Military 4-H Club grant year, 29,113 military youth were reported to be in 4-H Clubs on and off installations. Club projects focused on the 4-H Mission Mandates of Science, Healthy Living and Citizenship. Exhibits were presented at the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences conference and the National Association of 4-H Extension Agents conference. Materials disseminated included annual reports from the 4-H and Military Partnerships with Army, Air Force and Navy; marketing flyers for military partnerships; and samples of curriculum developed through the project. The 4-H 201 Design team has met by conference call and face to face meetings to develop the 4-H 201 curriculum. The modules have been written and reviewed by 4-H and military staff and an editor/designer. A pilot training was held in December 2011. The curriculum has been completed and will be disseminated to states in the fall of 2012. A webinar will be conducted to launch the curriculum. Kansas State University manages the website for the 4-H Military Partnerships. State 4-H Military Liaisons met to share information and knowledge about 4-H Military Projects in their states at the annual 4-H Military Partnerships meeting. The Up for the Challenge: Lifetime Fitness Healthy Decisions curriculum was published as a joint effort of the Army Child, Youth and School Services Program and 4-H National Headquarters in 2006. It has been used worldwide by Army youth-serving facilities to enhance fitness and health outreach activities for youth as well as numerous other after-school and in-school groups. It was revised and updated to include the most recent research available in the areas of physical activity and nutrition education for youth age 8 - 18. Revisions included the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines and new MyPlate logo, technology updates, and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. New activities were added to some lessons and other lessons were edited or deleted. PARTICIPANTS: Marlene Glasscock, Project Director, convened the 4-H 201 Design Team and provided resources for the team to meet and work together. She also attended conferences to host the exhibits. Michelle Perez, Project Coordinator, assisted with the logistics for the 4-H 201 meeting and was a member of the writing team. She also assisted with the national conference exhibits. Jayson Sharp, webmaster, managed the website materials. Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Airman and Family Services, and Navy Child and Youth Programs are collaborators on the Military 4-H Club Grant program, providing funding to states to support 4-H clubs on installations and bases. The State 4-H Military Liaisons had an opportunity for professional development at the annual 4-H Military partnership meeting. Rebecca Davis, Sandy Corridon, and Karol Dyson, updated and revised the Up for the Challenge curriculum. TARGET AUDIENCES: Military youth, Military youth program staff, and Extension staff are the target audiences for the overall project. Military youth find consistency and predictability in their lives when they participate in 4-H opportunities. State 4-H Military Liaisons, Extension staff, and Military youth program staff working with 4-H programs are the target audience for the 4-H 201 curriculum that is being developed through this project. They attended the pilot training for 4-H 201 and offered reviews of the materials and training methods. Military youth program staff and Extension staff are the primary audience for the Up for the Challenge curriculum. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Military 4-H Club Grant Program gives military youth the opportunity to join 4-H Clubs and develop life skills. Military 4-H members increased their skills in Science, Citizenship, and Healthy Living through project clubs that for example, helped them build robots, record their work using digital cameras, and present their project exhibits to their peers and communities. Youth learned how chicks form and hatch in the Embryology Project while developing life skills in communication, teamwork, patience and positive relationships. The produce from gardening projects was donated to various charitable organizations. Youth not only developed gardening skills but learned about giving to others. The exhibit materials at the conferences increased awareness of the Extension-Military partnerships. As a result of having a website, the public gained knowledge of the partnerships, and participants can access critical information for managing their state projects. Outcomes and impacts for the 4-H 201 will be reported after the curriculum has been used by the State 4-H Military Liaisons. The Up for the Challenge curriculum project included the development of three evaluation instruments for use with the curriculum: one for 8 - 12 year olds, one for 12 - 18 year olds and one for use with summer and after-school programs. The surveys were piloted in Maryland and the data is currently being analyzed.

Publications

• Davis, R., Dyson, K., Corridon, C., 2012. Up for the Challenge: Lifetime Fitness, Healthy Decisions (updated version). Via website: www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org
• Acosta, D., Brittain, D., Dierenfield, C., Fink, C., Glasscock, M., Killian, E., McKinley, S., Nakatsuka, C., Perez, M., Wells, K., Williams, J., Simulcik, M., 2012. 4-H 201: Fostering, Enhancing, and Sustaining 4-H Clubs. Via website: www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org.

Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Military 4-H Club Grant program is a collaboration of Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Airman and Family Services, and Navy Child and Youth Programs. The funding supports the county 4-H staff responsible for chartering the 4-H clubs, enrolling members, training leaders and integrating these clubs into the ongoing 4-H program in the county. Kansas State University entered into sub-award agreements with 12 states for the Military 4-H Club Grant Program to support 4-H clubs on and off installations. Exhibits were presented at the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, National Afterschool Association, National Association of 4-H Extension Agents and the DoD-USDA Family Resilience Conference in 2011. Materials disseminated included annual reports from the 4-H and Military Partnerships with Army, Air Force and Navy; marketing flyers for military partnerships; and samples of curriculum developed through the project. The 4-H 201 Design team has met by conference call and face to face meetings to develop the 4-H 201 curriculum. The modules have been written and are being reviewed by 4-H and military staff and an editor/designer. A pilot training will be held in December. Kansas State University manages the website for the 4-H Military Partnerships. State 4-H Military Liaisons met to share information and knowledge about 4-H Military Projects in their states. PARTICIPANTS: Marlene Glasscock, Project Director, convened the 4-H 201 Design Team and provided resources for the team to meet and work together. She also attended conferences to host the exhibits. Michelle Perez, Project Coordinator, assisted with the logistics for the 4-H 201 meeting and was a member of the writing team. She also assisted with the national conference exhibits. Jayson Sharp, webmaster, managed the website materials. Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Airman and Family Services, and Navy Child and Youth Programs are collaborators on the Military 4-H Club Grant program, providing funding to states to support 4-H clubs on installations and bases. The State 4-H Military Liaisons had an opportunity for professional development at the annual Liaison meeting. TARGET AUDIENCES: Military youth, Military youth program staff, and Extension staff are the target audiences for the overall project. Military youth find consistency and predictability in their lives when they participate in 4-H opportunities. Experiential learning opportunities are the cornerstone of 4-H programming. State 4-H Military Liaisons, Extension staff, and Military youth program staff working with 4-H programs are the target audience for the 4-H 201 curriculum that is being developed through this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Military 4-H Club Grant Program gives military youth the opportunity to join 4-H Clubs and develop life skills. Military 4-H members increased their skills in Science, Citizenship, and Healthy Living through project clubs that for example, helped them build robots, record their work using digital cameras, and presenting their project exhibits to their peers and communities. The exhibit materials at the conferences increased awareness of the Extension-Military partnerships. As a result of having a website, the public gained knowledge of the partnerships, and participants can access critical information for managing their state projects.

Publications

• No publications reported this period