Source: KANSAS STATE UNIV submitted to
CYFAR 4-H MILITARY PARTNERSHIP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
3D GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1011275
Grant No.
2016-41520-25892
Project No.
KS5512446
Proposal No.
2016-10992
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
MC
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2016
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2018
Grant Year
2017
Project Director
VerBrugge, M. K.
Recipient Organization
KANSAS STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MANHATTAN,KS 66506
Performing Department
Family Studies & Human Service
Non Technical Summary
Military connected youth are at risk from a variety of factors that include frequent relocation, repeated and lengthy deployment of immediate family members, issues associated with reunion and reintegration, single parent households, lower income, and family members returning home wounded or not at all. During these challenges, youth and family members need the opportunity to develop self-confidence, build resiliency, and experience personal growth supported by people and their environment. 4-H supports the development of life skills that help youth and families tackle these issues with meaning and purpose. This program will provide quality, experientially delivered, age appropriate, positive youth development programming to meet the changing needs or military youth and families. A survey will identify topics or technical assistance needed by Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and local Extension 4-H staff in supporting training for military child and youth program staff members who ultimately work with the children and youth. Evaluations will assist in determining the strengths and needed improvements in the ongoing technical assistance and professional development plan. An online evaluation reporting system will be used to collect data and impact statements from states and territories who are supporting 4-H clubs and programming for military child and youth programs on installations and in communities. Information will be compiled into an annual report. The overall goal of this program is to provide professional development and technical assistance to Extension professionals working with military child and youth program staff so they can develop and deliver educational programs for military connected children and youth that will equip them with the life skills needed to lead positive, productive, and contributing lives.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
80660993020100%
Knowledge Area
806 - Youth Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Goals: The purpose of the CYFAR 4-H Military Partnership Professional Development and Technical Assistance Program (CMPC-PDTA) is to provide professional development and technical assistance to Land-Grant Universities and Cooperative Extension Systems to develop and deliver 4-H positive youth development programs that equip military connected youth with life skills to lead positive, productive, and contributing lives. Objective 1: As a result of participating in professional development and technical assistance opportunities, Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and military child and youth programs staff will feel confident in 4-H subject area knowledge and practices.
Project Methods
Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and local Extension 4-H staff will participate in a needs assessment of training. The purpose of the survey is to identify topics or technical assistance needed by the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and local Extension 4-H staff in supporting training for military child and youth programs staff who ultimately work with the children. The survey will encompass elements of the Professional Development Common Measure that is currently in the process of being developed through the CYFAR 4-H Military Partnerships. The survey will focus on knowledge and perceived skills in youth growth and development, positive youth development learning environments and curriculum, youth interactions with others, and cultural competencies.Meetings will be scheduled early in the first year with each of the Service Branches to discuss professional development for military child and youth programs staff. Due to military restrictions and Institutional Review Board (IRB) issues when surveying military audiences, we will work with the Military Partners to identify the needs for training and technical assistance of each Branch of Service. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss how best to implement professional development trainings on and around installations. With studies showing that the quality of staff-child interaction is a predictor of higher social competence and reduced child behavior problems, Military Partners may see a benefit in gathering information from the child and youth programs staff concerning their responses to training topics and technical assistance needed by their program.The project supports 4-H programs and opportunities for geographically dispersed military youth. A needs assessment of Extension 4-H Military Liaisons will help identify the training and technical assistance necessary to engage these community networks in providing 4-H programs and opportunities for military connected youth who live in these communities. Meetings will be scheduled with the National Guard and Reserve Child and Youth Program Military Partners to identify the needs of geographically dispersed military connected youth and how 4-H can optimize positive youth development outcomes for these youth.It is the intent of the 4-H Military Partnership Programs that military connected youth have opportunities to belong to 4-H clubs or participate in 4-H activities/opportunities. When applicable and appropriate, the 4-H Military Partnership programs should be integrated with the ongoing Extension programs in the county/parish. This provides an opportunity for community 4-H'ers to interact with military youth in 4-H programs on installations or in communities. Through integrating 4-H military programs into the community 4-H programs, military connected youth are ensured of being part of Extension 4-H programs and having access to 4-H opportunities at the local, state, and national levels.A 3-year professional development plan will be created to present selected topics to Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and/or military child and youth programs staff. The program will use local, state, and national trainings to reach the diverse audiences within this partnership and will further use asynchronous and synchronous delivery methods, recognizing the cost of time, travel, and other resources to best meet the identified needs.Webinars are the delivery method for most of the trainings that are national or regional in scope. This delivery method reaches a high number of participants at a low cost. However, in past surveys, face-to-face trainings are the preferred method of delivery. With the county Extension staff in fairly close proximity to the installations in their counties, this method is used successfully at the local level and provides the best opportunity for experiential learning.The four states who support 4-H clubs and programming for installations Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) will continue to utilize virtual and face-to-face trainings. Webinars will be provided on a regular basis with a variety of topics. Extension 4-H Military Liaisons will travel to OCONUS sites to provide face-to-face training as time and funding allows. In this case, the trainer is going to the people rather than the participants coming to a central site for training.A 4-H Professional Development Common Measures webinar will be scheduled once the survey is finalized. These webinars are available to the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and Military Partners who often share them with local Extension educators and military child and youth programs staff. Recording the webinars and posting the link on the 4-H Military Partnership website enables a broader audience to view them at their convenience.The 4-H Military Partnership meeting will provide an opportunity for face-to-face professional development training for Extension 4-H Military Liaisons, Military Partners, and military child and youth programs staff from Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard and Reserve. The agenda is interactive to include workshops, "Lightning Talks", discussion groups, Share Fair, hands-on activities, and energizers.More families are living off installation than in the past creating new issues and opportunities for the 4-H Military Partnership. As military connected youth move into catchment areas around the installation, reaching them with 4-H programming is more challenging. The Project Director and project staff will convene a committee to address this issue in the first year of the project. The discussion will also extend to reaching geographically dispersed military connected youth living in communities around the stateNational 4-H has developed a system of Common Measures to use for evaluation purposes in 4-H programs. A committee from the 4-H Military Partnership worked collaboratively with the National Common Measures team to release a Common Measure for the social/emotional area last year. A second committee convened to create a Common Measure for professional development. A researcher at the University of California is taking the lead on this measure and will have it completed within the first year of the project. This Common Measure can assist in documenting impact of training military youth programs staff members and can also be used as a needs assessment locally. In addition to supporting military youth programs staff members, it is aimed to document impact of trainings for 4-H volunteers and paraprofessional staff members working with military audiences.The Project Coordinator/Evaluator worked with the KSU Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation (OEIE) last year to develop an online reporting system for the 4-H Military Partnership project. The evaluation was developed using the requirements of the 4-H Military Partnership Grants (funded through another source). The reporting tool collects data from each state and supports attaching impact statements. OEIE will work with the Project Coordinator/Evaluator to update the evaluation and reporting system using an Access platform. The reporting system is an online format that captures outputs that assist Military Partners and outcomes/impact statements which assist USDA/NIFA. Both outputs and outcomes aid in maintaining accountability for all stakeholders.The 4-H Military Partnership grant applications will request that states identify one or two outcomes for their 4-H Military Programs. They will report on these outcomes for the mid-year (due June 1) and final (due October 31) reports. The Project Coordinator/Evaluator will aggregate the information from all states as well as differentiate information by military service branch. The final reports will focus on the impact of the total program and will include outcomes/impact statements.

Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The Extension 4-H Military Liaisons at Land Grant Universities and military child and youth program staff members in Army Child, Youth and School Services, Air Force Child and Youth Programs, and Navy Child and Youth Programs are the target audience for professional development and technical assistance. The project also reaches child and youth program coordinators working with Reserve Component child and youth programs. The ultimate audience is children and youth of military services members including Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve. Military connected youth are at risk from a variety of factors that include frequent relocation, repeated and lengthy deployment of immediate family members, issues associated with reunion and reintegration, single parent households, lower income, and family members returning home wounded or not at all. 4-H provides consistency and predictability in their lives and quality programming at a time when reliability is needed. The Extension 4-H Military Liaisons serve as a link between state Extension programs, military service branches in the state, and 4-H National Headquarters/National Institute of Food and Agriculture/ USDA. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and state and county 4-H staff provide professional development trainings, along with 4-H curriculum, helping military child and youth program staff deliver skill building experiences (learn-by-doing) to military connected youth. More than 5,000 military personnel participated in professional development opportunities. Training was provided through face-to-face opportunities and distance education. Training topics include Essential Elements of 4-H, Experiential Learning Model, Conducting 4-H Club Meetings, and specific 4-H project curriculum. 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 thrive in today's world. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?An annual report for 2015 was created about the many components of the 4-H Military Partnerships. The report showcases the impact of various state programs on the lives of military connected youth. The report is available on the 4-H Military Partnerships website. It was disseminated at the NAE4-HA annual conference and the 4-H Military Partnerships meeting. Copies are also sent to USDA and our Military Partners, as well as the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons. The URL for the 4-H Military Partnerships website was disseminated to stakeholders, military partners, and Extension 4-H Military Liaisons. The website contains information pertinent to military youth and families, military and Extension staff, and Extension 4-H Military Liaisons. An annual report for 2016 will be prepared after final state reports are in after October 31, 2017. 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 goal of the CYFAR 4-H Military Partnership Professional Development and Technical Assistance Program is to provide professional development and technical assistance to Land-Grant Universities and Cooperative Extension Systems to develop and deliver 4-H positive youth development programs that equip military connected youth with life skills to lead positive, productive, and contributing lives. Objective 1: As a result of participating in professional development and technical assistance opportunities, Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and military child and youth programs staff will feel confident in 4-H subject area knowledge and practices. In order to understand the professional development needs of the audiences, three opportunities were identified for gathering information - Military Partner visits, 4-H Military Partnership meeting, and Military Work Group conference calls. A key component at the 4-H Military Partnership Meeting included identifying professional development needs of Extension 4-H Military Liaisons, local Extension staff, and Military Child and Youth Program (CYP) staff. Military Headquarters staff and Extension 4-H Military Liaisons worked together identifying the following needs: enhance communication at the national level between 4-H and Military Child and Youth Program staff to better equip local programs to address youth/staff needs by developing: 1) roles and expectations of local CYP and 4-H staff in areas of professional development and 4-H Club expectations; 2) understanding teen programs and how 4-H can best engage teens in developing life skills; 3) best practices in engaging guard, and reserve youth and families in off installation 4-H and Extension programs. Another identified need was understanding each other's culture including access to installation/local 4-H clubs, and chain of command. Preparing 4-H Military Partnership grant proposal applications and follow-up reports was another identified need. Kansas State University staff development plan included several opportunities to gather information from Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Guard) CYP Headquarters, and Extension 4-H Military Liaisons. VerBrugge and Fink met with each Military branch individually before the Partnership Meeting discussing program focus areas, professional development needs, and the best avenues to deliver training. Each military branch noted that installations are unique and local Extension 4-H staff should meet with the Director, Trainer, and/or 4-H CYP Lead to identify professional development training needs and youth program outcomes. Military noted they are moving toward a unified online training. Once the online training is in place, KSU will work with Extension 4-H Military Liaisons to identify key areas in which local Extension staff can bring this training to a positive youth development hands-on experience to enhance youth ability to develop life skills at Military Child and Youth Centers. Discussions also included the use of Common Measures to help identify the impact of the program. Considering this project reaches around the world, virtual training is key to delivering positive youth development training. OCONUS states have quarterly calls with Military CYP Headquarters and KSU staff to assure current topic and best delivery modes are applied. All Military branches are promoting National 4-H Council training webinars supporting newly developed curriculum. Military has noted that computer security is tight. To address staff and older youth needs, states have been encouraged to post trainings on YouTube, as it is generally accessible at most CYP sites. Each issue of the 4-H Military Partnership e-newsletter highlighted webinars/online trainings that support this work. The Military Family Network provided excellent webinars that supported military youth work. Topics included: unique challenges for children in military, what children learn through play, working with multiple generations, transitioning of special needs children, and identifying opportunities to enhancing child learning. Liaisons were encouraged to review the updated REACH Military website, and participate in Common Measures webinars. A presentation by Dr. Mary Arnold was postponed due to a delay in research. States encourage CYP staff to participate in 4-H 101 online training. All Navy Child and Youth Program (CYP) staff completed 4-H 101 On-line Training before attending the 4-H Military Partnership Meeting. The 4-H Military Partnership Meeting provided an opportunity for Extension 4-H Military Liaisons, Army, Air Force, and Navy Headquarters staff, and local CYP staff to convene to develop a deeper understand of 4-H Military Partnership goals and program outcomes. Participants engaged in sessions on new youth development curriculum and learning about new opportunities to engage youth in hands-on learning. Extension 4-H Military Liaisons engaged in one-on-one conversations with CYP staff developing a greater understanding of each other's needs. Extension 4-H Military Liaisons submitted questions that Military partners addressed to increase understanding of goals to develop best practices. Army, Navy, and Air Force brought 95 Child and Youth Staff to the 4-H Military Partnership meeting. They had the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the partnership as well as how it can support their educational programs. Extension 4-H Military Liaisons were able to meet directly with CYP staff developing a relationship and a local plan of action to further program outcomes. The overall evaluation from the 4-H Military Partnerships Meeting revealed that participants were engaged and gained valuable professional development information around curriculum, positive hands-on youth development, and STEM activities. Extension 4-H Military Liaisons have noted since the meeting that this relationship has opened the door to staff training and new youth programming. Military funding enabled Extension to support the partnership with 27,456 personnel 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 over 52,000 hours. With 4-H's strong community base, volunteers provided their time and talents to make a difference with 6,081 adult 4-H volunteers donating 102,721 hours valued at over 2 million dollars.

Publications