Resources are available to support community educational programs for at-risk children, youth, and families and are based on locally identified needs, and soundly grounded in research. The resources also help local projects to integrate programming into ongoing Extension programs for children, youth, and families—ensuring that at-risk, low-income children, youth, and families continue to be part of Extension and 4-H programs and have access to resources and educational opportunities.
A 2011 Journal of Youth Development PDF that highlights and emphasized the benefits of including marginalized groups in youth development organizations. The PDF contains information on terminologies and the existing research of marginalized groups in youth development programs.
A PDF that provides the outcomes of racial and ethnic equity and inclusion in job skills training approaches. The PDF contains key findings from the case study that examined implementing racial and ethnic equity and inclusion in job skills training programs and initiatives.
A April 2020 Child Trends PDF that highlights the importance of including racial equity in positive youth development approaches. The PDF contains examples of programs and initiatives that showcase ways embedding racial equity looks like in programs.
A Pennsylvania State University article that provides the framework of including stakeholders as a part of the strategic planning process for successful technology initiatives. The article helps identify who stakeholders are and how to include opportunities for stakeholders to participate.
A brief Arizona State University blog post that provides tips and recommendations on how nonprofit programs can utilize technology to maximize their program's impact and outreach. The six tips outline factors to keep in mind when using technology to raise funding and awareness.
A training webinar video by DaSy The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data system that provides information on how to effectively use technology platforms as an advantage. Technology tips are provided on how to virtually engage stakeholders and the audience for project meetings.
A CYFAR webinar and presentation providing original social justice dialogues for youth as an activity with a facilitator. Presenters demonstrate what an appropriate dialogue activity looks like, and the benefits of having dialogues about social justice and equity. This webinar and presentation aids youth to develop communication skills surrounding social justice topics and provides opportunity for youth to become engaged citizens.
This resource is a CYFAR webinar that provides an overview of Native American culture and discusses considerations for forming organizational relationships with Native Americans. The purpose of this webinar is to help community organizations build genuine relationships with Native Americans and seek mutually beneficial outcomes. Recognizing biases and understanding the needs of Native Americans are crucial aspects of building authentic relationships.
Program quality is not just outcomes but also a point of service quality, or what’s happening within interactions. Components of good program quality can include youth engagement, supportive relationships, critical thinking, and physical and emotional safety. All of these components can serve as intermediate developmental outcomes.
These models are a blueprint for what you’re doing as a program in order to evaluate if a goal was achieved and why. They can include needs, outcomes, results, indicators, activities, and resources, which should be aligned with both short term and long term goals of the program. Logic models also help provide a framework for everyone involved to help focus on results and get the desired outcome.
This video explains the importance of a community or school review board in order to protect the people involved in research from harm and experimenters from any legal issues. The review board must know what kind of data will be collected, how information will remain confidential, and how consent will be obtained. Consent can be collected passively or actively and is especially important when working with children.
This video explains the advantages and disadvantages of a program using experimental design, with the ultimate advantage of knowing that the program is the only cause of the change. Experimental design can only be achieved when the program is ready and has established protocols for program delivery.
Youth should be involved throughout the entire process in a collaborative relationship with adults. They can engage by helping think of research questions, issues, focus groups, and observation. It is key to make sure youth aren’t just saying what they do and don’t like but actually making decisions. Adults can help in this process by building their youth engagement skills through exposure to youth culture.
When entering into a new setting the best way to get results is to start with respect, and engagement in the evaluation can be a good way to do this. Key people who know the community can be good people to ask who should be part of the evaluation. People that live and have a commitment to the community know the ways something can be done better than a research team, and they want to feel empowered and part of the process to develop a meaningful outcome and understand its impact.
When a program is evidence-based, it has been through an experimental design, shown to work, and evaluated at a rigorous level. A research-based program means the incorporated content of a program is supported by current research. Model programs are listed on a website called Blueprints shown with the best evidence of effectiveness, but qualifications can vary by website.
Evaluation is key to knowing, especially for participants, that differences are being made in terms of program quality and outcomes. Funders want to make sure they are putting their money to good use in a sustainable program. Evidence of change being made also helps the program tell its story and get its message across.
When reporting results identify the audience and what they need to know in order to make a decision by using bullet points and putting findings within the context of similar findings. Usually a less biased person that is an advocate for the program that the audience will listen to is a better choice than the researcher who conducted the study. Some general rules when conveying results: simple is always better, pictures help clarify, and use multiple perspectives.
Outcomes can occur at different levels; activities, participants, and system wide outcomes. Process evaluation looks at what went on in the program that is helping achieve the outcomes. Outcome evaluation looks at what is expected to change in the participants when going through the program and why.
Slides and recording of the Grant Writing + You virtual training event hosted by CYFAR PDTA in September 2020.
With the explosion of online learning opportunities, it is important for educators to build safe online learning environments for young people. The aim of this webinar is to teach risk management policies and practices that promote online youth safety. Dr. Skuza will share examples from the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program. Learning Objectives: Promote online safety for youth. Develop a practical skill set that can be used in most online learning environments with youth. Promote adult and organizational capacity to ensure the safety of youth. Dr.
The 2018 CYFAR Annual Report provides an overview of the accomplishments of the Children, Youth, and Families At-Risk community-based programs.
Participants will learn:
(a) tactics used by current CYFAR Sustainable Community Projects (SCP) grantees to secure financial and in-kind support;
(b) four strategies for fund development (Share, Ask, Charge, Earn);
(c) ways to engage their university resource, advancement and development offices in securing project funding; and
(d) the importance of and tools for communicating impact to potential funders.
• Think critically about the meaning of diversity. • To value their own cultures as well as other people’s cultures and to reflect on the lives and perspectives of people who are different from themselves. • To become more aware of the stereotypes we have all inadvertently picked up. • To respect the differences and similarities in people. • To become more comfortable discussing cultural differences.
Data is a powerful tool that can be used to guide program improvement, educate stakeholders, inform decision makers, and motivate funders. This webinar accomplished the following: highlighted online sources of children’s health data; shared resources for promoting good nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and limited screen time; explained tools offered by the CYFAR PDTA Center to assess children’s health behaviors and deliver impactful education and outreach; and demonstrated how to use health statistics to influence local policies and make a case for funding.
The 2017 CYFAR Annual Report provides an overview of the accomplishments of the Children, Youth, and Families At-Risk community-based programs.