CYFAR 2021 Annual Report

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CYFAR
Annual Report

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CYFAR
Publications

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CYFAR
Annual Letter

The Children, Youth, and Families At-Risk (CYFAR) Program is funded by the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA). CYFAR, a program of the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community in the Division of
Youth and 4-H, marshals the resources of the of the land-grant and Cooperative Extension systems so that, in
collaboration with other organizations, they can develop and deliver educational programs to youth who are at
risk for not meeting basic human needs. Projects are designed such that the at-risk child is at the center of the
programming efforts. The CYFAR Program has an impact on the nearly 40% of children in the United States who
live in families with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
At-risk youth who participate in programs such as CYFAR are likely to improve social skills, increase academic
achievement, increase self-esteem, and increase self-efficacy, according to Youth.gov. Many of the participating
states with associated outcomes measure these constructs. These outcomes indicate improvement in
psychological and behavioral constructs.
The CYFAR Program is aligned with USDA’s Goal 4 (facilitate rural prosperity and economic development) and
the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Action Plan Goals 4 and 6 (nutrition and childhood obesity and
education and science literacy).
State projects in 2021 pivoted to accommodate the social distancing challenges of COVID-19. The act of
pivoting produced favorable outcomes for program participants across the country. Many stories regarding the
impact of pivoting are included in this CYFAR Annual Report.
The CYFAR Professional Development and Technical Assistance (PDTA) Center, housed at the University of
Minnesota and Pennsylvania State University, produced the CYFAR Return on Investment (ROI) Study (https://
www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resources/CYFAR-ROI%20Study-2021.pdf). The study explores potential
positive returns from the CYFAR Initiative’s financial investment. A 1-year investment by CYFAR totaling $348.31
has the potential to produce a net benefit ranging from $361.69 to $1,781.69. The cost-benefit analysis
conducted for this ROI study suggests there is a potential for a positive return on the CYFAR Initiative’s financial
investment.
The CYFAR 4-H Military Partnership PDTA Program with North Carolina State University identified topics and
technical assistance needed by Extension 4-H military liaisons and local Extension 4-H staff to support training
for military child and youth program staff members who work directly with military-connected families.
Bonita Williams, PhD
National Program Leader
Vulnerable Populations
Division of Youth and 4-H
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community
United States Department of Agriculture
Keesha Corbin, MPH
Program Specialist
Division of Youth and 4-H
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community
United States Department of Agriculture
Morgan Dotson
Pathways Intern

Izabella Jablonska
Pathways Intern
Christopher Petty, MS
Program Specialist
Division of Youth and 4-H
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community
United States Department of Agriculture
Andrea Wikiera, MA
Program Specialist
Division of Youth and 4-H
Institute of Youth, Family, and Community
United States Department of Agriculture

CYFAR
Demographics

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CYFAR
Poverty Data

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State

Project Name

Percentage of
Youth Served in
Poverty (>50%)

Alaska

4-H Dream Catchers Sustainable Community Project

99%

California &
Nevada

4-H SNAC

97%

Kentucky

Uplift: Empowering Today’s Youth for Tomorrow’s Future

67%

Maine

Maine 4-H Community Central: Engaging Teens in College
Readiness and Workforce Development

74%

Minnesota

Minnesota 4-H Youth Development CYFAR Project: STEAM
Connect Club

80%

Montana

Montana Sustainable Communities: Social, Emotional, and
Physical Wellness for Rural and Native American Youth
(SEP)

62%

Nebraska

Youth Civic Engagement

73%

Nevada

Stepping Into STEM

80%

New York

4-H Unity

92%

North Carolina
& Idaho

The Juntos Sustainable Community Project

73%

North Dakota

Building Community Capacity and Resilience through 4-H
in ND Tribal Nations

100%

Ohio

Seed to Bloom (StB) 4-H S.T.E.A.M. Sustainable
Community Project

100%

Ohio

Southside Simple Suppers Scale-up (S4): Expansion of
Validated Family Meals Program for At-Risk Children and
Youth

56%

State

Project Name

Percentage of
Youth Served in
Poverty (>50%)

Oklahoma

Unidos Se Puede

95%

Oklahoma

The United We Can: African American Youth
Entrepreneurship Program

95%

Rhode Island

A Multi-Level Youth Out-of-School Intervention Stemming
from Foods

78%

South Carolina

Clemson-South Carolina State Sustainable Community
Project

100%

Tennessee

Tennessee SCP

100%

Texas

Growing U

93%

Texas

Prairie View A&M University Sustainable Community
Project

92%

Vermont

Vermont Youth PROSPER

72%

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Sustainable Communities: The Growing
Connections Program

53%

Wisconsin

Nia: Pathways and Purpose for the Future

100%

CYFAR
Budget
The total budget for the CYFAR Program equaled $8,395,000, representing 37 Sustainable Community Projects
(SCPs). These SCPs represented 79% ($6,556,000) of the budget; this is inclusive of both new and continued
awards. Eligible universities included both 1862, 1890, and 1994 Institutions. Funds provided support to
county 4-H professionals for military youth programs in all state programs; the amount of funding for 4-H
military programs accounted for $550,000, or 6%, of the budget. The professional development and technical
assistance for the CYFAR SCPs represented $950,685, or 11%, of the budget dedicated to the PDTA Center.
Agency overhead made up $335,800, or 4%, of the budget.

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CYFAR
Impact Statements

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Asking for help is a big part of being successful.
– Youth Participant

Minnesota 4-H Youth Development CYFAR Project:
STEAM Connect Club
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development, Parenting, Science, and Workforce Preparation

Program Report: Somali American youth and families need programs that celebrate their strengths, cultivate
a sense of belonging, build social inclusion, and create opportunities for parents and their teens to develop
a closer connection to one another while promoting educational and developmental pathways. Specifically,
they need opportunities to address what community members have identified as the cultural gap between
American-born teens and their Somali-born parents. In response, the Minnesota 4-H CYFAR team designed
a joint youth and family program model that has three key elements: (a) Ka Joog 4-H STEAM Connect Clubs
ignite youth interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics and help them imagine and
plan their education. The extracurricular club setting helps youth foster healthy peer relationships. It targets
60 Somali American teens living in Minneapolis and Moorhead, Minnesota. (b) Youth deepen their learning
through a 4-day summer residential campus immersion experience at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities
and Crookston campuses. They learn about student life, explore academic interests, identify steps toward
college readiness, and meet faculty and students in STEAM fields. (c) Parents and guardians participate in seven
2-hour Partnering for School Success sessions to gain resources to help them connect with their children and
support their education.
Lessons Learned: Zoom in many ways impeded the natural social interaction that often occurs among youth
when in person. Youth workers learned to be prepared with specific icebreakers or games to promote social
belonging among the youth. One leader expressed that online learning made it so she had to plan meticulously
and switch activities frequently. The rate at which other organizations serving Somali youth have committed
to carry out the same program model suggests that our programming meets a specific need for the Somali
community at this moment in time. The quality of our programs seems to lie in its academic and higher education
focused content, its culturally responsive space for Somali youth, and the presence of Somali youth workers
who can understand the needs and assets of both the youth they serve and their parents. Because the campus
immersion program is being implemented in so many new contexts (virtual, subject matter, community college),
we will undergo a series of quality assessments with our colleagues in an effort to strengthen the model in its
implementation in diverse settings.
Sustainability Statement: Both the University of Minnesota Extension 4-H and Ka Joog have developed staffing
plans that allows for a continued collaboration, with the biggest asset being a Ka Joog staff member specifically
assigned to build and manage 4-H programs. New funding sources are being sought. Further new partnerships
that can provide safe community spaces are being developed; for example, the Hennepin County Library system
is interested in hosting two 4-H clubs and possibly investing some funds to support program staffing. The
campus immersion program model is being shared and replicated within the state of Minnesota and supported
by local funding sources. For example, there is an animal science campus immersion program, an engineering
campus immersion program, and an agronomy-focused campus immersion program done in partnership with
community colleges.

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Stepping Into STEM
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Parenting, Science, and Technology

Program Report: Early exposure to STEM, whether
in school or at home, supports children’s overall
academic growth, develops early critical thinking and
reasoning skills, and enhances later interest in STEM
study and careers. Latino children are particularly at
risk for not developing strong STEM skills. The primary
purpose of Stepping Into STEM was to increase
young Latino children’s knowledge of, interest, and
engagement in STEM activities and to encourage and
teach Spanish-speaking parents to be positive forces
for their children’s early STEM learning as they enter
and progress through school. The project focused on
two target communities (Reno and Las Vegas) defined
as zip code neighborhoods that contain several highrisk elementary schools. Target families already or soon
will have children attending these schools. The project
consisted of an 8-week series of hands-on, interactive
parent-child workshops during which children were
exposed to and engaged in a variety of foundational
STEM activities. The workshops focused on foundational
math, science, engineering, and technology skills. We
reached over 1,000 families during the 5 years of the
project with over 12,660 hours of contact time. The
Integrated Program Components were addressed
through multigenerational and multisystem designs;
technology-integrated curriculum, staff training,
and connectivity; and community collaboration
and train-the-trainer efforts. Evaluation included
assessments of children’s interest in and knowledge

of STEM concepts, children’s STEM skill improvement,
engagement of children in STEM activities, parent
practices and confidence, homeschool connections,
growth in number of community partnerships and
school sites implementing the program, and program
sustainability.
Lessons Learned: After COVID-19, we started
providing our programing both virtually and in person
as requested by our collaborating agencies. With
virtual classes, we noticed more consistent family
attendance (M = 6.61 out of 7 total sessions compared
to M = 5.00 in past in-person series), younger and
older siblings participating in the virtual classes, and an
uptick in father participation likely due to the sessions
being held late weekday afternoons and Saturdays. In
addition, parents were excited to send photos of the
STEM activities they did with their children at home
during the week.
Sustainability Statement: Since this is our last year
with the CYFAR, progress on sustainability will occur
primarily through collaborations with our community
partners. We have had initial discussions with our
Extension director and other administration staff about
continued Extension funding in the future.

I learned how to teach my daughter the right skills
for the STEM program from different activities at
home at an early age.

Vermont
Youth PROSPER
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Parenting

Program Report: PROmoting School-Community-University
Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) is an evidencebased delivery system that builds strong families and helps youth
avoid risky behaviors. PROSPER’s design includes building and
supporting a community team, which then supports the delivery
of two evidence-based programs. Botvin LifeSkills Training
is delivered to all seventh graders during the school day, and
Strengthening Families Program Ages 10–14 is delivered to 15–
20 fifth and sixth grade families outside of the school day. Our
two community sites were hit hard as the pandemic progressed.
Already challenged with workforce concerns, the low population
density and rural nature taxed an already struggling school
system, bus drivers, and communities delivering basic services.
As a result, once committed partners questioned their capacity
and protected their teachers from extras, including PROSPER.
Each of our two community sites ended up taking different paths
this past program year. The Orleans South Supervisory Union site
persevered, ultimately launching a community team. The team
has been meeting most months to brainstorm and lay plans for
program launch. Seven Strengthening Families facilitators were
trained. The St. Johnsbury site was going strong until halfway
through this reporting year though the in-school program, Botvin
LifeSkills, continued to be delivered to all seventh graders.
Communication with the school has been a challenge. The State
PROSPER Project team has met monthly to maintain forward
movement of the programs and hosted a Strengthening Families
facilitator training in the Fall. We engage with other prevention
coalitions and conversations in hopes of finding new partners
and contributing to the conversations.
Lessons Learned: It is critical for sustainability, and to weather
personnel changes, to have a memorandum of agreement
or other document that guides program partnerships. This
agreement outlines expectations of the various partners, and
can support hard conversations when unforeseen circumstances
arise that affect programming.
Sustainability Statement: Investment continues in training
community-based curriculum facilitators. The success of
evidence-based programs relies on trained facilitators, and
given attrition, it is important to train many. As mentioned above,
creating memoranda of agreement also supports transitions and
allows for continuation of projects. We also work closely with
school personnel to affect budget requests, exploring how
PROSPER could be written into school budgets.
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Clemson–South Carolina State Sustainable Community Project
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Science and Technology

Program Report: During the school year, children in Grades 3 through 8 participated in STEAM activities
twice a week. The programming was directed by leaders at each site. The leaders are community members
or school staff depending on the location of the site. One lesson from our curriculum is selected during
the first session of the week, and an activity including background information needed to complete
the lesson is led. During the second session of the week, the activity is completed through a hands on
approach with the guidance of site leaders. Activities include individual activities as well as group activities,
particularly for younger youth. In addition, during the summer, students attend summer camp through
Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute (YLI), which is a week-long technology camp for youth. Approximately
30 students attended summer camp. The desired long-term results are (a) to involve community partners
in improving educational outcomes for students from multiple counties; (b) to integrate STEM into the
everyday experiences of children; (c) to integrate CYFAR youth participants into the 4-H Youth Development
Program; and (d) to create a self-sustaining program at the conclusion of the project.
Lessons Learned: Many lessons were learned from implementing our CYFAR program. Most notably,
COVID-19 changed the way that we implemented programming, and we had to learn to be adaptable and
integrate technology as programmatic delivery methods shifted. Programming shifted from in person to
virtual, followed by a hybrid model, and finally back to in-person programming. We learned that consistent
communication with site staff and regular site visits were both major factors in running a successful program.
The importance of community stakeholders was especially emphasized with COVID-19 as they helped us
learn about the communities and how to make plans for programming that best suit each individual site.
Sustainability Statement: The project will be sustained in different ways for different sites. For example, our
Honea Path site has applied for and received a 21st-century learning grant which will provide funding for
at least 4 years. Our Westside Community Center site is working on developing a sustainability model that
will include other funding sources and a sliding scale payment option for parents from low-income families.
We will continue to provide technical support to sites around sustainability. We are also exploring a mix of
funding opportunities that include 4-H STEM grants and local government grants.

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Maine 4-H Community Central: Engaging Teens in
College Readiness and Workforce Development
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Science and Workforce Preparation

Program Report: Maine 4-H Community Central works
with teens in Lewiston and Portland. Teens engage in
high-quality positive youth development experiences
which center around four specific pathways: Maine food
systems; science, engineering, technology, and math
(STEM); education; and social justice. Young people
in this program build connections within their peer
community, schools, local community, and beyond.
Maine 4-H Community Central youth development
professionals act as a conduit for connections; build
and strengthen college and career readiness skills; and
create opportunities for youth through paid internships,
community service, and service learning. The two sites
are able to customize offerings to best meet the needs
of young people using the 4-H SPecial Interest (SPIN)
club model: clubs that focus on a specific topic and
experience for six weeks.
In Lewiston, we hosted virtual sessions where 18
professionals connected with participants and
increased their knowledge of careers within the broad
areas of STEM, community and civic engagement,
and the Maine food system. Ten teens participated as
teen teachers with Summer of Science for the teacher
preparation SPIN (40–50 hours of dosage for each
teen); six led sessions in person, and four led sessions
via Zoom with youth in the classroom. In fall of 2021,
in-person sessions began at Lewiston High School
with Zoom sessions occurring when necessary due to
COVID-19-related closures and transportation issues.
This was done in collaboration with 21st Century
Learning Centers programming, making it possible for
participants to utilize school transportation home after
the program.

In Portland, five 4-H clubs (all SPIN clubs) were offered
for teens. We planned and implemented three SPIN
clubs during the school year (covering careers in civics,
health science, and food systems). CYFAR staff also
conducted two 4-H clubs for teens in the summer:
the Summer of Science teen teaching 4-H club (40–
50 hours of dosage for each teen) and a 4-H video
making club (50–55 hours of involvement). The teen
clubs were in partnership with Portland Public Schools,
University of Maine Established Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research, and twelve community host
partners. Three after-school STEM clubs covering
natural science, chemistry, biology, engineering, and
other topics were offered for third through fifth graders
at housing authority study centers.
Lessons Learned: Our program was successful
throughout the pandemic; this was because our CYFAR
team allowed young people to be at the forefront
of the program. Constantly adapting offerings and
opportunities based on the bandwidth of youth was a
key component in program engagement. Connecting
youth to organizations and key stakeholders has
proven to be impactful for both youth and program
partners. We are continuing to expand the outputs
of our SPIN club experiences based on the individual
sparks of youth. This has been a great way to meet
outcomes and build skills.
Sustainability Statement: A critical step we are
taking for long-term sustainability is working with
our Extension administration to help identify funding
priorities to include our audience in those priorities.
Future steps include discussions with the University of

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Maine Foundation officers. We aim to demonstrate the need of continuing this program model throughout
our state, as it is a critical avenue to reach young people in an intentional, culturally appropriate manner.
Additional sustainability efforts include integration of our program with other partner programs to create a
shared commitment to long-term sustainability. For example, our career development SPIN clubs happen
at a local school in partnership with the youth development professional. Our local schools also requested
more teen teachers for our summer program, and the local schools are paying for the increased number
of 4-H teens. We have secured external funding to support our teens through teaching stipends. This
partnership will continue beyond the 5 years of CYFAR funding.

Through my 4-H and other experiences, I
have learned that computer science is the
course I want to pursue. I have been able
to see how computer science can impact
many areas of the community and help
those in need. I want to remain involved
with 4-H and support young people as
they explore future career options.
– Participant

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Montana Sustainable Communities:
Social, Emotional, and Physical Wellness
for Rural and Native American Youth
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Technology

Program Report: The Social, Emotional, and Physical Health and
Wellness (SEP) program model provides at-risk youth with tools to
increase and enhance social-emotional learning through training that
helps youth learn coping skills, increase emotional intelligence, address
and solve social problems, and build leadership and life skills. The model
includes training for high school freshman youth using the Youth Aware
of Mental Health curriculum, an evidence-based, pilot-tested curriculum
that increases students’ knowledge about depression and anxiety and
enhances the skills and emotional resilience needed to deal with stress
and crisis.
Lessons Learned: The project director and coach conducted site visits
during August 2021 and were witness to how programming is unique
to each SEP site. We witnessed a programming session with youth
at Flathead and saw how youth were engaged in the content and
leadership development activities. At Rocky Boy, we toured the Stone
Child College environment and visited with some youth participants.
Due to the cancellation of the powwow, we were unable to directly
view community programming with the youth but received a welcome
summary of activities to date.
Sustainability Statement: Since this is a school-based program, each
site facilitator will work with school administrators and personnel
to strategize ways to sustain beyond the 5-year period. Facilitators
have been successful in developing partnerships with community
organizations. Site managers have been effective to date reaching
out to community organizations to identify venues for programming
and generating awareness of the SEP programming efforts. They will
continue these efforts moving forward.

My family enjoys coming too. They enjoy
participating, cutting up the vegetables, cutting
up the fruit, and eating. So, I think it’s a pretty
nice program. – Parent Participant

Southside Simple Suppers Scale-Up (S4): Expansion of a
Validated Family Meals Program for At-Risk Children and Youth
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Nutrition

Program Report: Simple Suppers is a communitybased (Head Start) family meals program designed to
improve children’s diet and nutritional health. Due to
COVID-19, winter and spring 2021 sessions of Simple
Suppers were offered online (i.e., Simple Suppers-Go
Online). The core components (caregiver education,
child education, family meal) of Simple Suppers were
adapted to an online format. We decided to (a) utilize
e-methods that families were accustomed to using in
local Head Start programs and elementary schools
(Google Classrooms; Zoom; YouTube videos) for the
educational component, (b) enhance the educational
components with a supplemental program-specific
weekly magazine (Simple Suppers Digest), (c) create a
weekly meal kit delivery for the family meal component
(Simple Suppers Chef’s Crate), and (d) add an additional
week to programming (from 8 to 9 weeks) to orient
families to the new online format. Data collection
occurred in person with staff and participants both
wearing personal protective equipment. With the
prospect of schools reopening in fall 2021, we invested
the summer in developing a hybrid version of Simple
Suppers. This was an evidence-informed process
whereby we examined the process and participant
outcomes data from past in-person and online sessions
of Simple Suppers and chose the most successful or
effective parts; this led to a hybrid version whereby
participants alternated coming in person and engaging
online from week to week. We have termed the new
hybrid format teach one, do one. On Week One of the
program, families attend in person and are engaged in
hands-on and interactive educational activities led by
a Simple Suppers teacher (teach one). On Week Two
of programming, families receive the tools they need
to implement what they learned in programming at
home (do one). The process repeats until the end of

programming. On the weeks families learn remotely,
Simple Suppers educators call families to touch base
and walk through key learning objectives. The first
session of hybrid programming was completed in fall
2021. We are in the process of conducting a costeffectiveness analysis comparing results from the three
different modes of delivery to identify the most efficient
and effective version of the program to be scaled up.
Last year, we also launched the use of a new tool, the
Healthy Meal Index, to determine the dietary quality
of meals served at home. Sixteen caregivers enrolled
in this substudy, 81.3% of whom identify as Black. The
mean (SD) caregiver age was 31.6 (8.9) years, 93.8%
were female, and 43.8% were low-income. All meals
provided at least one vegetable and protein source,
and 93.75% of meals contained a convenience food.
No meals contained whole grains, and 12.5% of meals
provided a whole fruit. Results will inform our efforts in
Year 5 of the grant.
Lessons Learned: Since the inception of this grant, we
have learned many valuable lessons. Regular, weekly
team meetings (either in person or remote) have been
critical to helping us stay connected, resolve problems,
move forward, etc. Moreover, adding several of our
key community partners to the institutional review
board application has been important in facilitating
the evaluation component of the project.
Sustainability Statement: We are currently developing
plans to submit an NIH grant in October 2023 to scale
up Simple Suppers to a greater extent. In addition, we
are working with a private company (Fan Huddle) to
create on-demand videos of Simple Suppers that can
be easily and broadly distributed to the general public.

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Strengthening the Heartland:
Promoting Life Readiness in Rural Youth
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Workforce Development

Program Report: Given the aging workforce in rural
North and South Dakota, mentally healthy youth who
possess life skills are critical to filling the expected
increase in vacancies in the future workforce. Socialemotional learning (SEL) skills, such as emotion
regulation and self-awareness, reduce anxiety and
allow youth to combat stress and focus on life
readiness skills needed in the workplace. In the current
year of programming, community site staff continued
implementing the Second Step SEL program for
middle school youth. Additional lessons for the second
volume of the new life readiness curriculum for high
school students, LaunchSkills, were developed and
distributed to community sites. Lessons in the second
volume focused on financial literacy, career exploration,
academic success, and holistic wellness. A total of 61

the opportunity to present on our programming at a
conference session.
Lessons Learned: Feedback on the first volume of
LaunchSkills indicated a desire for more lessons
focused on helping youth attain academic success.
Thus, the healthy relationships and wellness sections of
the originally planned curriculum were combined into
a holistic wellness section, and new section devoted to
academic success was developed. In the 2nd year of
developing the Careers in a Box exploration activities,
we were able to work with another group of agriculture
education and family and consumer sciences education
undergraduate students to begin developing more
lessons that highlight careers in FANH. Following last
year’s initial debut of the kits, we learned to streamline

I have the binder [LaunchSkills curriculum]
out in the English room right now; she [the
teacher] is using the sections on resumes
and cover letters. Thank you!
– School Counselor
lessons are available in the new volume. The first round
of our newly developed career exploration activities,
Careers in a Box and the Virtual Career Camp, were
distributed to all community sites. Both the virtual camp
and Careers in a Box kits highlighted careers within
the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human
sciences (FANH) fields. Finally, four webinars in our
how-to series were presented to youth professionals.
Topics were affirming LGBTQ+ youth, promoting
accessibility in youth programming, assessing youth
learning outcomes and engagement, and addressing
internet gaming and addiction. Interest in the webinar
series has continued to increase with a project high
of 142 live attendees at the affirming LGBTQ+ youth
presentation. Finally, we were fortunate to have our
work recognized as a national award winner in the
Educational Package - Team category at the National
Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development
Professionals annual conference as well as to have
18

our process and develop activities that were less time
and supply intensive.
Sustainability Statement: To support sustainability,
the project team will provide outcome results to
community sites, which can be shared with school
administrators to advocate for resources to continue
funding the Second Step curriculum after the project
period. If internal funding cannot be secured, the SCP
team will work with the school staff to identify external
funding sources. The full LaunchSkills curriculum will
be available for use after the funding period. The
Virtual Career Camp and Careers in a Box lessons
will also remain available to the community sites.
Lessons will be added in each of the following years
of the project. Finally, all webinars are recorded and
posted online on a project Youtube channel, allowing
future professionals at the community sites to gain
knowledge.

4-H Dream Catchers
Sustainable Community Project
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Workforce Preparation

Program Report: The 4-H Dream Catchers project uses a combination of experiential learning
activities, natural and programmatic mentoring, and evidence-based curricula delivery to
reach at-risk teens in state supervision: detention/probation (Site 1) and foster/independent
living (including homeless; Site 2). Building upon work accomplished under a 2014 CYFAR
grant, Dream Catchers expands previous collaborations, incorporating new career mentoring
approaches and other program enhancements, such as opportunities for paid internships and
small business development, in response to persistent deficits experienced by these teen
groups when aging out of or leaving state supervision. Anticipated program outcomes are
that (a) teens build a diverse and caring network of adult mentors, both professional and
personal, which (b) supports them and gives them resources for developing and enhancing
skills in social competency, workforce development ,and entrepreneurship. Dream Catchers’s
long-term goals align with the 4-H Thriving Model, which predicts long-term developmental
outcomes of academic/vocational success, contribution to others through civic engagement,
employability and economic stability, and happiness and wellbeing when using the model
in positive youth development programming. Youth will have hope for the future and see
themselves as active participants in deciding their future, giving them reasons to trust, turn to,
and seek out caring adults to support and mentor them.
Lessons Learned: As a result of the pandemic, program delivery presented a greater challenge
than anticipated. Although by midsummer it appeared the pandemic might be receding thus
enabling the resumption of in-person programming, we were able to do so for just two weeks
in the fall before being forced back into distance delivery due to COVID-19 restrictions. While
overall distance delivery has been a positive development for Site 2, it has had negative effects
on the efficacy and continuity of our programming at Site 1, the Youth Facility. With the foster
teens, we are able to reach foster teens throughout Alaska—not just Fairbanks— because they
could join our programming via Zoom. However, the incarcerated teens benefit most from
visitors and the opportunity to connect face-to-face. Although we greatly appreciated the
support of the guards, who allowed us to visit via Zoom, it was extremely difficult to connect
with these young men through a small screen and with everyone wearing masks. Despite
these difficulties, we were able to maintain programming and the connection with both sites
throughout all 2 years of the pandemic restrictions.
Sustainability Statement: At the end of this grant we will have delivered consistent programming
to our two sites for 10 years. Particularly with the Fairbanks Youth Facility, Alaska 4-H and the
programming we do through this grant have become institutionalized. We are an integral
component of the group, behavioral, and mental health and wellness treatment that the young
men incarcerated on the residential treatment unit receive. We also participate with other
partners, notably Blossom House and Breadcrumbs Theatre, in offering trauma-informed yoga
and play-back theater to youth both in detention and on probation. Due to state budget cuts,
both the Youth Facility and the Independent Living Program for foster teens have come to
depend on the healthy living skills education and activities and natural mentoring we provide.
We will continue these programs through a combination of university-provided state funds
and restricted funds. The principal investigator is initiating substantive grant prospect research
in 2022 in preparation for transitioning this project to other funding sources.

19

20

Adapting Strengthening
Families (SFP 10–14)
for Legalized Marijuana Context
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Parenting

Program Report: Adaptation of Strengthening Families
(SFP 10–14) for Legalized Marijuana Context aims to
design and complete two adaptations to increase the
impact of SFP 10–14 on youth marijuana use. The
first adaptation will develop and create content for
the current SFP 10–14 program (now virtual) specific
to communication of the consequences of marijuana
use in the context of legalized marijuana. The second
adaptation is a collaboration with colleagues at
Colorado State University (CSU) to implement an online
marijuana personalized normative feedback tool,
which aims to correct marijuana use misperceptions
and provide youth and caregivers with strategies
to prevent marijuana use. The Washington State
University (WSU) team completed the final draft of the
personalized normative feedback tool for caregivers
with CSU. The tool will be randomized to caregivers in
spring 2022 implementations of SFP 10–14.
During the reporting period, our team finalized
adaptations to SFP 10–14 for virtual delivery formats,

21

including program content and facilitator and technology guides. Final versions were
optimized visually by the WSU Communications and Graphics team. WSU held seven
virtual SFP 10–14 delivery trainings for facilitators. Virtual delivery evaluation questions
were created and piloted in one county. Preliminary findings were submitted as
abstracts at the 2022 Society for Prevention Research (SPR) and Society for Research on
Adolescence (SRA) conferences and as a manuscript to the Journal of Extension (JOE).
The SRA abstract was accepted as a poster and presented in March 2022. The SPR
abstract and JOE manuscript are under review. Submissions will disseminate program
and adaptation findings to broader audiences and scholarly research channels.
In addition, we completed analysis of Year 2 focus group data and a literature review
exploring substance use/misuse educational content to inform the creation of 210
minutes of novel SFP 10–14 substance use specific curriculum. This adaptation was
reviewed by a SFP 10–14 master trainer and trained facilitators across Washington state.
Evaluation questions specific to substance use adaptations were created and will be
piloted in spring 2022. For the reporting period, we did not deliver programming to
participants. Year 3 programming began in January 2022 and will continue through
August in two Washington counties.
Lessons Learned: The WSU team did not implement the SFP 10–14 program between
December 1, 2020, and November 30, 2021. Program implementation was postponed
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting executive orders, and overburdened
communities and school systems. The WSU team attempted to recruit participants for
fall 2021 implementations in Snohomish and Spokane counties; however, recruitment
numbers were not high enough to facilitate programming. This experience led to
increased and varied recruitment efforts for spring 2022 after discussion with facilitators
in Washington counties with successful virtual implementations. With these adjustments,
we are on track to implement five times in Year 3.
Sustainability Statement: This project has and will contribute to the development of
virtual SFP 10–14 delivery materials. This work enables future SFP 10–14 implementations
to meet community needs by allowing for flexible program delivery. Between February
and June 2021, Co-Investigator Ana Maria Diaz Martinez trained over 35 facilitators from
Washington state in the virtual adaptation using Zoom.
We created an SFP Community of Practice (CoP) for professionals and facilitators in
Washington state. The CoP listserv and group was created to help professionals and
facilitators connect with WSU and current research as well as to provide access to
resources. During the reporting period, WSU sent out newsletters sharing upcoming
trainings and professional development opportunities and celebrated successful
implementations and helped solicit facilitators for implementations across the state. The
CoP will be used to share virtual and substance use adaptation materials with facilitators.
Lastly, two additional facilitators were trained in SFP 10–14. This will increase the state’s
capacity to deliver programming and potentially buffer against workforce turnover.

It was helpful that the children were able to
create and build rather than just sitting while
learning. – Community Partner

A Multilevel Youth Out-of-School Intervention Stemming
From Foods
USDA Strategic Goal 7
CYFAR Topic Area: Nutrition, Science, and Technology
Rhode Island – University of Rhode Island

Program Report: Project stRIde: Science and Technology Reinforced by Innovative Dietary Education is a
science, technology, engineering, art, math (STEAM), and nutrition program that addresses academic and dietrelated disparities of racially and ethnically diverse elementary-aged youth (Grades 4–5). This hands-on and
engaging summer camp program reinforces STEAM content learned over the school year while helping youth
to improve their dietary behaviors. During 2021, our CYFAR team were closely engaged with our community
partners, the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of Newport County and BGC of Providence, with the first half of the year
(December–June) focused on finalizing the curriculum and evaluation tools for the Project stRIde pilot program.
During summer 2021, the 6-week Project stRIde program was successfully piloted with 39 youth (41% female;
30.7% Latinx; mean age=10.9 years, SD=0.98) at the BGC of Newport County (n=23) and BGC of Providence
Southside Branch (n=16). Overall, there were no significant differences in the CYFAR youth resilience, CYFAR
life skills, and STEAM outcomes from baseline to postassessment. For nutrition outcomes, youth significantly
(p<0.05) improved self-efficacy to ask someone in their family to make their favorite vegetable for dinner.
Project stRIde process measures (dose, reach, fidelity, reliability), alongside qualitative feedback from community
partners, underscored the success and acceptability of the program and informed curriculum modifications.
Project stRIde program modifications began in September 2021 and included (a) condensing the program from
6 weeks to 5 weeks to meet the flexibility needs of the community partner and CYFAR pre/post data collection,
(b) shifting content from videos and lesson plans to books-and-bin kits, and (c) minor changes in some of the
hands-on activities based on the complexity of the topic and ease of duplication. These changes will facilitate
camp staff delivery, allow flexibility for lesson length and group size/composition (i.e., grade level), and help
promote program sustainability while keeping it fun and engaging for participating youth.
Lessons Learned: Overall, lessons learned from the 2021 Project stRIde pilot informed curriculum modifications
and some community partner technical assistance needs. These changes will facilitate camp staff delivery,
allow flexibilities for lesson length and group size/composition (i.e., grade level), and help promote program
sustainability while keeping it fun and engaging for participating youth. During summer 2022 the revised Project
stRIde program will be delivered at two new sites and one sustaining site, which will help us to better understand
what other types of staff training, staff coordination, and technical assistance are needed to optimize program
sustainability.
Sustainability Statement: Sustainability has been a major emphasis of Project stRIde since its inception. We
continually engage our community partners, the BGC of Providence and BGC of Newport County, in ways we
can ensure that Project stRIde can be feasibly delivered after the grant period. A key feature that was built into
the implementation plan of Project stRIde to support sustainability was that our core CYFAR team of nutrition
educators and 4-H staff would deliver Project stRIde during the 1st year at the site, which could not occur
until summer 2021 due to COVID-19. As a part of our original sustainability plan, and looking ahead to 2022,
the core CYFAR team will train, transition, and provide technical support to a camp staff member at the BGC
Southside site who we worked with during summer 2021. This training and transition experience with BGC
Southside will provide critical information around any additional Project stRIde training and technical assistance
needed to promote program sustainability.
22

4-H UNITY
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Workforce Preparation
New York – Cornell University

Program Report: 4-H Urban Neighborhoods
Improved Through Youth (UNITY) combines 4-H
youth development, civic engagement, nutrition,
and parent education to ensure teens ages 14–18
years demonstrate the knowledge, skills, attitudes,
and behaviors necessary for fulfilling, contributing
lives and promotes healthy lifestyles among teens
and their parents or guardians. 4-H UNITY’s program
model and 5-year plan are grounded in positive youth
development research and the ecological principles of
working within the context of family and community.
Participants meet weekly after school and complete

New York, applying these strategies and approaches
to ensure 4-H UNITY’s ongoing and future success.
Recently, we received commitments from community
partners in both Rochester and Endicott to sustain
4-H UNITY after CYFAR funding ends because they
recognize the value of the program to marginalized
young people and the community.

summer employment experiences. Each of the two
counties serves two cohorts of 12–15 teens for 2 years
and then repeat the 2-year model with new youth
and community partners. Through their involvement,
UNITY teen leaders demonstrate improved leadership
and workforce development skills as their community
projects and job internships provide opportunities for
real-world workforce skill building. The teen leaders
gain the skills needed to prepare for college, careers,
and being engaged community members. UNITY
works to establish a strong foundation for long-term
sustainability by partnering with local government
leaders, businesses, and community organizations
in ongoing community projects to ensure UNITY’s
continuation after CYFAR funding ends.

UNITY’s 5-year program plan describes the steps that
will be taken to achieve sustainability, beginning with
the memoranda of understanding and continuing
with the involvement of community partners in
implementing UNITY’s sustainability plan from the
beginning of the project. By focusing on sustainability
and developing intentional partnerships with local
organizations, government, and business leaders from
the outset of programming, we can proudly report that
we now have commitments from community partners
to sustain 4-H UNITY in both Endicott and Rochester.
In addition, we believe that UNITY’s comprehensive,
multilevel approach to sustainability will reap value
to the Endicott and Rochester communities as the
program continues to increase the UNITY teen leaders’
sense of community connectedness and commitment
to continue working to improve their communities.

Lessons Learned: We continue to apply lessons learned
from our successfully sustained CYFAR projects in

Sustainability Statement: Sustainability is an integral
focus of UNITY, beginning with the intentional selection
of community partners and implementation of focused
plans for the partners’ professional development.

23

24

Creating a Village for Transition Into Adulthood
Through Youth-Adult Partnerships, Teen Mentoring,
and Community Sustainability
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development
Hawaii – University of Hawaii at Manoa

Program Report: Creating a Village is a multilayered educational intervention for middle
school youth that provides opportunities for them to enhance their workforce preparation
and life management skills. The program is delivered within a supportive environment
that includes their peers, a youth-adult partnership team with teen mentors and an adult
partner, and community-based experts. The program is designed to develop education,
mentorship, and leadership development opportunities through program interactions.
Lessons Learned: Even though the program was delivered in two different formats,
the relationship-building between the youth-adult partnership team and the youth
participants—the cornerstone of the program—was able to develop and thrive.
Consistency in structure and participation allowed for the creation of safe, familiar
environments that allowed opportunities for leadership, communication, and social
skills to strengthen and grow. To ensure this is protected in program deliveries moving
forward, we will increase training for staff and volunteers on its importance.
Sustainability Statement: As the program is delivered, we compile documentation,
processes, artifacts, and other materials that will allow us to create an operational
manual for future delivery of the program. We have accumulated a lot of lessons learned
through the adjustments required and will incorporate a best practices section to allow
for ease of delivery in the future. The goal is to allow other organizations to replicate this
program in their settings.

I’m usually kind of quiet because I don’t like
really interacting a lot unless it’s with my
family because I feel comfortable with them,
but it was kind of surprising when I was able
to feel comfortable talking.
– Youth Participant

25

The United We Can: African American
Youth Entrepreneurship Program
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Workforce Preparation
Oklahoma – Oklahoma State University and Langston University

Program Report: This year, 54 African American youth participated in an
8-week program that led youth through workshops on financial planning,
cultural awareness, and different STEM-related careers. The 8-week summer
program culminated with a trip to Oklahoma State University where youth
were able to learn what it is like to be a university student through workshops
taught by graduate students and faculty, eating in the cafeteria, sleeping
in the dorms, and touring the campus. On campus, we hosted workshops
related to personal finance, such as Reality Check!, focusing on budgeting
and finiancial literacy. After the workshop, there was a lively group debriefing
session reviewing lessons learned, including the importance of preparing
now for the life participants would like to have in the future. This hands-on
experience was very impactful for youth. At this age, youth are very interested
in what they call adulting—that is, learning how to be an adult. For many
youth, this was the first time they had an opportunity to manage money, and
it was eye-opening.
Lessons Learned: During the pandemic, we were reminded just how much
youth are motivated by their friends’ approval. Youth are often terrified to
turn on their cameras during a Zoom call and refused all of our coaxing in this
direction. However, we also noticed that having their families present often
offset their fears. Many youth were willing to engage online, including turning
on the camera, if one of their parents or an older sibling were present. Talking
to youth about our observation, we learned that youth are hypersensitive
to being judged as inadequate by friends and that the uncertainty of how
to act on a Zoom call was just too threatening for them. However, when a
respected family member modeled this behavior for them, they were much
more willing to dare to be seen. This reinforced the importance that family
holds for these youth.
Sustainability Statement: First, we focus on creating strong partnerships. For
our efforts, we were recognized as one of only 10 organizations to enter
into a memorandum of understanding with the Tulsa Opportunity Project,
an extracurricular organization created by Tulsa Public Schools and the Tulsa
Community Foundation to manage community partnerships.
Second, we provide a value added to children’s school experience that
makes our program indispensable. Published findings from our work
document effects of United We Can to reduce or delay initiation into alcohol,
tobacco, and other drug use in a 4-year longitudinal study. Another study
documents that if a preponderance of parents are involved in their child’s
schooling in a given school, it decreases the substance use of even the youth
whose parents are not involved. This is important because interventions are
unlikely to reach all parents and because 98% of parents in the United We
Can program participated in parent-teacher conferences (one indicator of
parental involvement), suggesting that the impacts of this CYFAR program
reach beyond the students who are enrolled in the program.

The Juntos Sustainable Community Project
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development, Science, Technology, and Workforce Development
North Carolina and Idaho – North Carolina State University and University of Idaho

Program Report: All four components of the Juntos Program were implemented this past calendar year.
The core of the Juntos program is family engagement, and programming starts with the 5- or 6-week Family
Workshop Series, distributing valuable educational information. By the end of spring 2021, we held 16 family
nights. In fall 2021, the Catawba and New Hanover county coordinators were able to implement workshops
in person for the first time since the pandemic, which has kept participation numbers down, began. New
Hanover engaged 10 families consistently during their workshop sessions, and Catawba had an average of 32
families. Due to high COVID-19 cases, Sampson held many of their club and family events virtually. Idaho was
able to hold their family nights in person throughout the year. The Juntos 4-H Clubs have been successful in
providing opportunities for youth to learn life skills outside of the classroom such as civic engagement through
food drives. Each club has invited various guest speakers that are knowledgeable in their fields. Some of these

include local law enforcement; local 4-H agents and other extension staff; and representatives from different
careers, colleges and universities. Furthermore, students have been developing their leadership skills through
leadership roles and projects such as coordinating monthly volunteer events at their local Homeless shelter in
Catawba, holding a food drive for their peers in Sampson, and attending state 4-H events in Jerome, Idaho.
Throughout the school year, academic success coaching sessions were held either virtually or in person. The
annual summer academy was held virtually for the second time to offer an educational experience to our Juntos
students and exposed each student to three different careers and three different skills.

26

Lessons Learned: Due to the continued pandemic, the Juntos program focused on innovative ways to reach
our students and families in a way that met their needs. Our evaluation methods included multiple methods of
collection, including phone calls, online links, and paper copies. We hosted a second virtual summer academy
experience that provided all the resources needed for the youth to have an interactive experience. Wi-Fi access,
technology, and packaged kits made it possible for our youth and parents to feel they had what they needed.
Fall 2021 continued with statewide and local virtual club meetings, success coaching, and family nights. Some
counties held hybrid programming as case numbers changed. Some themes for these meetings included
college readiness, career exploration, financial aid resources, and tutoring. In fall 2021, we conducted a virtual
training focused on working with Latinx youth regarding mental health for national and North Carolina staff.
Sustainability Statement: The sustainability guide that was started in October 2019 is in the final design stages
and will be shared with national and North Carolina staff. This will be a great resource for our coordinators to
provide tools to support the CYFAR communities and Juntos sites. Juntos is establishing partners within each
CYFAR site. Partner meetings are held three times per year within each community, and updates, success
stories, and needs will be presented to discuss future investment at these meetings. In Catawba and Sampson

We missed that sense of community
because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but
being a part of Juntos helped. The program
grew stronger this year than last year
even though they were meeting online.
The connection was there. Juntos was an
important part of my daughter’s routine
during remote learning.
– Juntos Parent

Counties, we are strengthening partnerships with the community college as many of our Juntos alumni begin
their higher education there. Coordinators plan to hold family events at community colleges with the hopes
of turning them into annual events. We hosted a partners luncheon in collaboration with the North Carolina
State University program College Advising Corps in November 2021. This event was an opportunity to bring
awareness to the programs and connect partners across the state.

27

28

FDLTCC Bimaaji’idiwin (Saving Each Other’s Lives)
Harvest Sustainable Community Project
USDA Strategic Goal 7
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development
Minnesota – Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Program Report: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) learned in September
of 2021 that we had been awarded CYFAR project funding. The 1st month was spent working
with CYFAR to get all required paperwork to establish FDLTCC’s project and meet our CYFAR
coach. In October we held an all Bimaaji’idiwin partner meeting to review the activities that
the partners want to accomplish with the support of CYFAR funding. After review of the
original proposal objectives with the partners, the original objectives were confirmed, and
next planning steps were decided upon with the program coordinator.
In order to start work on the project, we were required to secure an evaluation team. The funding
was not released until the evaluation team was approved. Since our proposal had originally
not been selected by the CYFAR program, we had to restart the search for an evaluation team.
The preferred evaluation team had to meet the criteria of experience with youth programming
and use of culturally inclusive evaluation methods. From November through December of
2021, we interviewed and met with various evaluation teams and received CYFAR approval
of our chosen evaluation team in December of 2021. Our youth coordinator has met with
the CYFAR coach and has been learning about the CYFAR program reporting and national
objectives. The FDLTCC youth coordinator has also been working with the evaluation team to
plan an evaluation that not only provides information to the CYFAR program but also helps
design a youth program that creates indigenous leadership by helping facilitate increasing
connections between youth, community, and traditional activities.
Lessons Learned: As we begin our programming, our anticipated outcomes fit with our project
objectives. Our desired results include increased participation in traditional cultivation and
harvest methods. Our youth will learn new skills such as cooking and meal preparation using
first foods and local fresh produce. Through connections with community members, peers,
and elders, we hope to instill a sense of confidence and leadership through increased cultural
knowledge, connection, and indigenous leadership building. Traditional games, harvest
methods, stories, and conflict and stress management techniques such as circle keeping are
all ways that our program partners will incorporate to serve our regional youth.
Sustainability Statement: The emphasis on multigenerational programming is culturally
grounded and works to build the circle of guidance, peer support, and mentorship of younger
students. This structure provides the support that teens need and gives them opportunities
to be positive role models. By designing our programming to bring together members of the
community with our teens, we are emphasizing their importance to community by grounding
them in the culture and values of Anishinaabe. Expectations of behavior will be based on
grandfather teachings of wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, and truth. Each
of our program sites will use the capacity that is built as part of this programming to include
lessons, activities, and relationships to continue youth leadership outreach.

I have learned that there is always room for growth, and we’re truly
all in this together. In community, we have our best opportunity
to create the change we want to see in this world.
– Participant

Family Engagement: Bringing Families and Decision Makers
Together for Collaboration
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Parenting
Colorado – Colorado State University

Program Report: In 2021, our CYFAR project has been focused on continuing to build capacity to provide local
training at our two current sites, Jefferson County and Longmont, Colorado, and hosting our first cohort of the
full, 20-week, two-generation class. In previous years, due to COVID-19 limitations, we have offered limited
short-term series classes at our two CYFAR sites. Year 3 was the 1st year we were able to host a full class for
both communities. One major event in early spring 2021 was that one of our CYFAR sites made the difficult
decision to discontinue programming due to ongoing staff shortages. However, the coordinator at this site
worked with the larger team to quickly transition their work and potential cohort participants to a new site about
a mile away in Jefferson County. The Jefferson County coordinator spent the summer of 2021 recruiting adults
and youth for their first two-generation class and was able to start their class in September 2021. In Year 3,
our programming has involved 21 individuals, or approximately 19 families, completing the program. Pre- and
postprogram evaluations have occurred in coordination with all programming delivered in Year 3 thus far. In
addition, process evaluations have occurred in sync with all programming to date, including fidelity to program
curriculum with one-on-one team coaching and class site visits.
The team developed additional resources to support online and hybrid programming and sites as they adapted
to public health restrictions while implementing the 20-week program. Support included one-on-one site
technical assistance and site visits. The youth curriculum was successfully adapted from a 20-week curriculum to
a 10-week curriculum in partnership with Rise Above, a state agency focused on youth civic education.
Lessons Learned: We have learned that our state CYFAR team needed to be trained and prepared to offer the
20-week training online, in person, and via a hybrid of the two. In spring of 2021 we developed and prepared
a training for our sites on how to plan for multiple implementation versions and how to quickly change course
depending on COVID-19 and public health mandates. We provided a six-part training series over the summer
for our CYFAR site facilitation teams and provided technical assistance and some risk management tools to help
make the adaptation process easier as our CYFAR sites welcomed their cohorts in the fall. The lesson learned
was to be prepared for all versions so that the 20-week class would not have to shut down due to COVID-19.
Both classes successfully completed their 20 weeks, and we believe that a key part of that success was their
ability to do this.
Sustainability Statement: Sustaining this work will be key to making sure families are able to build their skills
and be involved in creating a sense of community where they feel welcome. Our state team continued to work
hard on sustainability. We were able to meet with two foundations about the work and their interest in investing
in the work in the future. In addition, we provided training for our local sites to work with local partners and
foundations to acquire local investments in their classes. Finally, each of our local sites have local civic design
teams made up of partners and families who have graduated from their programs. Those teams are also focused
on sustainability.

29

4-H SNAC
USDA Strategic Goal 7
CYFAR Topic Area: Nutrition and Physical Activity
California and Nevada – University of California and University of Nevada – Reno

Program Report: The University of California
Cooperative Extension and University of Nevada
Cooperative Extension will integrate the 4-H Student
Nutrition Advisory Councils (SNAC) Club program
into communities in San Luis Obispo and El Dorado
Counties (California) and Clark County (Nevada) with
SNAP-Ed eligible youth who qualify for the free or
reduced-price meals program. The target audiences for
4-H SNAC Club programming are school-age children
(K–8) and families in low-income schools. The program
will serve youth who are at increased risk for negative
outcomes, such as undernourishment, neglect, poor
health, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, crime,
violence, and academic underachievement due to
family, community, social, political, and economic
conditions. The 4-H SNAC Club program model will
be expanded through a partnership between the
University of California 4-H, CalFresh (SNAP-Ed),
Nevada 4-H, Nevada Expanded Food and Nutrition
Extension Programs, Nevada SNAP-Ed, local schools,
and community partners. Community health and
youth development professionals will implement
interventions at the social and environmental level to
address social determinants of health impacting youth.
Through this partnership, the program will also provide
opportunities for youth to learn valuable healthy living,
advocacy, and peer mentoring skills. Based on the
outcomes achieved by similar projects, it is expected
that participants will have (a) improved nutritional and
physical health knowledge and practices, (b) improved
confidence in leadership and presentation skills, (c)

30

increased career readiness, and (d) increased selfefficacy for being an advocate of health.
Lessons Learned: School closures and virtual learning
have been the largest barriers to implementing 4-H
SNAC. Teachers and administrators are overwhelmed
with constantly changing conditions and guidance.
They have expressed support for this program;
however, they are focused on responding to emergent
situations on their campuses. To address this, we have
learned to focus on creative ways we can meet the
needs of our communities through program delivery.
Cooking Academy has been adapted as an online
curriculum, and we have some necessary tools to
provide students with online cooking lessons, such as
insulated grocery bags.
Sustainability Statement: Training opportunities have
been provided to staff to further develop knowledge
of how to host 4-H SNAC Clubs for students.
Training included discussions and presentations from
experienced staff, on-site observation of a 4-H SNAC
Club meeting in progress, and the opportunity to speak
with 4-H SNAC Club members. Training also provided
hands-on materials such as handouts, letters to parents,
and a breakdown of activities for a 4-H SNAC Club.
In addition, staff were trained on community partner
engagement, recruitment, and cultural competency.
Furthermore, plans to offer virtual programming for
both the nutrition portion and the 4-H Club program
have been established and executed.

31

Tennessee SCP
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development, Nutrition, Parenting, Physical Activity, Science, Technology, and Workforce Preparation
Tennessee – University of Tennessee

Program Report: The mission of the University of Tennessee’s Sustainable Communities Project is to enhance
educational curricula, develop linkages to support families, and provide technical assistance and training for
after-school staff. The project focuses on middle-school-age youth and seeks to improve their knowledge,
skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for fulfilling, contributing lives. The program targets school-age, highrisk youth and their families who are experiencing trauma-inducing environments, academically challenged,
potential dropouts, more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, and lack strong positive role models and
prosocial and emotional learning skills. The project sites serve many children who live in poverty. The primary
content utilized focuses on three primary areas: (a) social-emotional learning (SEL); (b) students’ academics
through STEM-based agriculture, nutrition, robotics, and engineering programming; and (c) intensive family
engagement programming. Nonacademic content such as leadership, decision-making, positive relationship,
and increased self-work are also stressed. The philosophy of this project believes youth must first address their
social-emotional needs before academic gains can occur.
Lessons Learned: Lessons learned this reporting period revolve around teaching virtually. The learning curve
was great, and we all had to be patient. Two main lessons were learned from teaching virtually. First, it is
imperative to spend an ample amount of time teaching students and parents how to navigate the virtual portal
(i.e., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.). It is extremely difficult to find a platform that all participants are familiar
with. After trial and error, it is best to use the platform the public school is already using; however, there are
issues around licensing at times. Secondly, we learned that there are some teachers who are excellent at virtual
education and others who are not. It is best to focus on teacher strengths by assigning teachers with high
capacity for technology to teach virtually while appointing teachers with other skill sets to conduct background
prep and research on the selected lesson.
Sustainability Statement: An educational program has great success for sustainability if the program addresses
three areas: evaluation, collaborations, and grant writing experience. In order to acquire additional funding
for this grant project, we have devised a very reliable and proven evaluation plan. We have tested, revised,
and fine-tuned our existing evaluation plan over the past 14 years with our existing sites. One of the most
powerful strengths of our family and consumer science/4-H agents is their established relationships with decision
makers, other agencies, and general populations in their communities. The University of Tennesee agents in
Shelby and Union Counties currently have these relationships and the skills and resources available to enhance
their collaboration development when and where appropriate. All
agents, including the project director, have experience succesfully
acquiring funds from local community agencies, government offices,
and businesses. The project personnel have extensive grant writing
experience, and with our experience, proposed curricula, and
evaluation plan, we believe that we will be successful at gaining
additional support via funding and community support. The project
director has successfully sustained 10 CYFAR sites between 2005 and
2017. All are still making significant impacts on their communities, and
we have already taken steps to sustain the current sites and program
by acquiring funding from school districts, recruiting volunteers, and
continuing to build partnerships.

32

Uplift: Empowering Today’s Youth for Tomorrow’s Future
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Workforce Preparation
Kentucky – University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University

Program Report: Uplift: Empowering Today’s Youth for Tomorrow’s Future aims to provide a
comprehensive life skills development program for high-risk youth. The primary goal is to increase
awareness and understanding of critical life skills for self-sufficiency in youth. The life skills program
promotes health and personal development, uses developmentally appropriate interaction teaching
strategies, and encourages the avoidance of involvement in high-risk behaviors. The life skills
content also encourages self-management skills as youth learn to navigate the world around them.
The program vision employs a multidisciplinary positive youth development and trauma-informed
approach that views youth in the context of the family and community and develops programming
grounded in research and based on local needs.
Lessons Learned: COVID-19 created challenges in cementing relationships with partners, especially
with conducting and facilitating programming. Without face-to-face programming, we were unable
to conduct programs in Fayette County. As a result, the Uplift team had to pivot in other directions,
including adding a new part-time staff member to Fayette County and seeking new partnerships with
local middle schools. Adaptability and flexibility were two concepts the team became acquainted
with when dealing with COVID-19 and the resurgence that occurred when the 2021–2022 school
year began. The Uplift team has also learned that working during and after school hours has helped
eliminate barriers that would prevent students from attending programming. Having staff and
trusted adults of color at underserved schools with a higher minority population is also important.
It allows the students to effectively receive the content delivered and feel connected with trusted
adults who look like them.
Sustainability Statement: Life skills are essential for students who have and will continue to deal with
remnants of a pandemic. These life skills are vital to survival and help them learn to cope with the
complexities of life. Students must have the knowledge and resources to help empower them. The
University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University personnel are working together with the hopes
of increasing life skills programming to other sites and partners. The 4-H Social Justice Leadership
Board is on track with sustainment as our initial plan is to have four partners and diverse voices at
the table to empower youth. Plans for sustaining will stem through mentorship, leadership training,
community service, and critical conversations. Not only is the board embedded in 4-H, but with the
collaboration of other Extension partners and the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture,
Office of Diversity, we are confident it will garner the support that it needs over time.

While the lessons facilitated are valuable to youth, the
relationships mean even more and add to youth’s ability
to embrace content. Participants regularly express their
excitement for each lesson to our Uplift team.
– Uplift Staff Member

The Growing U program has introduced my kiddos to things they
might not have ever seen. The hatching in the classroom was
one of the most exciting activities at the school, and gardening
has been a positive impact on them. – Community Partner

Growing U
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Technology
Texas – Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M University

Program Report: Through a collaboration between Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and
Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension, GrowingU served youth at risk for childhood obesity,
in underresourced communities. Youth learned from the evidence-based Learn, Grow, Eat, & Go!
(LGEG), Junior Master Gardener, and Walk Across Texas curricula. Each year, 210 children (35 at
each of the six sites) were recruited to participate in a 4-H club with volunteers and staff to support
them. School educators assumed the club leader’s responsibilities and were assisted by a 4-H agent
to charter and enroll all youth and volunteers. Families were invited to virtual meetings to learn
gardening and nutrition skills with their youth through the parent component of the LGEG curriculum.
This created a community-level factor that helped youth with their long-term health decisions. We
had challenges at our sites due to health and safety concerns, so we offered some programming
virtually. While participating virtually for the majority of the program year, youth also had hands-on
learning opportunities through the LGEG journal and supplies that were distributed at the school or
a community location. As part of the students’ learning experience, they established various garden
beds, hydroponic systems, and a grow tent. Three Growing U family nights were also conducted
to involve parents and families in the Growing U program and give the students an opportunity
to demonstrate their learned skills. Family nights were set up with activity stations through which
participants and families could rotate. The activities in the stations were the same activities that the
students did during their Growing U program. Each station had Growing U students leading and
helping families in the activities. In order to make the families feel a part of the program, we also
kept events relevant to the cultures of our students and the community.
Lessons Learned: Basic needs must be met prior to asking families to prioritize an optional program.
In high-risk communities, basic needs are the priority during times of high stress (i.e., a pandemic).
Volunteers and agents reported that youth needed time to socialize and see a different face
behind the screen. Those trusted and consistent relationships were necessary to foster attendance.
If the opportunity is provided, communities will thrive. We learned we need to provide as much
support for volunteers as possible. The volunteers we use are also teachers who have a full load of
responsibilities. By providing resources and assisting them when needed, they can focus on Growing
U instruction and activities.
Sustainability Statement: Through our partnerships, we are seeing the positive impacts of Growing
U. Due to our established relationships with the schools, we are able to continue working with them
towards sustainability. We have seen expanded program options at some of our sites. Another site
has begun to assist in the funding of the program and set aside funds to hire the after-school staff
specifically for the program as well as the 4-H program.

33

Wisconsin Sustainable Communities:
The Growing Connections Program
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Workforce Preparation
Wisconsin – University of Wisconsin

34

Program Report: The Growing Connections Program
is built on youth participation in three intersecting
and multilevel educational approaches: (a) youth-led
gardening education and food production, (b) youth
leadership development focused on action planning
and community leadership, and (c) youth centered
community engagement. During the summer
months, youth participants engage in an intensive
developmental experience at the program’s hub, the
Connections Garden at Kohl Farm. They then apply
their skills and leverage their new relationships in their
communities. Growing Connections partners with two
community organizations: Milwaukee Christian Center

Lessons Learned: Flexibility, adaptability, active listening
and honest communication have been critical as we
navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
and staffing shortages with community partners. While
we maintained fidelity to the program’s logic model
and desired outcomes, we were careful to adjust,
adapt, and even pause programming when needed.
Through honest communication we developed a clear
understanding of the unique challenges and needs of
partner agencies, youth participants, and their families
and pivoted programming in a way that worked in the
current climate.

and Running Rebels Community Organization, located
on the near south and near north sides respectively.
Organizational partners bring deep connections with
youth and neighborhood assets in two of Milwaukee’s
most challenged neighborhoods. Youth bring their
perspectives to developing the Connections Garden as
a community cultural and food production space and
leading neighborhood action projects. Youth will work
into seasonal, part-time employment opportunities,
working with professional mentors to implement
program elements including participatory evaluation
and teaching other youth. During educational sessions,
Extension educators implement proven educational
approaches from gardening education, community
place-making, engagement, and design.

Sustainability Statement: We continue to pursue
opportunities to leverage CYFAR funding to secure
additional funds to support the program. The Growing
Connections Program was awarded a $12,000 grant for
garden beautification and infrastructure improvements
through the University of Wisconsin -Madison,
Division of Extension Dean’s Innovation Grant. In
addition, as a result of our pivot to community-based
gardens, the Growing Connections Program team is
cultivating relationships and partnerships with local
stakeholders with the goal of increasing opportunities
for young people, creating lasting positive impact in
the community, and developing sustainable funding
sources and support for the program beyond the
terms of the grant.

Youth Civic Engagement
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development
Nebraska – University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Program Report: Year 3 of Youth Civic Engagement focused on transitioning
to in-person delivery, refining program elements, expanding reach, and
fostering community partnerships in our two original community sites,
Scotts Bluff and Douglas Counties. In addition, we explored delivery in new areas and new iterations
of the program to test feasibility and prepare for our sustainability and scaling phases. Although still
limited by the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic (e.g., declining and then resurging rates),
we conducted in-person programming at three sites, namely an in-person, 4-day camp in Scotts Bluff
County and two schools in Douglas County, in collaboration with the Latino Center of the Midlands.
In addition, we piloted Youth Arise in a new site (Lancaster County) among high school youth with
the Upward Bound program with two cohorts (18 juniors, 27 seniors) to explore the potential of this
program with older participants and the potential for older youth to serve as mentors or teachers for
middle school students who are the primary program audience. In total, our program reached 89 youth
in Year 3.
We tested the feasibility of our measures and procedures for evaluation and identified some challenges
(dissemination of surveys, diversity in how each site contacts parents) and worked with our institutional
review board to develop procedures that would be reflective of the diversity of sites in which we work.
We also developed our strategic plans to promote effective and consistent communication. For example,
we maintained our website and disseminated program information through videos on social media.
Lessons Learned: There were two main lessons learned this year. First, our approved evaluation protocols
did not reflect the diversity in our implementation settings. We thus engaged our institutional review
board in dialogue to communicate this challenge and collaborate on developing protocols that would
reflect these settings, respect the typical procedures already used by our partners, and still maintain the
rigors of quality research and protection of human subjects. The second lesson was that with increased
screen time due to the pandemic, youth actually sought breaks from screens during our program. This
was especially true in the after-school setting given that even during school time, youth were engaging
heavily with screens. We thus incorporated nonscreen, hands-on activities to complement our online
program platforms. Our current model now allows for flexibility in settings and appears to yield better
responses from youth.
Sustainability Statement: Reaching diverse and underserved audiences is a priority in Nebraska
Extension. Youth Arise can be integrated into Nebraska Extension 4-H programming after the grant via
multiple learning platforms, such as in-person classes, 4-H clubs, and online education (e.g., eXtension,
Google Classroom). With committed statewide and national partners, sustainability and scaling are
feasible. Components of the program (e.g., iCivics, YPAR) are available at no cost. After completing
orientation and staff training that our team provides, local community partners will be able to implement
the program with minimal support. Our program design can be adapted to various delivery formats
such as after-school, homeschool, weekday, or weekend programs. Comprehensive evaluation will
demonstrate program effectiveness. Evidence will position the team to obtain federal and foundation
funds to scale up the program to neighboring locales. The team prioritizes sustainability and focuses on
building leadership among community partners and strengthening collaboration to create environments
for project sustainability.

35

36

Native youth are hands-on learners, and the CYFAR project has
allowed us to teach to the students’ strengths.
– Team Member

Building Community Capacity and Resilience through
4-H in ND Tribal Nations
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Science, Technology, and Workforce Development
North Dakota – North Dakota State University and Cankdeska Cikana Community College

Program Report: American Indian and Alaska Native populations continue to be underrepresented in STEAM
related careers. Tribal communities historically have lacked resources to provide youth with high-quality STEAM
educational opportunities. This year, youth in Grades 3–5 participated in a variety of experiential learning
activities, including coding with Ozobots, Lego robotics, and STEAM residential and day camping experiences,
all aimed at sparking their interest in STEAM. Project staff collaborate with schools to deliver programming in
class, after school, and throughout the summer. Program staff worked with Two Feathers LLC, a Native American
owned consulting company, to design and deliver a series of professional development webinars, Creating a
Bridge From Equity to Belonging. Their series was attended by extension professionals, educators, and school
counselors from North Dakota and 12 other states and included topics like Indigenous 101 & 102, History and
Current Impact of Indian Boarding Schools, Cultural Arts, and Why Representation Matters.
Lessons Learned: COVID-19 continued to impact program delivery, especially at the beginning of this program
year. Face-to-face activities eventually resumed with precautions in place. The relationships with local schools
in Standing Rock proved to be a tremendous resource, providing opportunities to deliver STEAM activities in
the classrooms and to use school space during out-of-school time, including summer. Challenges with finding
and keeping program staff and the continued COVID-19 situation impacted the ability to provide after-school
activities in the Spirit Lake comunities. We learned that the tribal college on Spirit Lake has very limited capacity
to support the programs as they were originally planned. However, the summer camps offered there were wellreceived and successful. After collaboration with coaches, this site will focus more on camping as a STEAM
delivery method while still continuing to work on building relationships with schools.
Sustainability Statement: Relationships with educators and administration of local schools are key in building
project sustainability. A trusting relationsip between local extension, schools, and the larger community will
allow the program to continue at some level when the 5-year funding comes to an end.

37

Addressing Youth Mental Health of Latinx Families by
Strengthening Family-Skills and Engaging in Sports
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Parenting and Physical Activity
Maryland – University of Maryland

Program Report: The overarching goal of this project
is to strengthen Latinx youth and their families’ mental
health by strengthening healthy parenting practices for
parents and caregivers, positive youth development,
and engaging youth in organized sports. We will
engage underserved Latinx families in three interrelated
programs. First, parents and caregivers will participate
in Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables (the parent/
caregiver version), an evidence-based family-skills
program to strengthen healthy parenting practices.
Each Padres Preparados educational session is divided

per community (15 boys and 15 girls). Twice a week,
50 young players will practice together. The soccer
coaches will be trained in mental health first aid

between self-reflection, didactics, and skill building
exercises aimed at developing strong parenting
practices and facilitating relationship building between
parents and youth. This intervention is based on the
social ecology model and has shown positive results,
including improved parent involvement, child social
competence, and child self-regulation. Second, we
will engage youth in programs like 4-H to strengthen
positive youth development. This part of the program
will include topics of physical and mental wellness and
cultural exploration. Lastly, we will engage youth in
sports through soccer practices, which will take effect
in a year and engage new youth every year of the 5
grant years. Practices will focus on skill and technique
development and connectedness beween coaches
and players. The soccer group will include 30 players

address partnership processes in a more formal way.
We are keeping community benefit at the forefront
of the work. Some program activities took place on a
pilot basis during the reporting period.

Lessons Learned: During the reporting time frame, we
focused on strengthening the university–community
collaboration. Our process supporting early partnership
development is moving to be formalized. This worked
initially because trust was present from a preexisting
relationship. As the project expanded in terms of
scope and more people were added, we needed to

Sustainability
Statement:
Regarding
program
sustainability, we focused on developing quality
collaboration during the reporting time frame. We are
working with four members of the collaborating agency,
including the director, one program coordinator, and
two educators. We believe that once the partners are
trained and committed, they will be able to continue
the program activities when the funding ends.

38

SCP to Promote Early Language and Literacy
Development in Native Communities
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Parenting
Arizona – Arizona State University

Program Report: Our project is a community-based
program to promote young children’s early literacy
in two rural American Indian communities in Arizona:
four Navajo Nation communities near Sanders, AZ
(Nahata’Dziil, Wide Ruins, Pine Springs, and Houck
Chapters) and the communities of the San Carlos
Apache Tribal lands. We have developed a program that
currently has six components: (a) early literacy handouts
and quick tip videos, (b) storytime videos, (c) drop-in
family literacy events, (d) professional development
workshops, (e) a multisession family literacy program,
and (f) a multisession care provider literacy program.
We are providing multiple complementary program
components to allow parents, grandparents, other
primary caregivers, and childcare providers of young
children a range of opportunities to engage with our
program both virtually and (when possible) in person.
Each of these components has been developed
in collaboration with the communities that we
serve. In both communities we have convened and
regularly meet with community advisory boards and
have solicited feedback from parents and childcare
providers in the communities through pilot sessions
of the multisession programming. During 2021, we
launched program websites, offered programming that

was well-received by the communities, and deepened
our partnerships with the communities.
Lessons Learned: One of the main ways that we strive
to improve our programming is in making it more
responsive to community needs. An example of how
we have done this can be seen in our professional
development workshops for early care and education
professionals. We originally planned to address topics
we chose (e.g., grant writing, graphic design) with
sessions led by experts from campus. We thought
this model would allow us to bring the university’s
resources to the communities we serve, both of
which are several hours from the main campus. As we
began to develop these workshops in collaboration
with our community advisory boards, we realized the
topics we had identified were not of great interest
or use to the communities. Instead, we listened to
our advisory boards and developed workshops that
were responsive to community needs and centered
Native experiences, knowledge, and expertise. These
workshops have been well-attended and participants
have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Sustainability Statement: We are using several
strategies to sustain this program beyond the 5 years
of CYFAR funding. Community advisory boards in both
communities meet regularly to enhance preexisting
partnerships within the community sites and guide
program development. To enhance community capacity
for providing high-quality early literacy programming,
we are providing professional development workshops
to early care and education professionals. We regularly
communicate with our program champions to share
our successes and accomplishments. For example,
we distribute a biannual newsletter to Extension
administration and community stakeholders. We plan
to make our program materials and suggestions for
adapting them for use in other communities freely
available online so they can be widely used even after
the funding period. Finally, we are working with our
community advisory boards to explore opportunities
to integrate our materials into existing programs and
to secure future funding for our programming.

39

Helping Youth PROSPER and Avoid Opioid
Misuse in Virginia
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Workforce Preparation
Virginia – Virginia State University

Program Report: Uplift: We held a weekly Balancing Life webinar
series to support our families and youth. More than 75 sessions
have reached 2,700 distinct individuals. Grant team members also
connected youth with other programs, such as 4-H Camp and 4-H
Congress. As the pandemic lingered, the team implemented a
virtual family-based program, Together Families PROSPER, which
consisted of seven virtual sessions and supply packet deliveries.
Responses to a parent retrospective survey, which assessed
caregivers’ perceptions of themselves as a caregiver, their families’
strengths, and their children’s behaviors both before and after
completion of Together Families PROSPER, revealed positive
changes in areas known to help youth avoid risky behaviors (e.g.,
substance misuse), including stress management, communication,
building trust, guidelines and routines, and supporting youth. Two
cohorts of families participated.
COVID-19-related absences and teacher shortages added another
layer of complexity to starting new programming. The three sites
still hope to launch prior to the end of the academic year. Teachers from three localities and all grant
staff were trained and are equipped to teach the Life Skills Training program in person, virtually, or
in a hybrid mode.
Lessons Learned: In November 2021, evaluators held a focus group with six PROSPER team members
to gather information about the process of implementing the Together Families PROSPER program,
a virtual adaptation of SFP 10–14. Running a successful program like this required a lot of input. It is
much easier to run a program like this with a team of leaders than to do it alone; they bounce ideas
off of each other. Having a team approach has been crucial. Recruitment was mentioned as a big
challenge. It is easier to recruit people face-to-face than by email.
Sustainability Statement: We continue to tell the story, leverage current partnerships, seek new
partnerships, and brainstorm ways to continue the programming at the end of the grant cycle. One
local extension office has submitted a funding proposal to their local government to hire the grantsupported team leader for a county-funded position following the grant to continue and expand
programming.

This program has been great and has really strengthened
my relationship with my son. We can talk about more things
now.
– Parent Participant

40

BRIDGE2Health: An
Intergenerational
Mentoring Program
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development
Ohio and Virginia – Ohio State University and Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University

Program
Report:
Building
Relationships
Intergenerationally through Guided Mentoring
(BRIDGE2Health) is an intergenerational mentoring
research project located at communities in Cuyahoga
County, Ohio, and Amherst County, Virginia, that
utilizes community-based participatory research to
improve teens and older adults’ health and resilience by
strengthening life skill competencies. The focal youth
population includes teenagers, approximately half of
whom are in foster and kinship (e.g., grandparent) care;
older adult participants include community volunteers
affiliated with a community partner. By engaging
teens and older adults as partners in identifying needs
and assets to which they can jointly respond through
bidirectional mentoring, we anticipate achievement of
short-term goals that include the formation of trusting,
supportive relationships, positive social norms, and
belonging. Long-term goals include teen skill building
and resilience.
Lessons Learned: Since August 2021, BRIDGE2Health
has begun its planning year by utilizing the communitybased participatory research approach with partners in
Ohio and Virginia. We are reminded of the importance
of time for planning that permits orientation to
the project and relationship building. Identifying
the people in various roles allows for appropriate
frequency and level of communication. Creating
infrastructure that supports communication, such as
scheduling monthly meetings with fiscal professionals
to review budget issues, ensures that partners check
in with each other routinely, setting the stage to build
trust and maintain constant communication.
Sustainability Statement: Lessons learned guide us
to maintain clear paths of communication and respect
the partnerships that already exist within communities.
Applying these lessons to our work in these first
months of the project will help us support sustainability
beyond the 5 years of CYFAR funding.

During the student success plan, one of the questions asked
to the students is, ‘Who are your greatest supports at school?’
One of my students named me alongside a teacher and friend as
someone she would turn to. – Unidos Success Coach

¡Unidos Se Puede!
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Workforce Preparation
Oklahoma – Oklahoma State University

Program Report: The Unidos Se Puede program increases academic performance, reduces high-risk behaviors,
and increases workforce preparation by coaching Latinx youth in important life skills such as goal setting,
problem-solving, and self-control and by equipping them with an entrepreneurial mindset. Success coaches
help youth set goals and learn to overcome barriers through regular coaching sessions. Community partnerships
expose youth to career opportunities and give youth opportunities to form positive peer relationships. Family
workshops coach parents in ways to be more involved and supportive in youth’s academic performance and
promote positive family relationships.
An example of program impacts can be seen in our 8-week summer program that led youth through diverse
workshops, such as financial planning and cultural awareness, and exposed them to different STEM-related
careers. The 8-week summer program culminated with a trip to Oklahoma State University where youth were
able to learn what it is like to be a university student through workshops taught by graduate students and faculty,
eating in the cafeteria, sleeping in the dorms, and touring the campus. On campus, we hosted workshops
related to personal finance, such as Reality Check!, focusing on budgeting and finiancial literacy. After the
workshop, there was a lively group debriefing session reviewing lessons learned including the importance of
preparing now for the life they would like to have in the future. This hands-on experience was very impactful for
youth. At this age, youth are very interested in what they call adulting—that is, learning how to be an adult. For
many youth, this was the first time they had an opportunity to manage money, and it was eye-opening.
Lessons Learned: During the pandemic, we were reminded just how much youth are motivated by their friends’
approval. Youth are often terrified to turn on their cameras during a Zoom call and refused all of our coaxing in
this direction. However, we also noticed that having their families present often offset their fears. Many youth
were willing to engage online, including turning on the camera, if one of their parents or an older sibling were
present. Talking to youth about our observation, we learned that youth are hypersensitive to being judged as
inadequate by friends and that the uncertainty of how to act on a Zoom call was just too threatening for them.
However, when respected family member modeled this behavior for them, they were much more willing to dare
to be seen. This reinforced the importance that family holds for these youth.
Sustainability Statement: First, we focus on creating strong partnerships. For our efforts, we were recognized as
one of only 10 organizations to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Tulsa Opportunity Project,
an extracurricular organization created by Tulsa Public Schools and the Tulsa Community Foundation to manage
community partnerships.
Second, we provide a value added to children’s school experience that makes our program indispensable.
Published findings from our work document effects of Unidos Se Puede to reduce or delay initiation into alcohol,
tobacco, and other drug use in a 4-year longitudinal study. Another study documents that if a preponderance of
parents are involved in their child’s schooling in a given school, it decreases the youth substance use of even the
youth whose parents are not involved. This is important because interventions are unlikely to reach all parents
and because 98% of parents in the Unidos Se Puede program participated in parent-teacher conferences
(one indicator of parental involvement), suggesting that the impacts of this CYFAR program reach beyond the
students who are enrolled in the program.
41

42

Seed to Bloom (StB) 4-H STEAM Sustainable
Community Project
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Physical Activity and Science
Ohio – Central State University

Program Report: The project goal is to provide 4-H after-school experience in positive youth development
to underserved and at-risk youth living in urban and rural communities through experiential learning
activities in science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and mathematics (STEAM) education; healthy
living; community and civic engagement; and career preparedness for them to be functional, responsible
citizens and caring adults. The project objectives include (a) creating and developing a strong community
partnership that fosters positive youth development based on the needs and strengths of youth, their
families, and communities; (b) encouraging youth to improve their dietary habits, nutrition, health and
wellness, and physical activities; and (c) gaining access to healthier foods through hands-on activities in
gardening and healthy food preparation.
The expected project outcomes include enhanced community partnership and relationships with Seed to
Bloom 4-H after-school programs; increased frequency of healthy eating habits and decreased unhealthy
eating habits; and increased community involvement in changing patterns of food consumption. To
accomplish these outcomes, the project incorporates innovative technology use, a multilevel approach
to community involvement, and a sustainability plan. By bringing together community partners to teach
and learn about nutrition, health and wellness, and youth development in a program with families using
fun activities, the project addresses society’s need for stronger families, healthier communities, and
youth prepared for the future.
Lessons Learned: We have learned that working with limited resource families in an inner-city setting can
be a challenge. We need dedicated staff who understand and are willing to work after normal working
hours to accommodate the needs of these families. In addition, if we want to partner with existing afterschool programs, including faith-based organizations and youth agencies, we should have planned
activities to complement their scheduled plan of work. For example, we should have our program
staff assist with homework or tutoring and then transition into scheduled program after students have
completed their homework. This will demonstrate to student participants that 4-H staff care about their
welfare and success.
Sustainability Statement: Central State University Land-Grant Extension support is strong at the faithbased community sites and public and private schools in the inner-city that currently work with 4-H
youth on agricultural and natural resource and family and consumer sciences program related issues
for limited resource families. The after-school programs at these faith-based communities are reaching
out to partner with our programs to establish 4-H clubs within their existing after-school and in-school
programs. Some of our focus group interviews and several of the evaluation components reflect the
4-H model. We currently have students registered to participate in local and state fairs where students
will show what they have learned in a public setting. Our residential summer camps provide Seed to
Bloom participants the opportunity for learning lifelong skills that will not only improve their health and
wellness but benefit their families and community as well. The project is gradually developing a youth
and adult volunteer base through our online enrollment system for community members to become
engaged in the project. The project will serve as a pipeline to enroll youth into Central State University
Extension summer camps as well as Central State University college programs.

This planning year has been great. We have been able to meet
our recruitment goals for students and volunteers. Now we are
looking forward to hosting our first Juntos academy.
–Program Leader

Prairie View A&M University
Sustainable Community Project
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development and Workforce Preparation
Texas – Prairie View A&M University

Program Report: Prairie View A&M University is partnering with the Juntos Program out of North Carolina State
University to empower Latino youth and their families to prepare for success in high school, achieve high school
graduation, and gain the resources needed to access and succeed in higher education. The Juntos Program is
a family engagement and 4-H youth development program that engages cohorts of Latino youth in an intensive
curriculum from eighth through 12th grade. The four components of Juntos are (a) Juntos family workshops and
bimonthly check-in family nights; (b) bimonthly after-school 4-H club meetings; (c) monthly one-on-one success
coaching and mentoring by college-age mentors; and (d) summer programming at 4-H camps, college campus
visits, and other educational conferences.
This 1st year of the program was a planning year during which we focused on hiring site coordinators, building
collaborations, meeting with local leaders, running after-school 4-H clubs, holding introductory family nights,
finding volunteers to work to help run the Juntos program going forward, and planning a Juntos summer
academy to be held in Cameron and Bexar counties. We were able to recruit six volunteers and 60 youth.
Planning meetings have been conducted in each school, and schools have involvement and support from
principals, academic deans, and teachers.
Lessons Learned: In this 1st year, we learned how to work together as a team and established trust that we can
get things done together. For example, we are working with North Carolina State University to streamline and
reduce the costs of the evaluation of our project as we find efficiencies in numbers. We learned that working
with volunteers is invigorating and at the same time a challenge due to their many other commitments. We
are proud of our ability to engage six volunteers to help with Juntos. We also learned of the excitement of
the youth who are joining the program and who will be making the Juntos Program what they want it to be in
their community. Now serving 60 youth, we have established projects and developed a strong Juntos summer
academy that will take place in August.
Sustainability Statement: The Prairie View A&M Sustainable Community Project team will work with the local
community advisory groups to develop strategic sustainability plans. We have long-term relationships with the
school districts and various community partners. We are bringing together these partners in each county to form
a local advisory group to find additional funding and resources for the project. These groups meet quarterly
during Years 2–5 to plan and effectively carry out their sustainability plans in each community. Evaluation results
from each community will be shared via an annual report in school and community meetings and national
conferences. We will continue to seek internal funding from our respective universities and local school systems
and apply for grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the San Antonio Area Foundation, the AT&T
Aspire Foundation, and the Communities Foundation of Texas.

43

Acceptance Commitment Therapy Program for Custodial
Grandchildren and Custodial Grandparents
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Parenting and Workforce Preparation
Iowa – Iowa State University

Program Report: In the past couple of months, we
have been conducting another session of the CYFAR
interACT intervention program. InterACT utilizes
acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) to make a
meaningful impact on program participants’ lives and
teach them tools to improve their mental well-being
and relationships. The goals of the program are to
increase psychological flexibility, emotional resilience,
and trust and family connection as well as improve selfefficacy, problem-solving, decision-making skills, and
positive social relationships for all of our participants.
Participants were recruited with the help of Iowa State
Outreach and Extension. After sign-up, our researchers
were in touch with the participants and supplied them
with the information needed to be successful in the
program. Individual, weekly sessions were set up with
children and adults separately over the course of 4
weeks.
Lessons Learned: We recognized that many parents
were juggling multiple responsibilities and did not
have enough time to complete the assignments. On
the other hand, children were more interested in and
provided feedback for the program (directly to the
facilitators). Feedback from participants helped us to

revise the current curriculum to reflect their general
interests and activities they would like to see more in
the program. Facilitators also reported on the general
implementation of the program. They recognized that
the dual mode of delivery (i.e., virtual and self-paced
sessions) were effective in generating action plans and
behavior changes (i.e., prosocial behaviors) among
children.
Sustainability Statement: Currently, our project is
planning to meet with a local advisory committee for
sustainability planning and grant writing. To initiate
the sustainability process, we have completed the
following: (a) online self-paced module, (b) curriculum
for newly trained facilitators, (c) educational materials
(supplementary diary and behavior checklist) ready to
be printed and distributed, (d) marketing flyer (editable
version for date/location change). Finally, our project
director will train one of the facilitators as a trainer
so that she can train other trainers in the future. The
recorded lecture and training materials will be made
available for future usage.

This program helped us to understand each other better.
My son started sharing more, and I was able to see the
issue from his eye as well.
– Parent Participant
44

Expanding 4-H to Urban Latino/a
Audiences
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Nutrition and Physical Activity
Missouri – University of Missouri

Program Report: communities and the partners within
this project while prioritizing the goals of Expanding
4-H to Urban Latino/a Audiences’s scope of work. At
the beginning of 2021, program efforts were driven
by planning, the community, and organizational goals.
This included program implementation, professional
development of the CYFAR team, and formation of
the partnership advisory group. We were working on
the transition from development and planning to inperson 4-H club offerings.
Lessons Learned: Reflection on the program year
exposed the importance of rebuilding engagement and
trust in the Latino community and public and charter
schools during the postpandemic era. Similar to the
height of the pandemic, this year continued to present
limitations related to full access to charter and public
schools. This involved updating and building upon
our program designed to focus on a communication
plan that maintained existing relationships established
in 2019. Like many other organizations, we suffered
the great resignation of Extension professionals in the
area. During this year, we started the process of hiring
our fourth 4-H specialist in 4 years and reclassifing
the personnel dedicated to this initiative. During this
time we also continued, through adjustments, the
delivery of hybrid programing, continuing efforts to
send printed packets with learning resources to the
participating residence.
Sustainability Statement: Progress in the area of
sustaining a program has been demonstrated through
increasing and reclassifying the staffing structure,
building community partnerships, informal community
assessments, and program instruction education.

45

46

DIVE4Tech Joint Sustainable Community Project: A University
of Idaho and Washington State University Collaboration
USDA Strategic Goal 4
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development, Technology, and Workforce Development
Idaho and Washington – University of Idaho and Washington State University

Program Report: Juntos Sustainable Community Project: University of Idaho and
Washington State University Joint Project focuses on the CYFAR Teen Outcome, involves
middle and high school Latinx students and parents in a robust club program, improves
academic outcomes and college and career awareness, and provides enriching activities
to support skill building. The University of Idaho Sustainable Community Project is using
the Juntos Program model and curriculum developed by North Carolina State University
Extension. Two sites in Idaho, Canyon County and Coeur d’Alene Reservation, and two sites
in Washington, Chelan and Whatcom Counties, are served. Diversity in 4-H in Technology
(DIVE4Tech) focuses on increasing high school graduation rates and college aspirations for
at-risk and vulnerable Latinx and Native American teens while increasing their workforce
readiness, technology skills, resilience, and social protective factors.
Lessons Learned: The Idaho and Washington sites emphasized physical and psychological
safety in program planning, which included screening and training staff and volunteers to
model healthy behavior during activities. Local school and Extension partnerships established
a standard of respect, trust, and multicultural awareness. These supportive relationships
include cultural aspects in planning creative experiential learning for participants. Teens are
provided opportunities to belong and empowerment to pursue academic success. Planning
recruitment of youth and families modeled respect for individual and cultural differences;
bilingual resources; and hands-on, culturally appropriate, and intergenerational experiences.
Adaptation of experiential learning activities is necessary based on the interests and needs
of Latinx and Native American teens and families at each site.
Sustainability Statement: The DIVE4Tech project directors, evaluators, extension
professionals, and voluteers are experienced in leading culturally relavant youth development
and family engagement programs to effectively engage Latinx and Native American
communities. Parent and teen workshops and community events will be conducted in
Spanish as well as adapted to Native American, Schitsu’umsh, Interior Salishan language
cultural considerations. Our long-term relationships with the school districts and tribal
partners provide the opportunity to collaborate in local advisory groups and find additional
stakeholders, funding, and resources for program sustainability. The advisory groups in
each county will assess needs and assests to improve site quality and sustainability annually.
Evaluation results from annual reports are shared locally, statewide, and nationally. These
results reflect overall program goals: leading youth to academic success and college and
career readiness in Idaho and Washington.

47

Juntos IN for Success
USDA Strategic Goal 1
CYFAR Topic Area: Leadership Development, Parenting, Science, and Workforce Preparation
Indiana – Purdue University

Program Report: The Juntos 4-H Program is an initiative
that focuses on improving the school experience for
students and their families by providing resources and
a built-in support system within the community. The
goal is to raise graduation rates and provide more
opportunities for postsecondary education within the
Latino community. COVID-19 made it difficult for all
Indiana sites to fully implement Juntos 4-H during
2021. All project sites in Indiana needed to be creative
and resourceful in how they went about implementing
the program. With two urban communities and one
rural community working on the program, various
challenges were present because of the ongoing nature
of the global pandemic. In Jackson County, youth
were able to meet in person for family engagement
workshops, after-school 4-H Club meetings, and a
summer academy experience. While visitors were not
allowed on Purdue University’s campus in summer
of 2021, the Purdue Agriculture Department made a
special trip to Jackson County for a summer program
for all Juntos 4-H youth. Jackson County was able to
recruit their second cohort of families in fall of 2021.
They hosted in-person family workshops during the
fall and the after-school 4-H Club, The Achievers, met
twice per month. In Marion County, two 4-H SPARK
Clubs were implemented in spring of 2021 when
most outside organizations were not allowed in the
school system. The 4-H Program in Indiana is a highly
trusted organization, so the school system allowed
these learning opportunities to take place. The school
administration saw the importance of opening the
doors for youth in Wayne Township to learn more
about 4-H and hopefully join Juntos in the future. In
Lake County, plans were underway with one school,
but with administration changes, another option had

to be explored. Toward the end of 2021, plans were
shifted, and Lake County began working with a new
school to implement Juntos 4-H in early 2022.
Key Lessons Learned: We have learned a great
deal throughout the entire process of implementing
Juntos 4-H in the state of Indiana. We learned to
pivot our goals and timeline of implementation due
to COVID-19. While not all sites were up and formally
running in 2021, progress was made for sustainble,
long-term growth of the program in all three counties.
We learned that important meetings and conversations
could take place virtually in order to implement as
soon as school systems were ready to fully implement
the Juntos 4-H Program. We learned that there are
barriers to providing culturally relevant programs and
worked to eliminate various barriers for families to fully
participate in the program in the future. We learned
that school systems want to support their youth and
will work hard to make sure there are programs in
place beyond the school day to make this a reality.
Community partners in each county have come
together for the benefit of our Indiana Latino families.
Sustainability: Sustainability has been a topic of
discussion for Juntos 4-H from the beginning. All
sites have identified community partners, local
businesses, and school corporations to support the
program in the future. We will continue working with
community partners, the Indiana 4-H Foundation,
school corporations, local business, and corporate
sponsors to sustain and expand Juntos 4-H and make
it as accessible as possible to communities in the state
of Indiana.

2 0 2 1

CYFAR
Publications

Minnesota 4-H Youth Development CYFAR Project: STEAM Connect Club
Minnesota – University of Minnesota
•
•

Tzenis, J. (2020). Culturally responsive programs for immigrant youth. University of Minnesota Extension. https://
extension.umn.edu/equity-culture-and-identity/culturally-responsive-youth-programs-immigrant-youth
Tzenis, J. (2021, May 12). Culturally relevant youth programs: An example from the field. Youth Development
Insight, University of Minnesota Extension. https://blog-youth-development-insight.extension.umn.edu/2021/05/
culturally-relevant-youth-programs.html

Stepping Into STEM

Nevada – University of Nevada
•

Kim, Y., Weigel, D. J., & Evans, B. (2021, October 25-29). Introducing the STEM program for families with young
children. Zero to Three Conference.

Maine 4-H Community Central: Engaging Teens in College Readiness and Workforce
Development
Maine – University of Maine
•

Mason, M. (2022, February 6). Videomaker PLT 4 H pres Feb 9 7 minutes [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=nKRPL0CzIag

Southside Simple Suppers Scale-Up (S4): Expansion of a Validated Family Meals
Program for At-Risk Children and Youth
Ohio – Ohio State University
•

Pannell, C., O’Piela, D., Sharn, A. R., Schier, H., Knopp, M., & Gunther, C. (2021). Simple Suppers - Gone Online
(SS-Go): Feasibility of a family meals program transitioned from in-person to online in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current Developments in Nutrition, 5(Issue Supplement 2), 255. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab029_056

Adapting Strengthening Families (SFP 10–14) for Legalized Marijuana Context
Washington – Washington State University
•

Pascoe, K. M., Doering, E. L., Hampilos, K. E., Weybright, E. H., Cooper, B. R., & Martinez, A. D. (2021). Best
practices for conducting successful online focus groups [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Washington State
University.

¡Unidos Se Puede!

Oklahoma – Oklahoma State University
•
•

Cox, R. B., Washburn, I., Greder, K., Sahbaz, S., & Lin, H. (2021). Preventing substance use among Latino youth:
Initial results from a multistate family-based program focused on youth academic success. The American Journal
of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(1), 69-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.1981357
Cox, R. B., Jr., Washburn, I. J., Croff, J. M., & Ringwalt, C. L. (2021). Parental school involvement and substance
use? A novel family-based prevention strategy for Latino youth. Family Relations, 70(4), 1178–1189. https://doi.
org/10.1111/fare.12533

49

The Juntos Sustainable Community Project

North Carolina and Idaho – North Carolina State University and University of Idaho
•
•
•
•
•
•

Juntos Program. (2021, June 29). Juntos 4-H program testimony [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=crSzp-xDgrw
Juntos Program. (2021, July 1). 2021 Juntos virtual summer academy—Talent show—Student shares her personal
statement [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHtcF2FizEw
NC State University. (n.d.). Juntos annual report: 2020–2021. https://drive.google.com/file/d/13z6VylNFa7FCxWgk
s2nGPiGM8XK_0jrq/view?ts=620164d0
Smith, P. (2021, July 13). That’s a rap. NC State University Academic and Student Affairs News. https://news.dasa.
ncsu.edu/thats-a-rap/
Urieta, D. (2021). The Juntos Program: An Extension program’s journey to serving a growing community
[eFieldbook]. Extension Foundation. https://online.flippingbook.com/view/316467016/
Weibe, A. (Host). (2020, December 21). The Juntos Program (no. 14) [Audio podcast episode]. In Connect
Extension Podcast. Extension Foundation. https://soundcloud.com/user-735659541/episode-14-the-juntosprogram

A Multilevel Youth Out-of-School Intervention Stemming From Foods
Rhode Island – University of Rhode Island
•
•
•

Cullinane, A. (2021, July 21). URI food literacy, STEAM camp teaches kids healthy habits. NBC 10 WJAR. https://
turnto10.com/i-team/education-advocate/uri-food-literacy-steam-camp-teaches-kids-healthy-habits
Potvin, J., Chappell, K., Balestracci, K., Greene, G. W., Sweetman, S., & Amin, S. (2021, August 8-10). A formative
evaluation of a STEAM and nutrition education summer program for low-income youth. Society for Nutrition
Education and Behavior Annual Meeting.
URI News. (2021, July 15). At long last, URI’s Project stRIde launches summer camps in Providence and Newport.
https://www.uri.edu/news/2021/07/at-long-last-uris-project-stride-launches-summer-camps-in-providence-andnewport/

The United We Can: African American Youth Entrepreneurship Program
Oklahoma – Oklahoma State University and Langston University
•
•

Cox, R. B., Washburn, I., Greder, K., Sahbaz, S., & Lin, H. (2021). Preventing substance use among Latino youth:
Initial results from a multistate family-based program focused on youth academic success. The American Journal
of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(1), 69-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.1981357
Cox, R. B., Jr., Washburn, I. J., Croff, J. M., & Ringwalt, C. L. (2021). Parental school involvement and substance
use? A novel family-based prevention strategy for Latino youth. Family Relations, 70(4), 1178–1189. https://doi.
org/10.1111/fare.12533

4-H SNAC

California and Nevada – University of California and University of Nevada – Reno
•

50

Klisch, S., & Soule, K.E. (2021). 4-H Student Nutrition Advisory Councils support positive youth development
and health outcomes among underserved populations. The Journal of Extension, 59(3), Article 19. https://doi.
org/10.34068/joe.59.03.19

Youth Civic Engagement

Nebraska – University of Nebraska – Lincoln
•

Green, C. (2021, November 8). Youth Arise encourages youth civic engagement, entrepreneurship. College of
Education and Human Sciences News. https://cehs.unl.edu/tmfd/news/youth-arise-encourages-youth-civicengagement-entrepreneurship/

Helping Youth PROSPER and Avoid Opioid Misuse in Virginia
Virginia – Virginia State University
•

VA Extension. (n.d.). Balancing life playlist [YouTube channel]. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://bit.
ly/3dcSAnl

SCP to Promote Early Language and Literacy Development in Native Communities
Arizona – Arizona State University
•
•
•

Silver Belt. (2021, June 9). Stories, crafts and more: Gowa teachable moments for Apache children. https://
silverbelt.com/article/stories-crafts-and-more-gowa-teachable-moments-for-apache-children
Copper Country News. (2021, June 15). Stories, crafts and more: Gowa teachable moments for Apache children.
https://coppercountrynews.com/article/stories-crafts-and-more-gowa-teachable-moments-for-apache-children
Moraga, F. (2021, April 4). April 7—Free Zoom workshop on Navajo cultural perspectives on early child
development and teaching—‘Baby college 101’. Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth Connections. https://
news.coconinokids.org/free-zoom-workshop-on-navajo-cultural-perspectives-on-early-child-development-andteaching-baby-college-101-to-be-held-on-april-7/

Acceptance Commitment Therapy Program for Custodial Grandchildren and
Custodial Grandparents
Iowa – Iowa State University
•
•

Faulhaber, E., Custis, M., Heupel, E., & Lee, J. (2021). Acceptance commitment therapy intervention for custodial
grandfamilies: A virtual implementation. Innovation in Aging, 5(Issue Supplement_1), 828. https://doi.org/10.1093/
geroni/igab046.3035
Faulhaber, M. E., Zarling, A., & Lee, J. (2020). Acceptance commitment therapy intervention for custodial
grandfamilies. Innovation in Aging, 4(Issue Supplement¬_1), 928. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3403

Expanding 4-H to Urban Latino/a Audiences
Missouri – University of Missouri
•

University of Missouri Extension. (n.d.). Growing 4-H programs and youth success. https://extension.missouri.edu/
growing-4-h-programs-and-youth-success

51

This document was prepared by the Children, Youth, and Families At-Risk (CYFAR) Professional
Development and Technical Assistance Center in collaboration with the United States Department of
Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), Division of
Youth and 4-H, through a cooperative agreement with the University of Minnesota
and Pennsylvania State University under award number 2018-41520-28908.