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UNDERSERVED YOUTH AGES 3-18

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTLogan County Cooperative

ExtensionMargaret Ann Neal

CTE 552Margaret Ann NealUnit 12Presented to the VFW Auxiliary, an audience of 35, at the Community Center

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Mission StatementFundamental to the Cooperative Extension mission are the partnerships with the statewide regional campuses, the counties, tribal governments, and other public and private organizations. This extends the boundaries of the Land Grant universities to the boundaries of the states and brings the concerns of the communities back to the universities. This helps the universities to establish beneficial connections with all of its stakeholders. We bring local experience and research based solutions together to help families and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world.

This is the mission statement of the statewide cooperative extension service. We have taken a small part of it, “research-based solutions together to help families and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world”, to help clarify why the community needs assessment committee was formed and is moving forward with the programming for underserved youth in Logan County.

The following short presentation has been prepared to help groups like this one to better understand the needs of this targeted population, and how, as community partners, we can address this issue and resolve some of the obstacles facing these youth. I believe that this slide show will explain the steps that were taken to come to where we are today.

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Results of Needs Assessment, October 2016:• Underserved will be defined as to gender, socioeconomic, language, special needs, literacy,

demographic location, ethnicity/race, at-risk population• No names will be used when data is collected from school, HHS for privacy• Yes, underserved population would benefit from attending day camps• Yes, underserved youth would benefit from belonging to a social/educational group such as 4-H• Contact will be made by pamphlets, face-to-face, school counselor, social worker, mentor• Programs which would benefit youth are nutrition, social skills other youth mentoring, youth

programs such as 4-H, life skills, after-school programs, appropriate dress/clothing shopping, health concerns

• Funding sources could be HHS, donations from sponsors, tax dollars, grants, small fee from participants

• Transportation would be a problem• Best time for programs: after school with a snack, library with a mentor in the evenings also

with a snack, Saturdays 10-12 with lunch, and youth groups such as 4-H when club was held• Distribution of information to parents/caregivers: on-line, through school, through social worker,

schools, organizations, churches• Twenty-one of the focus group members will be able to help with some of the programming.Statistics: Logan county has approximately 27% of the youth ages 3-18 identified as underserved. This information was given to the committee by HHS, census information, and free/reduced school lunchesFunding: Grants have been found from the state department of education which the committee have requested information about. The state extension office has a grant-writing specialist whose job responsibility is to help outreach programs write grant proposals. Have committed in-kind resources from members of the needs assessment committee Some money is available through HHS Commitment for a few facilities Commitment from local businesses for supplies and food Logan County Extension Board Local churches

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Program: Underserved youth programming Situation: Logan County has a responsibility to serve the underserved youth of the county

Logan Co. Cooperative Extension Service Staff Land Grant University Researched-Based materials Professional Partners Sponsors In-Kind donations Tax dollars/scholarships

Determine programs from needs assessments

Ask sponsors for supplies or money for scholarships, volunteers and speakers

Underserved Youth ages 3-18

Design age-appropriate activities, camps, interactive games after-school programs, conduct programs, camps

The team of professionals, local businesses, school district, service agencies such as law enforcement, HHS, health Providers

Youth will feel wanted and treated with respect. New learning will take place

Inputs Outputs Activities Participation

Outcomes Short Medium Long

Approach County Supervisors for tax dollars, using the data from assessment

Ask other agencies for things such as their time, program space, snacks

Collected data will reinforce continuing funding, volunteer involvement, staff excitement to see results

Staff and volunteers will gain knowledge of the underserved-problems, needs awareness

Parents will become involved with their children. Parents more comfortable around other adults

Youth will have a purpose to participate in activities that were not available before

Community awareness, more empathy

Assumptions Programs will include underserved youth for their involvement with activities, workshops, camps, etc. to improve social skills, new learning, self -esteem building, confidence building, grade improvement. Mentors will provide excellent examples. There will be enough resources to be able to follow-through with programming. Volunteers and staff can be expected to help with programming . Community will help, as well as HHS, schools, law enforcement.

External Factors Identifying underserved youth, transportation, outside influences to prevent attendance (ex. peer pressure, parents), cultural differences, available facilities, date conflicts,

Youth will start to design their own programs and what they want to do

Retention of learning Better social skills, better personal hygiene as there is more self-respect

Hopefully, the intellectual gap will be closed. The underserved youth will have the same advantages as other youth with knowledge, humor, self-confidence, less Dependent

Rev. 7/09

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Initial Programs:• After-school program for grades K-6 with a snack provided and high school honor society

members doing tutoring and mentoring from November-March• Church sponsored family night with games and learning stations for both youth and parents, meal

provided and transportation will be available using the church bus• Science day camp, grades 3-6, sponsored by the Logan County extension service and staff. Shirts

will be given to participants, breakfast, 2 snacks, and noon meal. No transportation available but the registration fee has been paid for by a sponsor

• Sports round up fun day grades K-6. High school students will provide activities. Water, snacks, and sack lunch provided by Logan County Farm Bureau

• Teen movie, grades 7-9, night at school gym. Popcorn and drinks will be furnished with safe rides to and from. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

• Grades 7-12: community service project-annual community clean-up day

Format: Every student in the indicated grade levels will be given the opportunity to attend the functions so that there is not any stigma towards the targeted youth. The identified underserved youth will be personally invited to attend with accommodations to make it possible for attendance such as transportation, location, and pre-paid fees. The goal of the initial programs is to integrate the targeted population into the mainstream with very little stigma placed on any youth. The initial programs are appealing to all youth. Future programming will be based on the attendance and involvement of these pilot projects

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1. What are we going to evaluate?The program effectiveness at serving underserved youth of Logan County by providing educational, social, and life skills workshops/camps/after-school program, nutrition2.What is the purpose of the evaluation?To determine if the assumed need was addressed, if there are additional needs to be considered in future planning, if there is enough interest to continue the programs. To collect data to present to stakeholders, sponsors, county politicians, and state extension staff.3.Who will use the evaluation?Who/users How will they use the information?Extension Staff If goals and objectives were metExtension Staff Present data to stakeholders/sponsors/politicians, Extension boardExtension Staff Revision, delete the program, recruitmentHow many others will be involved in the evaluation? Schools, HHS, others involved in the needs assessment, parents, program providers, facility managers4.What questions will the evaluation seek to answer?If the program met the goals and objectives, if there was enough community support, is there a need to recruit volunteers to help in the future, need to identify more outside funding sources, targeted audience’s response/participation, need to eliminate some programs-add additional programs-too big of an age spread, enough snacks/meals5.What information do we need to gather to gather to answer the questions?Observation by program providers as to effectiveness, attendance records, use of scholarship money by targeted audience, parent involvement, assessment by teachers, daycare providers and parents if the programs helped the students with self-confidence/improved grade achievement/more focused/more responsible/improved life skills, facility management, safety factors, transportation issues6.When is the evaluation needed?After the initial programming7.What resources do we need?Time to collect data, input from teachers, parents, program providers, day care providers, facility managers, attendance records, costs analysis

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Using the information1.How will the data be analyzed?Attendance, observation of the interaction during the programs, visiting with the students and the parents2. How will the information be interpreted-by whom? Logan county extension staff, needs assessment focus group members, state extension statistician. The information gathered from the initial programming will provide insight into future programming3. Who will do the summary? Logan County extension staff, sponsors at the events,4. How will the evaluation be communicated and shared?*****To Whom When/Where/How to presentSponsors End of program, letter of appreciation with resultsExtension Board During monthly meeting: charts, written formatCounty Supervisors During monthly meeting: charts, written formatNeeds assessment focus group During evaluation meeting: written format, charts, graphsStakeholders Media release, perhaps newsletter from extension office***** There probably would be a year-end staff report to the state extension office that highlights programs and staff input

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Plan:• The needs assessment committee has been diligent in accessing the needs of the underserved youth in

the county• Data has been collected and it has been determined that there is a need to meet the needs of these

youth• Some funding has been found, with additional funding needed either through tax dollars or personal

donations• The goals for this programming initiative are to:

• Increase social skills• Increase learning skills• Increase self-confidence• Provide leadership skills• Involve parents in the community and school• Provide safe environments for learning, socializing• Increase health, wellness, and nutrition• Involve the community in providing opportunities for all youth (“It takes a community to raise a

child”. (Hillary Clinton)

Your Part: I am speaking to your group today as I am aware that you are interested in the future of our youth in Logan County and have always provided support for our youth. The Logan County Extension Service, the Chamber of Commerce, the Logan County Extension Board, State Department of Health and Human Services, the school board, local churches and the Logan County Youth Committee have all generously agreed to donate, to facilitate, to provide funding, or staff to help us be successful in this initiative. It would be great if your members could help us either with a donation, an in-kind donation, or with a pool of volunteers. You can discuss this and then let me know of your decision about this worth-while cause. I will answer any questions that you may have.

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Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders

Logan County Extension Service Programming for Underserved youth

ages 3-18

HHS School

System Health

care system

Logan Co Extension Service

Day Care Providers

Head Start MOPS

County supervisors

Logan Co Extension Board

State Extension Staff

Area businesses

Churches Special-

Interest groups

Program

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Questions: I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have concerning this programming. The needs assessment committee members and the Logan County Extension staff believe that this is a worthwhile cause with many benefits:

1. Current benefits: help these youth with their self-confidence, learning and social skills, improve health and nutrition, increase parent involvement, and increase the involvement of other youth

2. Long-range benefits are increasing the success of these targeted youth population, providing leadership skills so that these youth can be productive citizens of our community, state, and nation.

THANK YOU