Suchergebnisse

The purpose of this study was to examine whether attending camp promotes college readiness skills in camp alumni. A sample of 420 participants retrospectively reflected on their camp experience and how it helped them gain college readiness skills through an online survey. Quantitative results suggested that a variety of college readiness skills are impacted by the camp and differ slightly based on male and female respondents. Qualitative analysis indicated that camp influences academic pursuits by inspiring one's academic interest, shaping where one studies, and motivating one to persevere and complete college. Supportive peers and adults within the camp setting influence of all these decisions.

Helping people solve the practical problems of everyday life while maintaining contemporary relevance describes the mission of Cooperative Extension. To achieve that mission, Extension professionals have increasingly relied on information gathered from stakeholders to identify relevant problems and potential educational solutions. The methods, efforts, and activities to understand people and their problems are collectively referred to as needs assessment. This article explores the history and evolution of needs assessment in Cooperative Extension, as well as in a broader educational context. While tracing needs assessment through the decades, this article examines the needs assessment opportunities and challenges faced by Cooperative Extension. Emerging trends and implications for the future of Extension needs assessment are also discussed.

While normative parenting styles can result in positive youth outcomes such as adjustment and competence, overparenting may lead to a variety of negative youth outcomes including poor self-regulation and childhood anxiety. Conceptualizations of overparenting vary and an opportunity exists to clarify the construct and consider the implications for youth development settings. This paper synthesizes what is known about overparenting and its sub-dimensions, proposes an overparenting model built on prior research, and explores the influence of overparenting on youth development programs. An agenda for further overparenting research is proposed.

Climbing as a competitive youth sport is rapidly expanding in both participation and popularity as it has transitioned from an unorganized recreational activity to a formalized sport with a national governing body, organized competitions, formal coaching, and team structure. In spite of this growth, little to no research has been conducted regarding indoor competition climbing as a developmental experience for youth. This study examined the contributions of indoor competition climbing to youth development outcomes based on qualitative responses collected from 623 parents and climbers (youth and adults) in late Fall 2014. Themes were constructed related to climbing as a youth development experience, including: holistic development; supportive relationships; confidence and self-efficacy; and sportsmanship and character development. Holistic development, which included growth in the areas of strength and health, cognition and mental conditioning, and social skills, appears to be a hallmark of the sport of indoor competition climbing. The identified themes mapped well to the 5Cs model of positive youth development (PYD), providing evidence for the existence of the 5Cs among youth who play sports. In response to calls for intentionality in youth programming, future research examining underlying programming, coaching, and parenting mechanisms that contribute to PYD is recommended.

For over 100 years, Cooperative Extension in the United States has used a consistently articulated program development model including program planning, design and implementation, and evaluation that involves stakeholders in the process. This issue of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension examines the history and evolution of the program development model for successful Extension work and adaptations to that model that have emerged due to the changing educational context. This issue provides information on how elements of the model have changed over the last 100 years; delves into contemporary issues and challenges; and provides important analysis, implications, lessons learned, and applications for current and future success of Extension programs. In this article, we provide a definition of a program, the rationale for using a program development model in Extension work, the Extension Program Development Model, other program development models used by Extension professionals, and the changing context surrounding Extension work that impacts the Program Development Model.

This article synthesizes key points from this special issue of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension and provides recommendations for and predictions about the evolution of the Extension Program Development Model. A foundational question addressed by each of the authors of this special issue and summarized in this chapter is, "If your recommendations regarding the Extension Program Development Model were followed, what would Extension look like in five years?"

The purpose of the reported trend study was to examine consistency in youth life skill outcomes following exposure to 4-H camp. Parents of campers ages 9 to 13 were randomly sampled in 2001, 2004, and 2007 and asked to report changes in their child's behavior following camp. Statistical analysis indicates an overall consistency in parent reports of youth life skill development over time. Life skills that showed consistent gains over seven years and across six 4-H educational centers included an enhanced ability for youth to take care of their own things and to share work responsibilities. Multivariate statistics revealed that a standardized instrument used with parents over time can produce valid and reliable results concerning the impact of experiential learning on youth.

AbstractGrowth in the volume and rigor of camp research over the past decade has led to improved understanding of the value of the camp experience as a setting for positive youth development and the developmental outcomes of camp experiences for youth and adults, suggesting innovations and opportunities in the exploration of the camp experience.

College and university-based (CUB) summer camps are a prominent pre-collegiate experience targeting middle and high school adolescents, which research suggests may enhance college aspirations and preparedness, develop academic knowledge and skills, and influence future career choices. This study examines factors that predict the relation between affinity for college, program engagement and support, college major selection, and social–emotional outcomes stemming from youth involvement in a CUB camp based on data collected from 641 middle and high school-aged youth who completed an online questionnaire on the last day of the CUB camp. The findings validated a 4-factor model comprised of college brand awareness, college relational expectations, college academic interest–science, and college academic interest–technology. Further, the structural equation model (SEM) results suggested a relation between affinity for college, program engagement and support, and social–emotional outcomes. In addition, a CUB camp student's lack of a college major had a significant negative direct effect on some dimensions of affinity for college including college brand awareness, college relational expectations, and college academic interest–science. CUB camp providers can use the results of this study to better articulate how their programs might impact adolescent decision making related to college, as well as inform how CUB camp providers may intentionally create affinity spaces that maximize student awareness of college brands as well as their future expectations for the college experience.