Suchergebnisse

The 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge and Competencies (PRKC) is a professional development framework that can be used to identify competency gaps and training needs of 4-H professionals. The PRKC consists of 6 competency domains, 1 being access, equity, and opportunity (AEO). A tailored design method was used to gather data and sort the respondents between rural and urban community type. 4-H Extension agents serving urban communities perceived 12 out of the 14 AEO domain components as more important than agents serving rural communities did. The 2 AEO domain components that were not significantly different in perceived importance were values, norms, and practices and active listening. An essential element of the 4-H experience must include creating an environment where children and youth feel safe, included, and that they belong. The differences among 4-H youth development professionals' perceptions of the importance of the AEO domain components, based on their work location, warrants further review. Implications of this information could influence the competencies that Extension systems look for in hiring. Furthermore, educational workshops and trainings around AEO for existing youth workers may need to be evolved.

Among the growing number of studies describing and evaluating municipal-scale programs to mitigate global climate change, relatively little attention has been given to municipalities that are not leading such efforts or to municipalities in politically conservative regions. Our research examines climate-relevant municipal planning in a structured sample of communities across the largely conservative Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Using data from planning documents and staff interviews, we evaluate the prevalence and vigor of numerous mitigation-relevant activities. We characterize the target municipalities according to a new typology addressing the maturation of local climate action. We find that in this politically conservative region communities are clustered toward the laggard end of the typology—away from the advanced end—and for the first time in the climate planning literature we identify several faltering emergent communities, whose nascent climate protection initiatives appear to have stalled.

Several studies have shown that life skill development is positively related to 4-H club participation. However, this study indicates that even though the 4-H club program is available to all youth, fewer minorities choose to participate and, thus, lose the opportunity to benefit from the positive outcomes. Targeting specific diverse audiences has been a mandate for the 4-H and Youth Development Program since desegregation of the 1960s and efforts have been made to make educational programming available to everyone. Nonetheless, are current techniques being used effectively? Youth are not all alike and differences should be understood. This study gathered information that addressed some ethnic/racial issues pertaining to marketing the 4-H and Youth Development Program. It was determined that differences did exist for youth involved in the East Region 4-H and Youth Development Program and in order to market to the specific audiences, certain media should be used.

". . . every critical examination of HF therapy in the United States has documented that we are not using all the weapons in our arsenal. We know what works, yet we are not systematically applying these proven therapies."-- from the Introduction If you are interested in a better way to treat heart failure, this book is for you. Dr. Michael McIvor - who has taught thousands of healthcare professionals how to effectively care for patients with chronic HF through CME symposia - takes a logical, step-by-step approach to setting up and operating the kind of program that reduces hospital admissions

This study examined the effect of service activities on the development of leadership life skills in youth and (queried) if having a reflection component as part of the activity makes a difference. Additionally, the study examined the impact of selected demographics including age, gender, type of service completed monthly and 4-H membership on the development of leadership life skills. Participants in the study were from two samples. One group represented the El Paso National Youth Service Day, the other represented the District 11 4-H Leadership Lab in Branham, Texas. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (no reflection) or treatment (with reflection) group. Youth participants self rated their leadership life skills using a 33-question post-test only questionnaire. Demographics were reported in nine additional questions. The major findings of the study are as follows: 1) Overall, the participants reported their perceived leadership life skills to be high in four of the five subscales; 2) The inclusion of a reflection component did not significantly affect perceived leadership life skills; 3) Type of service, whether direct or indirect, had a significant impact on perceived leadership life skills; 4) 4-H membership had a significant impact on the Personal Leadership Development subscale.

''Undone science'' refers to areas of research that are left unfunded, incomplete, or generally ignored but that social movements or civil society organizations often identify as worthy of more research. This study mobilizes four recent studies to further elaborate the concept of undone science as it relates to the political construction of research agendas. Using these cases, we develop the argument that undone science is part of a broader politics of knowledge, wherein multiple and competing groups struggle over the construction and implementation of alternative research agendas. Overall, the study demonstrates the analytic potential of the concept of undone science to deepen understanding of the systematic nonproduction of knowledge in the institutional matrix of state, industry, and social movements that is characteristic of recent calls for a ''new political sociology of science.''

"Undone science" refers to areas of research that are left unfunded, incomplete, or generally ignored but that social movements or civil society organizations often identify as worthy of more research. This study mobilizes four recent studies to further elaborate the concept of undone science as it relates to the political construction of research agendas. Using these cases, we develop the argument that undone science is part of a broader politics of knowledge, wherein multiple and competing groups struggle over the construction and implementation of alternative research agendas. Overall, the study demonstrates the analytic potential of the concept of undone science to deepen understanding of the systematic nonproduction of knowledge in the institutional matrix of state, industry, and social movements that is characteristic of recent calls for a "new political sociology of science."