Whole grain foods have been associated with health benefits, yet they are under consumed by youth compared to recommendations. This study evaluated impacts of a school-based curriculum among children in grades 3-5 to address barriers to intake (2018-2019) (n = 1,748). Surveys before and after the program indicated youth were more willing to try…

4-H Summer of STEM is a workforce readiness program for high school youth. The goals of the program are to increase students' interest in STEM careers, improve college and workforce readiness, and connect youth to businesses and industries in the local community. Selected youth receive hands-on development of workforce readiness skills, are paired…

Misconceptions regarding agricultural careers are exacerbated by increasing urbanization and are one of many differences in perspective between urban and rural communities. The One Georgia 4-H Urban-Rural Experience addresses this divide through a statewide youth exchange focusing on the agricultural sector. The program includes a multifaceted…

We used an online survey to document challenges experienced by aquaponic hobbyists (n = 81), producers (n = 117), and educators (n = 75). Responses were distilled into the following categories: 1) operations and management; 2) facilities, location, and system design; 3) knowledge and educational resources; 4) funding; 5) economic viability; 6)…

Based on results collected through a comprehensive needs assessment of farmers market (FM) vendors in Pennsylvania, the purpose of this study was to develop and pilot-test a customized, food safety training program for FM vendors. A customized 3-hour, in-person, training program was developed and pilot tested. Using pre- and post-test assessment…

Strong communication skills are important in an individual's personal and professional life; however, research regarding what influences youth's public speaking self-efficacy is limited. To address this gap, we surveyed youth who participated in a statewide presentation event about their self-efficacy and sources of that self-efficacy. Results…

During the worldwide pandemic, youth were isolated from each other. In response, New Jersey 4-H, a part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, created the Junior Explorers, a virtual exchange program bringing together 4-H members with youth from other countries. This program provides youth ages 10-13 with access to international exchange opportunities…

Extension programming can be effective at delivering nutrition education to food pantry clients. This study aimed to understand the perceptions of food pantry personnel towards nutrition education. A mixed methods survey was administered to food pantry personnel (n=53). Most (62.3%) reported their food pantry was church-affiliated, and few (22.6%)…

The goal of this literature review was to identify evidence-based curricula that support youth mental health with special attention to inclusion of access, equity, and belonging (AEB). Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2019 related to youth mental health curricula. A total of 1446 articles were…

Through a combination of internal and external collaborations, consumer-based energy education designed for hard-to-reach audiences was successfully delivered statewide by an interdisciplinary Extension team. Program participants representing rural residents, senior citizens, and low-income audiences demonstrated improvements in knowledge and…

Attention to stress and mental health among agricultural producers has increased over recent years, and Cooperative Extension has been active in offering educational workshops and resources to agricultural audiences. This article describes the process and effectiveness of expanding two Michigan State University Extension farm stress management…

To determine the effectiveness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--Education (SNAP-Ed) nutrition and physical activity programming in elementary schools, it is necessary to recruit socioeconomically similar comparison schools not receiving SNAP-Ed programming. We developed a flexible recruitment strategy to tailor our approach to each…

Because FCS agents teach communities about dietary guidelines, it is important that they are aware of the latest nutrition research. This study assessed FCS agents' knowledge of popular fad diets (low-carbohydrate, intermittent fasting, detoxes and cleanses) and their potential adverse effects, and its relationship among location, certifications,…

This study aimed at averting challenges of overweight and obesity among African Americans in rural Alabama. Focus group discussions and surveys were used to design a 12-week nutrition education and physical activity program. Results showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in participants' knowledge scores. Values for systolic blood pressure…

New partnerships to reach new audiences are key to Extension's future (Harder, 2019). But partnership is enhanced through shared decision-making, co-creation of content, and leveraging non-overlapping expertise and experience (Bertsch et al., 2020; Israilov & Cho, 2017; Ostrom, 1996). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service partnering with…