Commentaries

Welfare Reform 4 Years Later: The Mobilization of the Land-Grant System

A l999 National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) Kellogg Commission report urged the land-grant system to engage faculty and students, and local people in addressing this nation's compelling challenges. One such challenge is that of welfare reform.

Welfare Reform–The Challenge

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of l996 (PROWORA) ended Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and began Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Emphasis shifted from entitlement to work and workforce preparation. Federal time limits for cash assistance were set at 5 years; some states set less. Block grants of funds were moved from federal to state and local direction. A new era in family public assistance began.

Welfare reform provided the opportunity to demonstrate a scholarship of engagement with discovery and application of knowledge through research, instruction, and outreach (Braun & Bauer, l998). The legislation, emphasizing the local nature of reform, provided conditions conducive to Extension, research, and instructional programming.

Welfare Reform–The Response

Mobilization of the land-grant system to address welfare reform represents this system at its best–extending expertise of campus and county faculties to the people. The work deserves recognition.

Response Launch

Following the work of the NASULGC Board of Human Sciences, which included legislative initiatives during congressional deliberations, a l997 spring conference, "Meeting the Challenge of Welfare Reform: Research, Education and Extension" was held. At the conference, 224 people from 45 states representing 67 educational institutions, 11 agencies, and 11 associations participated.

The conference produced:

1. Expanded understanding of related issues.
2. Commitment to advance the emerging agendas.
3. Connections with key, or potential, partners.
4. A framework for response of the land-grant system.
5. A set of strategies for research, extension/outreach, education/capacity building, and public policy with impact indicators and evaluation at the national, state, and local levels.

Conferees were challenged to achieve for this nation, in the arena of human well-being in the 21^st century, what we achieved in the agriculture arena in the 20^th century.

Research Response

Faculty began or expanded related research. A 15-state, longitudinal study, with support of the Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, began monitoring impacts of changes on the well-being of rural, low income families. The Southern region followed with a study assessing impacts in seven states. Other researchers worked alone or with students and colleagues.

Extension Response

Cooperative Extension responded with its usual educational programming diversity. Many state and county faculty leveraged TANF dollars to support their programming.

• County and state faculties began or expanded programming in partnership with departments of human services, health, and economic development.
• Public policy education was conducted to inform local leaders and citizens of options to respond knowledgeably to federal changes.
• Some educators introduced mentoring programs to support families moving into the work world.
• New curricula were created; existing were curricula adapted.
• The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program expanded across the nation to meet the needs of people eligible for, or receiving, food stamps.
• Some taught the use of Earned Income Tax Credits to extend expendable income.
• Others addressed Individual Development Accounts as a means of asset building.

Instructional Response

In credit classes, faculty, with the support of deans and department heads, incorporated study of welfare reform. Countless undergraduate and graduate students became aware of and knowledgeable about this significant policy change and the effects on people living in poverty. Some students engaged in service learning and/or internship projects. Continuing education courses were conducted to build the skills of non-profit and human service workers. Some faculty consulted with human service agencies. Others worked with the media to focus attention on the lives of low-income people and the challenges they face.

NASULGC and CSREES Response

NASULGC urged members–presidents, provosts, Extension directors and others–to involve their institutions. A coalition of higher education associations formed to focus attention on the need for post-secondary education among individuals moving off welfare to increase earning capacity and quality of life. The USDA Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES), through CYFERNET, posted information on the Web and participated in conferences and committees. In l997, the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) established the Workforce Preparedness Initiative.

Leveraging Extension Funding

In 2000, ECOP challenged the Employability Task Force of the Program Resources Ad Hoc Committee to develop strategies to position the land-grant system as a continued player in ongoing welfare/workforce education activities. As part of the work, the task force conducted a survey of states in the fall and winter of 2000-01 (Braun & Philogene, 2001). They identified Extension programming conducted with TANF funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Survey Findings

Nineteen states reported obtaining $24,407,456 in TANF funds for a reported 30,292 learners (23,554 adults; 6,738 youths). These funds supported programming to increase the personal responsibility and economic self-sufficiency of people moving off public assistance. This programming is consistent with the USDA-CSREES goal of "Economic Opportunity and Quality of Life for Individuals and Families," and builds on a history of extensive education for people with low incomes.

Extension faculty reported using the funds to develop scientifically researched curricula and methodologies to teach life skills. These skills enable participants to obtain and manage an income and to balance family and work demands.

Program goals and objectives included:

• Preparing welfare recipients to work with employment and networking skills (e.g., transportation, training, certification, interviewing, continuing education);
• Developing family life skills (e.g., food, nutrition and health, financial management, parenting and child development);
• Building self-enhancement skills (e.g., time management, problem solving, sanitation).

Programming produced increases in:

• Number of adults and youths trained in school-age child care, food services, horticulture, and respite care.
• Extended periods of employment among participants.
• Knowledge and skills of financial management, food and nutrition, and parenting.

Juvenile offenders redirected energies to skill building and learning. Other participants improved interviewing skills, self-perception and esteem, coping skills, and social networking skills. A number of participants sought further education through hands-on training programs, newsletters, and publications.

States reporting by region include:

Northeast: CT, MD, NH
North Central: IA, MO, NE, OH, WI
Southern: AR, FL, GA, OK, TX, VA
West: AZ, CA, NM, NV, WY

Use of Survey Findings

A complete report, with names, addresses, programs, targeted learners, goals, and outcomes was sent to Extension directors and administrators, and state program leaders for Family Consumer Sciences and 4-H in June 2001. The task force wants the report to stimulate ideas and exchange.

Just as important, NASULGC staff and the ECOP Legislative Committee will use the findings during upcoming reauthorization and annual budget discussions. They will cite these findings to support the case that Extension has the capacity to leverage its funds to attract additional funding and deliver programming that both makes a difference in the lives of people and contributes to the economy. Survey summaries are posted at http://www.nasulgc.org.

Reauthorization Opportunity

While the land-grant system accomplishments are impressive, work must continue. The federal experiment continues. It is a work in progress. Caseloads are falling. Food stamp usage is declining well below numbers who are eligible. Demand for child care and health care insurance exceeds supply. Numbers of working poor are rising, but self-sufficient incomes are not yet reality.

Welfare reform occurred during an era of economic prosperity. In question in 2001 is the ability of the economy to sustain its robust nature and maintain jobs for people at entry levels. Thus, the stage is set for continued engagement of the land-grant system in welfare reform–especially as it evolves to addressing needs of the working poor.

With PRWORA and the Farm Bill (which includes funding for food stamps) up for reauthorization in 2002, efforts are under way to modify the legislation. Numerous conferences and briefings are occurring in the nation's capital. There, academics, representatives of agencies and associations, and elected and appointed officials gather to exchange findings from research, raise questions, and identify issues to be addressed. Following discussion and debate, Congress will decide what the next 5 years of public assistance will be like for the people of this nation.

It's time again for the land-grant system, with Extension at the forefront, to reengage in policy issues leadership. It's time to inform decision makers of our accomplishments. It's time to renew our commitment to addressing this compelling issue of our time.

Barth, Judith; Benning, Linda Kay; Braun, Bonnie: Brooks, Henry M; Crosby, Greg Peterson, William L.; Schuchardt, Jane; and Stout, Jane Ann (Chair).

References

Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities. (1999). Returning to our roots: The engaged institution. Washington, D.C.: National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

Braun, B. & Bauer, J. (1998). Welfare reform: An opportunity to engage universities in community and economic development. Journal of Public Service and Outreach, 3, 33-37.

Braun, B. & Philogene, M. (2001). Employability Task Force Welfare to Work Survey. Washington, D.C.: National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities (l999) Returning to our roots: The engaged institution. Washington, D.C.: National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

Agents of Change: Thoughts on Youth Development

Change Is the Theme

This is a discussion about change and empowerment: how our society is changing, how our paradigms are changing, how organizational management is changing. It is about looking at qualities we need to emphasize as a youth development organization, in what we develop in youth, in how we do programming, and in who we are as individuals. It is about how we can manage and cultivate change.

The premise discussion is that our task is to create empowered people, people who can respond dynamically to situations and create needed results. If our organizational mission is to cultivate productive citizens, then what the world needs and what people need to be is entrepreneurial, creative, and empowered.

As Marsha Sinetar (1995) states, "Be assured that you'll gain lasting 'job security' only as you become self-reliant, creatively resourceful and fully engaged with your process of enterprise. " In order to cultivate empowered people, we ourselves must encourage it in ourselves and our youth. Sinetar also states that "Superfluidity now affects each of our lives....One of our era's assignments is to manage tumultuous change."

How do we manage change? We do it by being adaptable to change and "taking charge constructively" (Palmer, 1995).

The Stage

Vocational development will be increasingly important for our youth. As the world of work shifts its paradigm from focusing on paychecks to the intrinsic benefits of work, a sacred view of work will arise (Senge, 1990). We will need to explore qualities that foster vocational awareness, as discussed by Sinetar (1995). It will be more and more important for us to find our true vocation, because we will be called to be committed and creative. As Sinetar points out, entrepreneurs are authentic. "Over time they do what they sense themselves born to do. It's fun to watch people become true to themselves."

Vocational awareness involves self-awareness, including such qualities as being inner-directed, creative, and self-actualizing. Sinetar adapts and grafts Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" onto a vocational awareness pyramid, creating a developmental framework. Our task will be to foster personal qualities that foster a spirit of entrepreneurship, qualities such as Sinetar lists:

• An inventive inclination;
• Authentic focus;
• Meaningful purposes;
• "Figuring-out" skills;
• Risk-taking effectiveness;
• A strategic, long-term outlook; and
• High spiritual intelligence.

How will we develop youth into adults who are entrepreneurs, who are self-aware, learning- and growth-oriented people? We will need these characteristics within ourselves in order to find creative ways. We will need to be role models for them. We will need to be an empowering organization, and we will need to be empowered individuals.

Organizational Change

The history of the Cooperative Extension and 4-H reflects an organization that has changed and adapted as society and the economy have changed. Now, the Extension system is at another critical juncture where we must adapt and re-define ourselves. People and organizations are being called to become more adaptable and flexible as well as unique and diverse. We as an organization are threatened by outside competition and pressures in the face of which we must strive to remain relevant, fundable, and accountable.

According to William Bridges (1996), "Dealing successfully with change is a survival skill these days, what with all the new technology, merger, and reorganizing. And I mean survival literally." Bridges (1995) discusses the difference between change and transition. Change is external and situational, while transition implies internal, psychological characteristics. In order to make changes, we need to be aware of the transition process. "The next time you are having trouble implementing a change that looked easy on paper, consider the possibility that the problem isn't with the change but with the transition." This leads to the importance of personal change in the context of organizational change.

Personal Change

How do we become change agents in 4-H, creating the results we want? Senge (1990) discusses the qualities of people who are able to get results. These are people with a high level of personal mastery. "Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively." Personal mastery involves personal growth and learning. "It means approaching one's life as a creative work, living life from a creative as opposed to a reactive viewpoint." These sorts of people have a sense of purpose that lies behind their visions and goals. They have learned how to perceive and work with forces of change.

Being willing to try new things is not easy. Organizational change theorists have found that despite best intentions, change does not occur readily, at least with the approaches in the current paradigm. Why is change so difficult, and how can we become change oriented?

Being change oriented involves deeply personal matters. It can be threatening. It involves taking risks, being vulnerable, recognizing mistakes and correcting them, risking embarrassment. Schein (1999) discusses learning anxiety, "the feeling that if we allow ourselves to enter a learning or change process, if we admit to ourselves and others that something is wrong or imperfect, we will lose our effectiveness, our self-esteem, and maybe even our identity." Schein goes on to explain that "Adapting poorly or failing to meet our creative potential often looks more desirable than risking failure and loss of self-esteem in the learning process."

According to Senge (1990), we can begin by developing our personal mastery, which largely involves cultivating a personal vision. "It's that courage to take a stand for one's vision that distinguishes people with high levels of personal mastery." As a 4-H educator, do you have a clear vision of what you want for your program and youth? Does it fit with the 4-H organizational vision and the needs of the people? Our visions must be laced with purpose and basic touchstone principals.

A person with personal mastery must have patience and persistence. "Truly creative people use the gap between vision and current reality to generate energy for change" (Senge, 19990). Senge discusses two beliefs that limit our ability to create what we want, a sense of powerlessness (belief in our inability to bring into being all the things we really care about) and unworthiness (the belief we do not deserve to have what we truly desire). We need to be able to hold onto the vision and not allow ourselves to lose sight of it.

Conclusion

As youth development professionals, part of our task is to guide youth as they change and grow into adults. Extension agents are called upon to be agents of change, to take what is and make it into what could be. We consciously or unconsciously have a vision of what we want to develop in youth in order for them to become productive citizens. In this time of transition, our youth will need unique qualities in order to be successful in life.

As change agents, we not only guide youth through changes, we work with individuals, groups, and communities to improve the quality of children's lives. To do this, we must be empowered ourselves. As we look to what qualities we want to develop in youth, we must look at our own selves and ask, "Are we modeling the qualities we want to encourage in them?" We have the multilevel task of being what we want others to be. Thus, the issue of youth development is interwoven with the task of our own development.

References

Bridges, W. (1995). Don't forget to manage the transition too. William Bridges and Associates [On-line]. 8(3). Available: http://www.wmbridges.com/articles/base.html

Bridges, W. (1996). How you can handle change better. William Bridges and Associates [On-line]. 9(2). Available: http://www.wmbridges.com/articles/base.html

Bridges, W. (1996). Why change management isn't enough. William Bridges and Associates [On-line] 9(4). Available: http://www.wmbridges.com/articles/base.html

Nanus, B. (1992). Visionary Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Palmer, D. E. (1995). Taking Charge Constructively. Tucson, Arizona: Development Publications, LLC.

Schein, E. H. (1999). Kurt Lewin's Change Theory in the Field and in the Classroom: Notes Toward a Model of Managed Learning. The Society for Organizational Learning [On-line]. Available: http://www.solonline.org/res/wp/10006.html

Senge, P. M. (1990) The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday/Currency.

Sinetar, M. (1995) To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love. New York: St. Martin's Press.

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