December 2007
Volume 45 Number 6

Ideas at Work

Pre- and Post-Testing with More Impact

Greg La Barge
Assistant Professor/Extension Educator
Agriculture, Natural Resources & Community Development
Ohio State University Extension-Fulton County
Wauseon, Ohio
labarge.1@osu.edu

Introduction

We have all done it! On a multiple choice question we carefully look over our answer options. Using a process of elimination, we identify two of four potential answers that seem correct to us. Yet we are unsure of the correct answer with our current knowledge. But we have been told since elementary school to mark an answer, even if we are guessing, because there is a probability we will get some questions correct. We then circle an answer, letting the odds play out. If someone asks, "Did you really know the answer?" we would honestly say, "No, it was a lucky guess."

Pre-/post-test procedures are a commonly used method to evaluate learner outcomes of educational programs. This procedure provides feedback to the instructor by measuring the initial knowledge level of the learner and what knowledge the learner gained from the workshop or presentation. In a perfect world, a participant would not answer any question they did not know the answer to. As instructors, how do we account for the natural tendency to mark an answer to every question and the associated probabilities of getting a question correct? By ignoring this reality we do not truly measure the learners' baseline knowledge and account for what we accomplish through instruction.

Another intuitive concept is can we measure the confidence a person has in applying his or her knowledge by identifying a guessed correct answer from an answer where the person actually felt they knew the correct answer? Conversely, can we also find situations where a participant marks an answer for which he or she is confident enough to say is not a guess, but the answer is wrong? One could argue that correcting this occurrence is maybe the greatest impact of our teaching.

A novel approach to pre-/post-testing was used during six Soil Fertility Workshops to help answer some of these basic questions (Figure 1). The pre-/post-testing method used attempted to better quantify the learners' baseline knowledge and what they gained from their workshop participation. Alliger and Horowitz originally described the concept in 1989. A pre- and post-test was designed around the workshop content. Each question was then given a qualifier question of "Are you guessing?," to which the participant could answer "Yes" or "No." This allowed participants to satisfy their need to answer all the questions while giving the instructor additional information on whether the answer was a lucky guess or whether they were applying previously gained knowledge.

Figure 1.
Example Layout of a Pre-Test with a Guessing Qualifier Question Added

Materials and Methods

The Soil Fertility Workshop was presented at six locations in Ohio during 2002 and 2003. Workshop participants included farmers, ag chemical/fertilizer dealers, and crop consultants, including those with Certified Crop Advisor certifications. Pre- and post-tests consisting of 13 matched true/false and multiple choice questions were designed to test similar areas of knowledge with each pre-/post-question set. The participants were asked to complete and turn in the pre-test before any instruction began. The post-test was collected at the workshop conclusion. Participants were asked to provide the last four digits of their telephone number on both test to allow the test to be matched.

A total of 140 participants attended the six workshops, with a total of 67 valid, matching pre-/post-comparisons available for analysis. The data for each question was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysis conducted using SPSS Version 11.0. One poorly worded question was thrown out of the analysis resulting in 12 questions used for the comparison.

Data was analyzed in two ways. Method one was a "Traditional" correct/incorrect tally. Method two considered the answer to the qualifier question with a Correct "Knew" and Correct "Guess" tally. Any question where the participant indicated they were guessing was counted as incorrect for the qualifier method of determining the number of correct responses.

Results and Discussion

Results in Table 1 show the percentage of participants with correct answers using the "Traditional" method compared to the qualifier method of Correct "Knew" and Correct "Guess." Under the "Traditional" method, the participants average pre-test score was 46% correct for the 12 questions. The post-test results showed a correct response of 88%. Thus, the knowledge gain for participants in the soil fertility workshop was 42% based on the "Traditional" scoring.

If the participant's answer of "Yes" to the qualifier question of, "Are you guessing?" is counted as an incorrect answer, impact of instruction increases. The actual impact statement of knowledge gained by participants in the soil fertility workshop becomes, "The workshop participants increased their post-test score by 52% to an average of 83% when compared to their pre-test score average of 31%." The qualifier of "Are you guessing?" increased the knowledge gained by 10% over the "Traditional" counting method. Alliger and Horowitz noted a 15% difference in the knowledge gained measurement when comparing the qualifier method to the traditional method.

The qualitative factor of increased confidence in the knowledge is another impact that can be measured from the qualifier method. Guessing, whether the answer was correct or incorrect, was reduced from 53% pre-test average to a 10% post-test average (data not shown). The workshop significantly increased the confidence that participants had in the answers they gave on the post-test.

Evaluating the individual question results in Table 1 also provides valuable feedback to the instructor(s) as they refine the workshop for future audiences. The workshop content represented in Q6 and Q10 that generated the highest percentage under Correct "Knew" in the pre-test may require less instruction time. A topic like that represented in Q7, which generated a low initial Correct "Knew" percentage of 7% on the pre-test as well as a lower post-test score of 64%, may require more time or a different method to explain the concepts surrounding this question.

The qualifier method also helps identify areas that initially look like they should receive equal emphasis but the guessing qualifier shows a difference in confidence participants have in their answer. We would put the pre-test Q5 and Q8 in the same category (43% and 45% correct respectively) by the "Traditional" method. Using the qualifier, we find a substantially lower confidence in the Q5 answers (33% guessing) when compared to Q8 (12% guessing). Additionally, a question like that represented in Q9 may require additional time since 10% of the respondents indicated they were guessing but got the correct answer on the post-test.

Another factor that can be evaluated with the qualifier method is the number of participants that have an incorrect answer but indicated they were not guessing at the answer. Table 2 highlights the results of this comparison. In Table 2, several questions generated a high incorrect but "Knew" response in pre-testing but a significantly lower percentage for the post-testing. It could be argued that correcting incorrect knowledge would be a more important result of the workshop than just the increased percentage of correct responses. The qualifier also gives feedback on the teaching method. Concepts in Q7 generated a 64% Correct "Knew" (Table 1) and 28% "incorrect selecting knew" (Table 2) on the post-test. It could be concluded that the teaching method needed to be changed because 28% of the participants did not learn the concepts being taught related to this question.

References

Alliger, G. M., & Horowitz, H. M. (1989). IBM takes the guessing out of testing. Training and Development Journal, 43(4):69-73.

Using a Historical Tour to Teach Extension Audiences About Diversity and Human Rights

Susan Traver
Bonner County Extension Chair
Sandpoint, Idaho
straver@uidaho.edu

Brian P. Luckey
Canyon County Extension
Caldwell, Idaho
bluckey@uidaho.edu

Harriet Shaklee
Family Development Specialist
Boise, Idaho
hshaklee@uidaho.edu

Arlinda Nauman
State 4-H Office
Moscow, Idaho
arlindan@uidaho.edu

Audrey Liddil
District IV EFNEP Office
Pocatello, Idaho
aliddil@uidaho.edu

Kathee Tifft
NezPerce County Extension
Lewiston, Idaho
ktifft@uidaho.edu

Laura Laumatia
Dist. I EIRP Educator
Plummer, Idaho
laural@uidaho.edu

University of Idaho Extension

Introduction

Idaho is the third fastest growing state in the nation (Bernstein, 2006), with dramatic population shifts that have altered the character and dynamics of communities. Notable changes include growth in Latino representation, influxes of retirees, changes in the religious makeup of communities, increases in migrant groups, issues of Native American sovereignty, and a shift from an agrarian and natural resource-based economy to service and technology industries. Besides these issues, Idaho developed a poor human rights reputation when the Neo-Nazi Aryan Nations established a headquarters in northern Idaho. Added together, Idaho has many human rights issues that need to be addressed with education and compassion.

To help Idaho communities cope with these issues, University of Idaho Extension developed an educational program to approach concerns about intergroup tension and human rights. Idaho's Journey for Diversity and Human Rights is a traveling workshop designed to train participants in the historical roots of Idaho's constituent groups and the state's challenges as well as successes in human rights and inclusiveness throughout its history.

Idaho's Journey for Diversity and Human Rights

Organizers designed Idaho's Journey so participants could:

• Directly experience the events and people relevant to diversity and human rights in Idaho.


• Recognize the diversity within Idaho and its historical roots.


• Learn strategies to increase human rights awareness and challenge stereotypes.

Idaho's Journey is a 2- or 3-day workshop in which participants travel, stay, and eat together, learning about the human rights and diversity issues of the region. Whenever possible, representatives of a group's history tell the stories of that community. Historical experts, often university professors, supplement local presentations.

Idaho's Journey was launched in northern Idaho in July 2005. In Coeur d'Alene, leaders of the area Human Rights Task Force described how they overcame the hate message of the Neo-Nazi organization, the Aryan Nations, by following the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Although it took 20 years, the "compound" of the Aryan Nations is now a peace park.

On the second day, participants traveled to the Coeur d'Alene Reservation to hear the experiences of Coeur d'Alene tribal elders and their ancestors in the boarding school system. The Journey concluded in Wallace, where participants learned about suffragist May Hutton, who helped Idaho women win voting rights in 1896, the fourth state in the nation to grant women's suffrage. Participants also learned about the often-deadly efforts to unionize the silver mining industry in that area.

Three additional workshops have been held throughout the state, incorporating historical landmarks such as Idaho's Ann Frank Memorial, Idaho City Historical Museum, Pioneer Cemeteries in Boise and Idaho City, Spanish Village, the Basque Center, the Minidoka Internment National Monument, Three Island Crossing on the Oregon Trail, the Fort Hall Replica, and the Sho-Ban Tribal Museum.

To date, the four Journeys have attracted an average of 20 participants. This size allows groups to visit smaller historical sites, to share transportation and stay together at a single hotel, and to develop meaningful relationships among themselves.

Program Planning and Funding

Extension organizers received a planning grant for regional meetings to bring together groups and individuals who could provide the historical and human rights background necessary for the success of the Journeys. Organizers met with representatives from state agencies, including Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Commerce and Labor, and the Idaho Human Rights Commission. National agencies participating included the National Parks Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Idaho nonprofit groups that helped organize the Journeys consisted of the NAACP, the Idaho Hispanic Caucus, the Agency for New Americans, the Idaho Human Rights Education Center, the Kootenai County Human Rights Task Force, and the Idaho Black History Museum. Three of Idaho's largest tribes were involved in planning and execution of the Journeys, including the Sho-Ban, the Coeur d'Alene, and the Nez Perce tribes

Additional meetings brought together educators from colleges within the University of Idaho, including professors in history, archeology, sociology, women's studies, and Native American studies. Educators from other Idaho colleges and universities also provided information about sites in different areas of the state. This program has allowed colleges not usually involved in Extension outreach to participate as full partners in an experience with a positive impact on participants and the University of Idaho.

Program expenses for Idaho's Journey include transportation, overnight accommodations, meals, speaker honoraria, marketing, and advertising. Program costs have been funded by participant fees ($125-200 per person), business sponsorships, and grant funds. University of Idaho Extension Districts have also provided funding to lower costs for participants.

Program marketing has focused on specific groups who would find the Journey most relevant to their work or daily experience. Extension educators involved in each Journey passed out brochures, spoke with media contacts, and worked with human rights groups to market the program to teachers, human rights groups, and community leaders.

Idaho's Journey Outcomes

Program effectiveness was tested using a retrospective pre-test methodology, with participants rating their knowledge and skills at the end of the program and retrospectively rating their understanding at the beginning of the program. Ratings were made on a 7 point scale, with 0=low and 6=high. A matched-pairs t-test comparing pre and post ratings for each question shows sizeable and significant changes for all questions. Table 1 shows responses for the first Idaho's Journey. The three other Idaho Journeys showed comparable effects. Those data are not included but are available from the authors upon request.

The Journey Continues

Idaho's Journey moves to different regions of the state each year. Over several years, the program can develop a cadre of individuals well grounded in Idaho's human rights and diversity issues and their historical roots. A solid historical perspective on the campaigns of the past can shore up the resolve of individuals to persevere in their current human rights work. Shared Idaho's Journey experiences can help build a statewide network to support the work of groups and individuals. In these ways, this Extension program will help develop communities that more effectively include the full diversity of their residents.

References

Bernstein, R. (2006, December). Louisiana loses population; Arizona edges Nevada as fastest-growing state. Retrieved January 29, 2007, from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007910.html

Agri-Cultural Tourism: Linking the Arts and Humanities with Agricultural Direct Marketers and Specialty Producers

Rhoda Burrows
Associate Professor and Extension Horticulture Specialist
Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks Dept.
rhoda.burrows@sdstate.edu

Anne Fennell
Professor
Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks Dept.
anne.fennell@sdstate.edu

Meredith Redlin
Associate Professor
Rural Sociology Dept.
meredith.redlin@sdstate.edu

Lynn Verschoor
South Dakota Art Museum
lynn.verschoor@sdstate.edu

South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

Introduction

Agritourism is on the rise throughout the United States, reflecting a rise in agricultural nostalgia in urban populations. Gush (2005) notes: "This nostalgia is an emotional phenomenon quite possibly capable of saving the small American family farm from extinction." Reeder and Brown (2005) found that increased rural tourism improved local economies through higher employment rates and income, and decreased poverty rates. While these benefit patterns are not consistent across all rural areas, they are promising. Several authors have noted the opportunities for Extension professionals to help facilitate community, and rural development through partnerships with relevant interest groups and stakeholders (Honadle, 1990; Selin & McGill, 2005).

A major challenge for developing agritourism in South Dakota is the low population density and lack of traditional attractions sufficient to draw customers into a particular geographic region. However, this same low population density is precisely what appeals to tourists from urban areas wanting to experience rural culture. Rural culture is broader than agricultural production and can include local artists, artisans, writers, poets, galleries, museums, and even performance arts. Agritourism operations can and should link with the whole range of cultural experiences available in their landscape to entice visitors.

Specialty producers in South Dakota also face marketing challenges due to the area's low population density and the distance to population centers. In 2002, fruit and vegetable growers and wineries, with facilitation by South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service (SDCES), formed the "South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA)," which now represents a wide range of non-commodity agricultural products. One of their primary goals is to support producers and value-added entrepreneurs with marketing, particularly direct marketing, of their products. The SDSPA recognizes that tourists present a potential market and has actively encouraged agritourism development.

Over the past 2 years, a coalition was formed to increase linkages between specialty producers and the South Dakota art community. It began with discussions of the similarities of direct marketing challenges for specialty producers and artists. An initial project was development of an agritourism session at an SDSU value-added conference, introducing cluster development concepts. Speakers highlighted key areas in creating networks of agritourism and cultural entities, bringing leadership in the arts and in the SDSPA together to identify common goals.

The result was the forging of a leadership alliance and common language to carry the ideas back to the respective associations. The South Dakota Art Museum director, specialty producers, interested South Dakota State University (SDSU) faculty and SDCES representatives, and various members of the arts and humanities community began to explore ways to work together.

Agri-Cultural Alliance

A working consortium formed under the auspices of the South Dakota Art Museum and coined the term "Agri-Cultural" to describe the confluence of agricultural and cultural entities. Groups involved in the consortium are:

The name "Agri-Cultural Alliance" was chosen, and mission and vision statements developed (Table 1).

Agri-Cultural Tourism: Art and the Land Conference

It was decided that a statewide conference was needed to introduce the Agri-Cultural Tourism concept to the arts community, the specialty producers, and allied organizations. The Agri-Cultural Alliance accordingly organized a two-day workshop to promote and encourage Agri-Cultural tourism network development and to identify ways of working together. Examples of topics included:

• What is Agri-Cultural Tourism, and what do we need to know to make it work?


• Identifying a customer base


• Creating and using networks to build critical mass


• Resources for creating and fostering sustainable niche markets


• Promoting rural community cultural experiences and products.

Speakers and panelists representing successful agritourism or cultural tourism enterprises and associations in the northern Great Plains region shared their experiences and insights. Networking among participants was strongly encouraged throughout the program. To foster further interaction, 30 vendors, including sponsoring organizations, private artists, specialty producers, wineries, and Tribal tourism associations, displayed the range of activities and enterprises in the region.

Speakers advocated using both local and global approaches to expand markets, emphasizing identification of assets and networking to build opportunities to succeed within the landscape of South Dakota.

Discussions centered around three intertwining areas: creating a common vision, networking, and marketing considerations. The common vision was critical to provide not only the end goal, but also strategies to reach that goal. Participants said the vision should be put into writing and revisited often.

Networking was seen as integral to the process, generating the critical mass of events and products coupled with sites and attractions within our rural landscape to attract customers and provide unique experiences. It was noted that passion must be coupled with economic intelligence, including the development of business plans for both individuals and networks. Networking was also understood to be an essential component in marketing, promoting the network along with individual operations. Participants were urged to "be prepared to market your neighbor as much as yourself." It was noted that a vision for marketing must include both local and international components: While dwelling "within the box of South Dakota," one must think outside it, i.e., "think globally, and act locally."

A common thread throughout the discussion was the potential impact and inherent skills of each individual. Participants described a "garden of people" growing together across the state to produce a diversity of products, places, and events all working together to attract customers. New leadership and advocates would be cultivated through education (including events such as this conference).

And finally, as appropriate in a meeting linking the artistic community with specialty producers, it was noted that "our greatest asset is our creativity," which could be used to develop unique products and experiences. This meshing of rural environment with creative thinking could overcome marketing challenges to develop the web of opportunities to make South Dakota a destination.

Key action steps identified at the conference for building on the Agri-Cultural vision for South Dakota are presented in Table 2.

Outcomes and Impacts

In an end-of-conference survey, the average participant score to the question, "Was the information presented relevant and useful to you?" was "8" (1-10 scale; 10 being best). Most (81%) of the 85 attendees reported that they could "very likely" benefit from the development of Agri-Cultural tourism and that they were "very likely" (63%) or "somewhat likely" (37%) to change their strategies in the upcoming year based on the ideas and information from the conference. Many reported excitement at acquiring new ideas; others reported that they felt the information and networking would enhance their current efforts.

In a post-conference survey (24% response rate), 95% wanted a second conference. When asked "If you could design one workshop, what would it be?" almost all respondents indicated some aspect of marketing. Community organization, school/art/farm collaborations, and regional collaborations were also mentioned. In response, a second conference has been planned (Table 2). Table 2 also gives other examples of progress made in the past year on the steps identified at the first conference.

The role of Extension and other university faculty throughout this process has been to foster the connections between agricultural producers and other members of their rural communities and regions, serving as an essential catalyst at critical junctures. Now that the vision has been shared, the stakeholders and related associations have taken leadership to move it forward. We see a bright future ahead for our rural state!

Acknowledgment

South Dakota State University Experiment Station Technical Paper 3587.

References

Gush, R. (2005). Agritourism: Can Ag nostalgia save the family farm from extinction? Hobby Farms Nov/Dec 2005:51.

Honadle, B. W. (1990). Extension and tourism development. Journal of Extension [On-line], 28(2). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/1990summer/a1.html

Reeder, R. J., & Dennis M. B. (2005, Aug). Recreation, tourism and rural well-being. ERR-7. Economic Research Service/USDA.

Selin, S., & McGill, D. (2005). The heritage area movement: Redefining opportunities for Extension professionals. Journal of Extension [On-line], 43(2) Article 2FEA3. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2005april/a3.shtml

Creative Marketing for a Small Wine Grape Region

Stephen B. Renquist
Horticulture Agent
Oregon State University Extension
Roseburg, Oregon
steve.renquist@oregonstate.edu

Introduction

The popularity of wine as a social beverage continues to grow in the U.S. During this century, wine consumption per capita growth consistently surpassed the growth in beer consumption. This trend provides an additional diversifying economic opportunity for many farmers and promotes wine grape planting across the country.

Oregon is one of several states experiencing a boom in grape planting. Although Oregon is the fourth leading wine grape producing state in the U.S., it has many small, not yet well-known grape growing regions. The American Viticultural Area (AVA) the Umpqua Valley lies between two of the world's best-known grape growing areas, Northern California and Willamette Valley of Northwestern Oregon. Despite the fact this area has many similar climatic attributes to its neighbors, not many people have heard of the Umpqua Valley, thus limiting exposure of its wines.

In 2001, I conducted a needs assessment of the Umpqua Valley's wine grape industry. Results showed a need for developing a marketing program as the highest priority if our wine industry wanted to become sustainable and advance its position in this growing industry.

Cooperative Effort

A cooperative marketing project began in 2002 with six members of the Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association, which included the Extension agent. The group met twice a month for 1 year to develop a business/marketing plan. Members included growers with a history in the area, new growers with ideas from other regions, and growers with good business and or marketing skills. Our group knew that to be successful, we needed the commitment from nearly everyone in our area because the task of marketing would be time consuming and expensive.

During the initial months, I researched other agricultural marketing projects to help me visualize the process. One marketing program in Sonoma County California was reviewed in the Journal of Extension, (Vossen, 1992). Vossen stated, "Individual producer and commodity groups had neither the funds nor the expertise to develop and implement a comprehensive marketing program. We therefore recommended forming an independent umbrella organization to oversee a countywide marketing effort." Little has changed in the past 14 years. Most producers and commodity groups probably do not have the expertise or funds to create an effective marketing program. However, we later discovered that wine grape growers have a product that along with creative ideas can support a successful local marketing plan.

Creative Marketing

Our small group created a mission statement supporting our goals of promotion and cooperation, and we created a business/marketing plan listing strengths and weaknesses of our Umpqua Valley AVA. The plan also developed 24 strategies to be carried out over a 4-year period that responded to these weaknesses and built on our strengths. Getting the right individual assigned to each strategy proved to be an important step for the process. Marketing specialists at Oregon State University were asked to review our plan and make suggestions. Listed below are many of our key strategies.

• Direct traffic off the local interstate to designated wineries through billboard signs delineating our AVA.


• Develop sales promotional materials that standout and are unique (brochure packets, insert cards, maps, passports).


• Develop a Web site that describes our history, wines, climate, and gets promotional materials to the customer.


• Develop a database from 9 vineyard plots for prospective growers (phenology, climate, grape quality).


• Create a plan to attract new vineyard and winery businesses.


• Hold educational wine tasting events to enhance local demand.


• Target specific metropolitan areas in the West with our portfolio mailings.


• Enhance our partnership with other AVA's in Southern Oregon through joint marketing efforts.


• Work with local growers to elevate wine and grape quality through educational programs and tasting panels.


• Invite high-profile wine and tourism writers to tour our area and to judge wines at our major wine tasting events.


• Develop barrel tour and wine tasting events to pay for our marketing efforts.


• Hold an annual marketing workshop for our entire membership to refocus group priorities.

Many of these marketing strategies were evaluated at wine shows and seminars by industry and Extension peers and found to be original. Large brochure packets were designed to hold a card for each winery and one vineyard card showing all the locations in our AVA. Interchangeable cards keep our materials from becoming obsolete. We developed a passport to encourage visitors to stop at many locations. Each time customers visit a different winery, they get their passport stamped. When a customer has five stamps, he or she is given a small gift and entered in a drawing for a mixed case of wine.

The majority of our funds were raised locally. Our area developed an annual gala event that attracts about 700 people from around Oregon to taste wine and food pairings from 28 wineries and 14 restaurants. Auctions at this event were significant contributors to our budget. We have two barrel tasting tours in the spring that bus about 550 people through a north or south county tour, each visiting seven wineries. Net revenues from these events go to our marketing fund.

Establishing nine vineyard plots around the county to collect phenology and grape quality data to share with prospective growers and winery owners has been a very valuable tool for attracting new vineyards and wineries. Continued growth of our area is vital to attracting more attention from wine writers and tourists.

Conclusion

New wine grape growing regions across the country will find a faster road to economic sustainability if producers and wineries work closely together, and with their Extension agent, to develop a good business/marketing plan for their organization. The plan should promote finding the best wine grape varieties for their region, developing a quality product, using creative marketing ideas as described above to attract attention to their area, and using wines in events to pay for the marketing plan.

References

Vossen, P. (1992). Starting a county agricultural marketing program. Journal of Extension [On-line], 30(3). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/1992fall/a8.html

Columbus Saves: An Extension-Led America Saves Campaign

Cäzilia Loibl
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Department of Consumer Sciences
loibl.3@osu.edu

Susan Shockey
Associate Professor and Extension Educator
Franklin County
shockey.3@osu.edu

Cynthia Renn
Program Manager
Department of Consumer Sciences
renn.7@osu.edu

Ohio State University Extension
Columbus, Ohio

Introduction to Columbus Saves

Franklin County, Ohio, is the site of the Columbus Saves campaign, which is led by Extension professionals. The campaign is a local Extension of the national America Saves campaign, which is a nationwide social marketing campaign launched in 2002 to encourage all Americans, especially those of low to moderate means, to build wealth by setting goals to save money and reduce debt. The campaign asks people to form an action plan on how much money to save every month and where to deposit it. Extant research has shown that action plans work particularly well for difficult-to-implement goals (Gollwitzer & BrandstŠtter, 1997; Koestner, Lekes, Powers, & Chicoine, 2002).

The America Saves campaign and local campaigns based on it are community-based efforts. The success of these campaigns is dependent on broad-based coalitions of government, business, and non-profit groups (Murrell, 2005). The national America Saves campaign provides local campaigns with ongoing support, including monthly conference calls with campaign coordinators, a face-to-face meeting for coordinators every 4 months, access to an on-line network for sharing ideas, Web site design for local campaigns, seed grants, and printed promotional materials. Local campaigns, such as Columbus Saves, have the flexibility to tailor campaign efforts to meet community needs.

Breaking Ground

MONEY 2000™, an Extension program designed to encourage participants to save or reduce debt by the year 2000, helped to inspire the formation of the America Saves national campaign and its local spin-offs (Kiss & DeConcini, 2002). Columbus, Ohio provided a promising location for an America Saves campaign for two reasons: (1) an established working relationship existed between OSU Extension, Franklin County faculty, and several community partners interested in the America Saves concept as well as helping families in the community; and (2) a recently initiated partnership between OSU Extension's Family and Consumer Sciences' Healthy Finances Team and the Ohio Treasurer's Ohio Women & Money workshops. Both of these partnerships provided the opportunity for businesses, financial institutions, and educational and community agencies to interface, partner, and deliver collaborative efforts through the Columbus Saves campaign.

From the Initial Idea to the Campaign Kick-Off

The development of the campaign, from the initial concept to the kick-off event, involved five steps. The first step included forming a committee of 22 individuals from: local banks; credit unions; Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Central Ohio; state, county, and city government agencies; local high school, community college, and university administrators; and local businesses and non-profit community organizations. These 22 individuals formed the initial Columbus Saves Board. Its task was to present the Columbus Saves concept to other non-profit agencies, educational groups, and businesses in order to gain their support.

The second step included consulting with the leaders of the Cleveland Saves campaign, the original America Saves pilot campaign, to better understand the campaign model and to learn from the experiences of an existing campaign of this type. Cleveland Saves is a greatly successful nonprofit coalition of more than 375 community organizations, religious groups, employers, unions, and financial institutions that offer free services to help people save and build wealth. It has enrolled more than 9,000 savers since its launch as the very first America Saves campaign. The experiences in Cleveland, a sister city in Ohio, proved to be readily applicable to the Columbus Saves efforts.

In the third step, a pilot phase of the campaign was planned, a business plan was developed, a tax identification number was obtained, and campaign leaders applied for 501(3)(c) status. For the pilot phase, employees of the City of Columbus, county government, several large businesses, key financial institutions, educational institutions, and several social service agencies were invited to the planning sessions. The leaders of the Cleveland Saves campaign and The Consumer Federation of America presented the benefits of a Columbus Saves campaign to those invited to the planning sessions. To develop a business plan, the Columbus Saves Board created by-laws, an advisory board, a formal board of directors, and several committees for fund-raising, finance, marketing, and education.

In the fourth step, a 3-month pilot period was implemented for the campaign in 2004, between January 31 and April 30. The Columbus Saves Board selected four sites representing public and private sector groups within the community to participate in the pilot project: government, faith-based, nonprofit, and business. The Consumer Federation of America provided initial training for motivational speakers, site coordinators, and wealth coaches.

The fifth step included the campaign's kick-off event, held on October 5, 2004. City and county officials gave keynote speeches, a Columbus Saver from the pilot campaign shared his success story, and a testimonial was given from a pilot site host. A sample Wealth Building Workshop was presented, and representatives from Columbus Saves, Consumer Federation of America, and Cleveland Saves added research statistics and campaign information based on previously conducted campaign evaluations (e.g., Clarke, 2004; Cude & Cai, 2005). The event was featured on two local network television stations and was also reported in local newspapers.

From the Campaign Kick-Off to the Present

Post-pilot activities included hiring a Columbus Saves Project Coordinator, forming partnerships with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs, and publicizing the campaign through hospital and business health fairs and summer community festivals. Major promotional events included two Columbus Saves Weeks, during which 20 motivational workshops were held and a total of 200 savers were enrolled, a pilot Roll Your Change Week, and a partnership with Columbus public schools, during which the campaign was presented to 3,000 middle and high school students through the Ohio 4-H program, Real Money, Real World. As of September 1, 2006, Columbus Saves had 1,012 participants served by 70 volunteer wealth coaches. Table 1 summarizes the timeline of the Columbus Saves campaign.

Extension educators interested in initiating their own local America Saves campaign should consider the following campaign elements: a) strategic planning to identify common goals of campaign partners; b) communication with partners and the public through a business plan and website; c) campaign ownership by each campaign partner and the opportunity to participate in the campaign efforts; d) delegation of campaign functions to working committees; and e) regular working group meetings at the same time and location.

Future Goals for Columbus Saves

Future goals for Columbus Saves include offering four social marketing events: Columbus Saves Week in January, Real Money, Real World for high school students in April, a marketing event at a baseball game in July, and Roll Your Change Week in October. The successful experience with Columbus Saves has encouraged similar efforts in two regions of Ohio. In Findlay, located in Northwest Ohio, Hancock County Saves was formed. In the Dayton area, located in Southwest Ohio, a working group that includes eight OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators was formed to initiate a Miami Valley Saves campaign.

Conclusion

Family and Consumer Sciences Extension educators are good candidates to initiate and lead local America Saves campaigns in the community (Schuchardt, 2005). They often have relationships with the appropriate partners as well the ability to organize, facilitate, and guide community partners in efforts to help individuals and families save. Many of these individuals are already key disseminators of financial education in their communities.

References

Brobeck, S. (1999). Making household savings a national priority. Retrieved on May 4, 2006 from: http://www.americasaves.org/back_page/whitepaper.cfm

Clarke, S. K. (2004). Critique and analysis of a social marketing campaign focused on wealth building among low to moderate income households. Department of Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus.

Cude, B., & Cai, Y. (2005). Cleveland saves: Evaluation report. University of Georgia: Housing and Demographics Research Center.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 73 (1):186-199.

Kiss, E, & DeConcini, D. (2002). America saves--Cooperative Extension: A program guide. Retrieved May 4, 2006 from www.csrees.usda.gov

Koestner, R., Lekes, N., Powers, T. A., & Chicoine, E. (2002). Attaining personal goals: Self-concordance plus implementation intentions equal success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 83 (1):231-244.

Murrell, K. L. (2005). Implementing a financial education program in your community: A step-by-step resource guide for making connection sites. Retrieved on September 5, 2006, from http://www.nicic.org/Library/020466

Schuchardt, J. (2005). America Saves Cooperative Extension Impact Report 2002-2005. Retrieved on April 21, 2006, from http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/economics/fsll/edu_saves.html

The Role of Extension in Assisting School Districts to Implement and Monitor Their Local Wellness Policies

Daniel A. McDonald
Area Assistant Agent
Pima County
mcdonald@cals.arizona.edu

Evelyn Whitmer
Assistant Agent
Cochise County
emarkee@cals.arizona.edu

Arizona Cooperative Extension

Introduction

To help combat childhood obesity, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 was signed into law (Section 204 of P.L. 108 - 265), requiring each local educational agency/school district participating in USDA's school meals programs to establish a local wellness policy. The legislation places the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level, so that the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts are required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation.

This article explores the role of Extension in assisting school districts to implement and monitor Local Wellness Policies. First, we outline the basic requirements of the law. By this time most districts should have established their policies in compliance with the law, therefore our focus is on continued compliance into the future. The primary purpose of this article is to describe what we have learned from our experience developing and implementing Local Wellness Policies in several school districts in our state and to provide information on the various research-based resources available to schools and teachers at little or no expense.

Basics of the Local Wellness Policy Law

Not all school districts need to establish a Local Wellness Policy; however, those that receive funding through what is generally referred to as the "Free and Reduced Lunch Program," must comply. The guidelines for developing the policy and then monitoring its progress are outlined below and should include:

• Goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local educational agency determines is appropriate;


• Nutrition guidelines selected by the local educational agency for all foods available on each school campus under the local educational agency during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity;


• Guidelines for reimbursable school meals, which are no less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to Subsections (a) and (b) of Section 10 of the Child Nutrition Act (42 U.S.C. 1779) and Section 9(f)(1) and 17(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(f)(1), 1766(a)0, as those regulations and guidance apply to schools;


• A plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy, including designation of one or more persons within the local educational agency or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that each school fulfills the district's local wellness policy; and


• Community involvement, including parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators, and the public in the development of the school wellness policy.

Implementing the Policy

Writing a policy is one thing, but, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating (sugar-free and using low-fat milk, of course). And so the proof of the policy is in its implementation.

Some policies use broad language to describe the intension of the policy and then charge staff in the school district with the responsibility of developing specific guidelines. Other policies are quite specific to the point of stating precisely the percent of calories from fat that is permissible. In either case, Extension faculty can inform local school superintendents, principals, food service managers, and teachers about the many programs and resources available through land-grant institutions. Below we have listed some tips on helping schools implement their School Wellness Policies.

Identify the Champions

Change agents, those identified "champions" within the school system, are essential to helping usher you through the bureaucracy and connecting with the appropriate people. Parents, students, teachers, administrators, or various community leaders are great facilitators for creating awareness of the issues and make great change agents. We were fortunate to have existing relationships with some key PE teachers and family wellness coordinators.

Get the Facts

Some schools may not have adequate information on specific subjects such as the prevalence of disease or obesity in the community. Self-assessment tools, such as the School Health Index: Self-assessment and Planning Guide <http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/default.aspx> and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System <http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm> are valuable resources.

Build Capacity

Building capacity can take many forms. One way we were able to build capacity was by demonstrating to decision-makers the strategies we had to offer. To do this we trained a cadre of administrators on how to conduct nutrition and physical activity mini-lessons during breaks at the administrators' summer retreat (for example, Energizers <http://www.ncpe4me.com/energizers.html>).

Emphasize the Importance of Wellness Policies

Stakeholders will be more likely to embrace a new policy if they have a good understanding of why it is important. One way to do this is to disseminate the policy along with implementation strategies through the superintendent's or principal's office. We put together packets including a cover letter from the superintendent, as well as 1-page fact sheets on healthy celebrations, healthy fundraisers, and alternatives to food as rewards (for example, see <http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/student/NutritionEd/Healthy_CelebrationsBW.pdf>).

Provide Ongoing Support

Once a policy is developed and implemented, it needs to be supported. To do this we invited teachers and administrators to attend workshops to learn more about the topic of school wellness and to become familiar with research-based programs and curricula available through Extension. We also created a matrix describing programs already available locally at little or no cost through Extension, Public Health, and other government and non-profit agencies, such as the tool kit Changing the Scene: Improving the School Nutrition Environment <http://www.fns.usda.gov/TN/Resources/changing.html>.

References:

Changing the Scene: Improving the School Nutrition Environment. (2000). United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, [On-line]. Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/TN/Resources/changing.html

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Section 204 of P.L. 108 — 265) (2004). [On-line]. Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/TN/Healthy/108-265.pdf

Fiore, S. (2005). Healthy celebrations: Promoting a healthy school environment. Connecticut Department of Education, Bureau of Health and Nutrition Services, and Child/Family/School Partnerships, [On-line]. Available at: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/student/NutritionEd/Healthy_CelebrationsBW.pdf

Mahar, M. T., Scales, D. P., Kenny, R. K., Collins, G., & Shields, A. T. (2006). Energizers. Activity Promotion Laboratory, School of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, [On-line]. Available at: http://www.ncpe4me.com/energizers.html

School Health Index: Self-assessment and Planning Guide. (2004). Department of Health and Human Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [On-line]. Available at: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/default.aspx

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (2005). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, [On-line]. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm

Healing Gardens for Assisted Living: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health Education

Claudia C. Collins
Area Extension Specialist Aging Issues
collinsc@unce.unr.edu

Angela M. O'Callaghan
Area Extension Specialist Social Horticulture
ocallaghana@unce.unr.edu

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Las Vegas, Nevada

Introduction

Assisted Living facilities are a relatively new and growing elder-housing phenomenon that gives seniors a way to maintain their independence and functionality. These life-transition facilities require major adjustments for older adults, creating a unique teaching opportunity for health education.

The Silver Sky project in Las Vegas addresses this emerging wellness issue. It is Nevada's first affordable, nonprofit assisted living center with 90 accessible/adaptable apartments. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) faculty collaborated to create Silver Sky by developing a public/private partnership to provide these services for low-income Nevada elderly. Silver Sky provides a venue to develop, pilot test, evaluate, and model research-based educational programming that includes the health promotion and quality-of-life benefits of a healing garden project.

Multi-Disciplinary Effort

Assisted Living provides supportive services, personalized assistance, and access to health care in addition to meeting seniors' housing needs. There is, however, a serious lack of health promotion programs specific to those elderly transitioning from living in their own homes to Assisted Living.

Research has demonstrated that horticulture and gardening can benefit people who are institutionalized. Gardening, even passive exposure to living plants or flowers, helps to improve health outcomes of seriously ill hospital patients and activity levels of infirm elderly. Over the past several years, facilities that work with such populations have begun integrating garden sites into their landscapes and in some cases into their therapeutic modalities (Barnicle & Midden, 2003; Bassen & Baltazar, 1997; Rappe & Kivela, 2005).

These efforts may take the form of aromatherapy gardens, meditative labyrinths, atria with growing plants, or community plots where individuals or groups are responsible for planning, growing, maintaining, and harvesting garden produce. These team efforts encourage leadership and participant involvement (Browne, 1992; Kweon, Sullivan, & Riley, 1998; Predney & Relf, 2004).

It is a logical next step to theorize that residents of assisted living, at a higher functional level than those in the above listed institutions, would benefit by participating in a healing garden program. This healing garden project represents collaboration between a UNCE aging issues specialist and a social horticulture specialist. It merges the unique expertise of each discipline.

Project Development

Early in the Silver Sky design process, a garden was envisioned. Each of the 16 planter beds was to be 2-feet high and 8-feet long. While this formation is appropriate for many types of gardens, it was not visually interesting (an important feature of healing gardens), nor would it address the requirements posed by senior citizens with differing levels of mobility, not to mention a wide range of gardening interests and skills.

Meeting this variety of needs required changing the overall approach to the horticulture of Silver Sky. First, rather than having all plant-related activity centered exclusively on community garden beds, it was determined that a more positive approach would be to include all the facility's landscape ornamentals as part of the garden project. This meant labeling all plants in the landscape with names (binomial and common) as well as their origins. By doing so, the development becomes more park-like, and plants are no longer merely passive decoration.

The community plots were also redesigned, with the physical abilities of the participants paramount. Rather than a uniform height, solid box, different shapes were constructed to maximize the accessibility and attractiveness of the garden areas. Several were set higher to ease bending, and others were built open at the bottom for wheelchair accessibility. Some of these followed designs that can be found at <http://www.infinitec.org>. Other considerations included the range of reach from wheelchair or walker to determine the width of plots for maximum usable space.

Resident Input and Collaborations

A number of factors determined the physical design of these community plots: type of plants to be grown; size of the gardeners themselves; physical ability and dexterity of gardeners; and the local climate and soil types. Focus groups conducted with the first Silver Sky residents determined that both flowers (ornamentals) and food (edibles) be grown. As a result of their input, emphasis was placed on selecting a variety of plants that would alternately flower in all seasons.

The healing garden is located in the rear of the facility in a place that is visible from the dining area and many of the apartments. The planting beds create opportunities for residents to see flowers they have grown displayed on their dining tables. They also experience opportunities to eat the vegetables they have grown in the garden. Residents also had concerns about the ability to garden in the Las Vegas summer heat. As a result, shade trees were added to the plans as well as benches for the enjoyment of all non-gardening residents, visitors and staff.

In order to evaluate the impact of the healing gardens on the residents of this new assisted living facility, quantitative life satisfaction scales are being administered. Qualitative evaluation measures include longitudinal one-on-one interviews at 8-week intervals with resident project participants, other residents, family members, and Silver Sky staff. They are asked about improvements/changes in their lives or what they have observed in others. This ongoing process evaluation allows them to suggest improvements to the garden project.

Silver Sky is truly a collaborative effort. The design, construction, and initial planting provided an applied educational experience for landscape architecture graduate students in the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Environmental Studies program under UNCE faculty supervision. Silver Sky residents who have had experience in gardening are being recruited and trained to teach the basics of horticulture to their neighbors. UNCE Master Gardeners are involved in the training of both new teachers and other residents.

Conclusions

It is expected that ongoing curriculum development, testing, and evaluation will lead to creation of a health promotion program that could be utilized/ adapted at any assisted living facility worldwide. As the aging population grows, so also does the need for such facilities to help residents maintain independence. Health promotion should be an integral part of these life-transition residences.

It is also expected that this project will add to the body of knowledge on the impact of healing gardens in residential facilities for the senior population. The Silver Sky project presents a way for Extension to provide educational, life-enhancing services to the community. At the same time, it demonstrates that flexible integration of inter-disciplinary areas of Extension can expand the scope and reach of Extension programs into previously un-reached sectors of the community to a much larger and more diverse audience.

References

Barnicle, T., & Midden, K. S. (2003). The effects of a horticulture activity program on the psychological well-being of older people in a long-term care facility. HortTechnology, 13 (1), 81—85.

Bassen, S., & Baltazar, V. (1997). Flowers, flowers everywhere: Creative horticulture programming at the Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale. Geriatric Nursing, 18 (2), 53 — 56.

Browne, C. A. (1992). The role of nature for the promotion of well-being of the elderly. In D. Relf, (Ed.), The role of horticulture in human well-being and social development (pp. 75-79). Portland OR: Timber Press.

Kweon, B., Sullivan, W. C., & Riley, A. R. (1998). Green common spaces and the social integration of inner-city older adults. Environment and Behavior, 30 (6), 832—858.

Predny, M. L., & Relf, D. (2004). Horticulture therapy activities for preschool children, elderly adults and intergenerational groups. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 28 (3), 1 - 18. Available at: http://www.haworthpress.com/web/AAA

Rappe, E., & Kivela, S. L. (2005). Effects of garden visits on long-term care residents as related to depression. HortTechnology, 15 (2), 298—303.

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