February 2008
Volume 46 Number 1

Ideas at Work

Eat Smart. Play Hard™ San Luis Obispo: A Nutrition and Fitness Pilot Program for Young Children and Their Adult Buddies

Shirley S. Peterson
Extension Advisor
Nutrition, Family & Consumer Sciences
University of California Cooperative Extension San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo, CA
sspeterson@co.slo.ca.us

Dana E. Gerstein
Associate Specialist, Center for Weight and Health
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
danaeg@nature.berkeley.edu

Krista Mugford
Graduate Student & RD Intern
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
kmugford@calpoly.edu

Rachael Willey
RD Intern
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
rmwilley@gmail.com

Jenny Davis
Physical Activity Educator
University of California Cooperative Extension San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo, California
runninggrl17@aol.com

Lisa Nicholson
Associate Professor and Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
lmnichol@calpoly.edu

Patricia B. Crawford
Co-Director, Center for Weight and Health
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
pbcraw@berkeley.edu

Background

There is a significant need to improve American's dietary and physical activity behaviors in order to combat the recent surge in overweight across the country. This is particularly important among young children as research has shown that eating and activity behaviors during childhood predict these adulthood behaviors (Krebs-Smith, Heimendinger, Patterson, & Subar, 1996).

In San Luis Obispo County, a small, agricultural county with a significant Hispanic population located on California's central coast, 19 and 20.7% of children ages 5 - 19 years have been identified as being at risk for overweight and being overweight, respectively. These percentages are considerably greater than the national data that indicate 15.7 of children ≥ 2 years are at risk for overweight and 14.7% are overweight (CA PedNSS, 2003).

In the American Dietetic Association's recently released position on interventions for pediatric overweight, they highlighted the benefits of multi-component prevention interventions for families with young children and recommended such interventions for reducing childhood overweight. They further noted the lack of family-based primary prevention interventions conducted in community settings; interventions reviewed were predominantly tertiary prevention interventions conducted in clinical or after-school settings (Ritchie, Crawford, Hoelscher, & Sothern, 2006).

The results from a pilot test of a nutrition and fitness primary prevention program with family participation conducted in a community setting are reported here.

Program Description

Eat Smart. Play Hard™. San Luis Obispo! is a 6-week program designed to promote healthful dietary and physical activity behaviors among low-income, Hispanic children ages 6 - 8 years with an adult "buddy." Adult buddies were parents, neighbors, grandparents, and other influential adults in the child's life. The program targeted Hispanic communities within San Luis Obispo County with schools that serve 50% or more free and/or reduced lunches.

Messages and resources from two well-known social marketing campaigns, the USDA Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ and Iowa Nutrition Network and Iowa Department of Public Health Pick a Better Snack™ were used to develop the program curricula. All materials, including the social marketing campaign messages, were translated into Spanish, and a Leader's Guide was written for community members to run the program. Two facilities in the targeted neighborhoods were chosen to hold the program, the Oceano Boys' and Girls' Club and Paso Robles Housing Authority. Staff from these facilities were hired to recruit participants and lead the program.

Because staff members were from the targeted neighborhoods, they were familiar with the community's cultural norms, easily able to establish rapport with the participants, and able to make participants feel safe. Most participants were able to walk to the facility where the program was held. Nine child and adult pairs met for 1 1/2 - 2 hours one weekday night per week for six consecutive weeks. Free childcare was provided for children not participating in the program (i.e., siblings). Funding for the program came from the USDA Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program.

The buddy system approach was unique to this Hispanic population. Each of the six weekly meetings was designed for the child and adult to learn and play together, so that the pair could encourage one another to adopt the learned behaviors into their every day life. The program objectives were to empower the child-adult buddies to:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables,


2. Replace sweetened beverage consumption with water, and


3. Learn fun and inexpensive ways to be physically active.

These objectives were promoted weekly through a range of activities that included an interactive knowledge center, food demonstrations, and physical activities. The knowledge center focused on a different theme each week. Weekly themes are listed in Figure 1. Eat Smart food demonstrations highlighted easy and inexpensive snacks made with fruits and vegetables, for example watermelon sundaes, confetti bean salsa, lemon coleslaw, and mango sherbet. Healthy snacks were followed by Play Hard activities. Scoop-N-Toss, Catch Me If You Can, Spatula Badminton, and Animals on Parade were some of the activities that focused on working together in non-competitive ways with inexpensive household items adaptable for indoor and outdoor use. Water consumption was encouraged throughout the program.

* Example: Participants were asked to match the amount of fat with each snack food by placing the appropriate fat tube in front of the correct snack food. Snack foods ranging in fat were displayed.

The program wrapped up each week with a buddy check-in and the completion of a satisfaction survey. Child-adult buddies talked about the ways they would encourage one and other to practice the behaviors they learned. The Power Panther™, the Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ campaign spokescharacter, visited during the 6-week program to remind buddies the importance of eating smart and playing hard.

Evaluation

Eat Smart. Play Hard™. San Luis Obispo! was pilot tested in the summer of 2004. Both impact and process evaluation tools were designed to assess program satisfaction and changes in weekly fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and knowledge. Each week the session began with the child and adult completing a snack and activity evaluation, in which they reported specific snacks and activities they consumed and participated in during the past week.

The evaluation consisted of two one-dimensional pyramids and numerous stickers with various snacks and activities. The stickers were placed on the pyramid at the level that indicated the frequency at which each snack food was eaten or activity was participated in during the past week. Knowledge gain was assessed through change in responses to pre- and post-program quizzes. Table 1 displays participant program satisfaction and behavior and knowledge changes.

Implications

Eat Smart. Play Hard™. San Luis Obispo! was designed to be a multi-component nutrition and fitness primary prevention program for low-income, Hispanic families with young children. Such programs provide an ideal opportunity to establish healthy behaviors among families with young children and ultimately prevent overweight development. Adult participation in such programs is critical in order to establish healthy behaviors among young children in the home environment.

Key characteristics of the program include the following.

• Program was designed for child-adult buddies to participate together through family-centered learning.


• Curricula used messages and resources from well-known social marketing campaigns.


• Leader's Guide was developed for community members' use to lead the program.


• Program was implemented in a community setting as opposed to a clinic or after-school setting.

References

California Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS). (2003). Annual report for calendar year 2003. Retrieved January 2, 2007 from: http://www.dhs.ca.gov/pcfh/cms/onlinearchive/pdf/chdp/informationnotices/2005/chdpin05d/contents.htm

Krebs-Smith, S. M., Heimendinger, J., Patterson, B. H., & Subar, A. F. (1995). Psychosocial factors associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Am J Health Promotion, 10: 98-104.

Ritchie, L. D., Crawford, P. B., Hoelscher, D. M., & Sothern, M. S. (2006). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Individual-, family-, school-, and community-based interventions for pediatric overweight. J Am Diet Assoc., 106:925-45.

Families and Community Partners Learning Together to Prevent Obesity

Lyn Dart
Assistant Professor and Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics
Department of Nutritional Sciences
l.dart@tcu.edu

Pamela Jean Frable
Associate Professor
Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences
p.frable@tcu.edu

Patricia J. Bradley
Associate Professor
Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences
p.bradley@tcu.edu

Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Obesity in Disadvantaged Populations

Obesity is a complex and increasingly prevalent public health issue (Hedley et al., 2004). Experts agree the continued decline in daily exercise and an increase in caloric intake are the key contributors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2004a; CDC, 2004b; Kahn et al., 2002; U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000, 2005). People with limited resources, food-insecure families, and racial-ethnic minorities have increased risk for obesity and related chronic disease (Townsend, Peerson, Love, Achterberg, & Murphy, 2001; USDHHS, 2000; USDHHS, 2006). Low-income populations are particularly vulnerable, because they combine limited leisure-time physical activity with consumption of less expensive, energy-dense foods (CDC, 2004a; Drewnowski & Spector, 2004; Kahn et al., 2002; Leibtag & Kaufman, 2003).

Texas rates of poverty, food insecurity, overweight, and obesity are particularly high. In Texas, 16.5% live in poverty (DeNavas-Walt, Proctor, & Lee, 2006), 16.4% reside in food-insecure households (Nord, Andrews, & Carlson, 2005), and more than 35% of African-American and 30% of Hispanic adults are obese (Texas Department of State Health Services [TDSHS], 2005).

Preventing Obesity in High-Risk Communities

U.S. health initiatives increasingly focus on promoting health and reducing chronic disease associated with excess weight (USDA & USDHHS, 2000, 2005; USDHHS, 2000). Collaborative, interdisciplinary partnerships with community members can help (1) identify effective strategies that support behavioral change among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic populations in high-risk communities (Kahn et al., 2002; TDSHS, 2005; USDHHS, 2006); and (2) implement sustainable program outcomes for "healthy, well-nourished children, youth and families" (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service [CSREES], 2006; Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program [EFNEP], 2006).

Community-Campus Program for Families

Healthy Weigh/El camino saludable (HW) was a multi-component initiative that helped low-income families adopt healthy eating and physical activity patterns. Responding to United Way's obesity prevention initiative (United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County, 2002), Texas Christian University (TCU) faculty (Nursing, Nutritional Sciences, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Social Work) partnered with community members and agencies to implement HW in a community at high risk for obesity and related chronic disease.

The geographic target community was predominantly African-American (35%) and Hispanic (26.4%), living below poverty (44.6%), overweight or obese (37%), and lacking high school diplomas (41.9%) (Fort Worth Public Health Department, 1998; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). HW program objectives included (1) increasing community awareness about lifelong benefits of healthy eating and physical activity, (2) evaluating effectiveness of community-campus partnerships in a family-focused program, and (3) providing service-learning opportunities for university students.

Community involvement was integral to HW's success. HW's design incorporated multiple community partners, including Texas Cooperative Extension, committed to finding effective solutions for sustainable healthy lifestyle changes (Table 1). Collaboration among HW partners created a working relationship reflecting community-based participatory research principles (Israel, Schulz, Parker, & Becker, 1998):

• Build on community strengths and resources


• Integrate knowledge and action for mutual benefits


• Promote co-learning and empowerment processes, and


• Disseminate findings and knowledge gained.

Data collection, program components, and evaluation strategies were evidence-based. Comprehensive baseline and post-program participant health screenings assessed health profiles, body composition, dietary practices, physical activity patterns, and knowledge (nutrition, exercise, and weight management). The program design integrated evidence from Healthy People 2010 (USDHHS, 2000); Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 1998); Recommendations to Increase Physical Activity in Communities (Task Force on Community Preventive Services, 2002); and Dietary Guidelines for Americans (USDA & USDHHS, 2000; 2005). Program evaluation was based on participant feedback and outcome measures for (1) increasing nutrition and exercise knowledge, (2) improving diet, exercise, and weight management patterns, and (3) achieving individually-determined goals. TCU's Human Subjects Institutional Review Board approved the program design.

Families and Community Learning Together

HW Phase 1 (12-week program) and Phase 2 (8-week program) were successful community-campus partnerships that met program objectives. Innovative program features that contributed to the success of HW included family participation and design considerations integrating developmentally appropriate and culturally acceptable components for all ages. Weekly sessions in both phases consisted of physical activity classes, family meals with facilitated table talks that helped families apply nutrition and activity content, nutrition and physical activity lessons, and child care for preschool children (Table 2). Qualified Spanish language interpreters assisted in offering program components in English and Spanish.

Age- and ability-appropriate physical activity classes included community walking. Nutrition and physical activity lessons focused on Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Family meals emphasized healthy eating and dietary/cooking practices, reinforcing weekly nutrition lessons. Meals provided foods from each food group for children and adults, and used recipes that were affordable and easy to prepare at home within limited time. Concurrent, structured child care for preschool children included physical activity and age-appropriate nutrition lessons. Other key retention strategies were telephone reminders and mailings to each family, weekly transportation as needed, and family food bags with fresh produce and healthy food items from Tarrant Area Food Bank.

A university research team implemented the program, which was coordinated by registered nurses, a registered dietitian, and volunteer and paid staff that included community members and supervised university students from nursing, nutrition/dietetics, social work, kinesiology, and medicine. Service learning was an important feature, with baccalaureate students involved in selected aspects of designing, implementing, and evaluating the program. Trained students helped facilitate health screening, physical activity classes, walking groups, meal preparation, nutrition classes, table talks, and child care.

Community Challenges and Future Outreach

Finding ways to prevent and slow rising obesity among disadvantaged populations challenges community health professionals, educators, and researchers. The most difficult challenge is how best to facilitate sustainable changes and influence family values in low-income communities, whose priorities are more concerned with daily financial struggles than with adopting healthy lifestyle practices. In HW, community partners learned to work together to find solutions for reducing obesity, family members learned about their role in guiding and evaluating the intervention, and students learned to work with low-income families with limited literacy and English.

Reducing adult and childhood obesity is a shared community responsibility (CSREES, 2006). Outreach programs that integrate community-based research, education, and collaboration among committed partners hold promise for finding effective strategies to sustain health-related community changes (CSREES, 2006; EFNEP, 2006; TDSHS, 2005; USDHHS, 2006). With their history of community commitment and successful program implementation among low-income and underserved populations, Extension educators are in a key position to work with multiple community partners and initiate such outreach programs.

Acknowledgments

Healthy Weigh/El camino saludable had successful program outcomes because of the ongoing dedication of all its partners. United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County and supplemental funds from the Alma Moreton Research Grant provided financial support for Phase 1 and Phase 2. Texas Christian University provided in-kind support. The Cornerstone Community Center shared its facilities and knowledge of the community. Healthy Weigh planning and coordination of ongoing program tasks would not have been possible without the multiple talents and numerous hours donated by community members and agencies, university faculty and staff, and student volunteers--each a contributing partner committed to finding effective solutions for sustainable change.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004a). Prevalence of no leisure-time physical activity - 35 States and the District of Columbia, 1988-2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53(4), 82-86.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004b). Trends in intake of energy and macronutrients - United States, 1971-2000. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53(4), 80-82.

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. (2006). Obesity & healthy weight. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/ProgView.cfm?prnum=5815

DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B., & Lee, C. (2006, August). Income, poverty, and health insurance in the United States: 2005 [Electronic version]. Current Population Reports P60-231. U.S. Census Bureau. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf

Drewnowski, A., & Spector, S. E. (2004). Poverty and obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(1), 6-16.

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). (2006, Updated). USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/food/efnep/efnep.html

Fort Worth Public Health Department. (1998). The City of Fort Worth community needs assessment: Summary and recommendations. Fort Worth, TX: Author.

Hedley, A. A., Ogden, C. L., Johnson, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., & Flegal, K.M . (2004). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. Journal of the American Medical Association, 291(23), 2847-2850.

Israel, B., Schulz, A., Parker, E., & Becker, A. (1998). Review of community-based research: Assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annual Review of Public Health, 19, 173-202.

Kahn, E. B., Ramsey, L. T., Brownson, R. C., Heath, G. W., Howze, E. H., Powell, K. E., Stone, E. J., Rajah, M. W., & the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. (2002). The effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity. A systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 22(4S), 73-107.

Leibtag, E. S., & Kaufman, P. R. (2003). Exploring food purchase behavior of low-income households. How do they economize? Current Issues in Economics of Food Markets. Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 747-07, 1-7.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (1998). Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. The evidence report. NIH Publication No. 98-4083. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.pdf

Nord, M., Andrews, M., & Carlson, S. (2005). Household food security in the United States, 2004 [Electronic version]. Economic Research Report No. 11. Washington, DC:U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err11/

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. (2002). Recommendations to increase physical activity in communities. [Electronic version]. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 22(4S), 67-72. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/pa-ajpm-recs.pdf

Texas Department of State Health Services. (2005). Strategic plan for the prevention of obesity in Texas: 2005-2010. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/phn/obesity.shtm

Townsend, M., Peerson, J., Love, B., Achterberg, C., & Murphy, P. (2001). Food insecurity is positively related to overweight in women. Journal of Nutrition, 131, 1738-45.

U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000. (2000). Detailed tables created from Summary File 1 and Summary File 3. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=DEC&_lang=en&_ts.

U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Nutrition and your health: Dietary guidelines for Americans. 5th ed. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/DietGd.pdf

U. S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2005). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2005. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232. Washington, DC: U.S Government Printing Office. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Healthy people 2010. 2^nd ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/tableofcontents.htm

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). Racial and ethnic approaches to community health (REACH 2010): Addressing disparities in health. At a glance 2006. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/aag/reach.htm.

United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County. (2002, November 18). Request for proposals to provide obesity prevention/intervention services in Tarrant County. Fort Worth, TX: Author.

Connecting Local Food Systems to Youth

Cindy A. Kinder
Area 4-H/Youth Extension Educator
University of Idaho
Camas County, Fairfield, Idaho
ckinder@uidaho.edu

Agricultural Ties

Fifty-seven percent of 7 million youth involved in 4-H live in large cities (+50,000 people) and their suburbs. Across the nation, only 10% of 4-H youth members live on farms and have a direct rural background (National 4-H Council, 2005). Youth who participate at the Boulder Mountain Youth Camp are from Blaine, Camas, and Lemhi counties in south central Idaho. The majority of these youth come from families with few agricultural ties.

Food from the Grocery Store

These youth have no direct understanding of where food products originate. Many youth believe food comes from the grocery store, not from a farmer's field or a rancher's feedlot. Youth also don't realize the variety of jobs involved in agriculture production and the number of people employed in post farm production.

Local Food Systems

In order to help youth (ages 8-13) gain a better understanding of local foods systems, planners for the camp asked adult volunteers and industry ambassadors to speak on a variety of topics, including wool, beef, trees, and other food products.

The objectives of the camp workshops were to:

• Give youth the opportunity to learn about local food systems and careers,


• Increase youth life skills such as reading, measuring, problem solving, and public speaking. And


• Provide fun and learning opportunities

Camp Workshops

Food system workshops covered production, management, and by-products of a specific product or commodity, coupled with a fun activity. The Food Products workshop was based on making trail mix, and youth discussed local food systems in relation to the peanut, raisin, M&M ingredients (4HCCS; Wild Over Work). The Food Products workshop goals were to teach youth:

• About raw food supplies and how they become final products consumers can purchase at the local store,


• About jobs associated with many different aspects of food production,


• How their own family employment is important to the community.

Youth Life Skills

Participants were engaged in multiple activities at the food products workshop. Youth read how trail mix ingredients are grown. Other youth located on maps where ingredients are produced in the different regions of the world. Youth followed directions by reading and measuring the correct amounts of each ingredient of the trail mix recipe.

Gate to Plate Map

All youth participated in drawing schematic maps (one for each trail mix ingredient) on newsprint, starting with the farm that grows that particular ingredient. Businesses that process raw products were added to the map, which ended with the supermarket and the consumer's home. Participants were asked to write down the jobs involved at each place of business. Each ingredient group explained the production events to the other youth. Youth also described their parents' occupation, and adults helped explain that job's importance to the community.

Camp Accomplishments

Summer camp was a great opportunity to give youth a better understanding of local food systems. Volunteer adults and industry ambassadors provided energized workshops to camp participants. The workshops were centered on raw goods but also developed life skills of youth, including public speaking, reading, problem solving, and measuring. Youth became more aware of jobs and careers involved in final production preparation, and 24% of those attending the food products workshop reported they learned more about where different food comes from. Youth who participated feel stronger in their understanding about raw food products and have a better awareness about food systems in their communities. Youth are also building confidence knowing their family plays a role in their community and that they have a purpose.

References

McKee, R., (Ed.). (1999). Wild over work WOW!, pp 74-75. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Extension Service.

National 4-H Council, (2005). National 4-H Week 2005 4-H stats. Retrieved March 1, 2006 from: http://4hmediaresources.4husa.org/4-H_week/4-H_stats.pdf

Strengthening 4-H Youth Consumer Decision-Making Skills: Contest to Community Service

Carrie Ann Olson
Regional Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development
Assistant Extension Professor
olson166@umn.edu

Sara R. Croymans
Regional Extension Educator, Family Resource Management
Associate Extension Professor
croym001@umn.edu

University of Minnesota Extension Service
Morris, Minnesota

Introduction

Youth make decisions every day. Financial decisions can range from deciding which item to purchase for a snack to which cell phone plan meets one's needs. Practicing decision making increases the chances that youth will make good decisions (Welker, 1998). The 4-H Consumer Decision Making program provides a venue for youth to learn and practice the crosscutting life skill of decision making.

The University of Minnesota Extension program also incorporates the experiential learning model by bridging the youth's newly acquired knowledge and skills to an awareness and response to local needs. The program continuum includes team practice on the county level with a caring volunteer coach, regional and state contests, and a state service learning activity that culminates in community service in their local county.

Description

Contest

The Consumer Decision Making program began as a home economics contest and provides an opportunity for youth outside of the livestock project areas a chance to learn from a judging experience. The 4-H Consumer Decision Making program helps youth prepare for the future by teaching them how to observe, compare, and make decisions based on a given situation. Using pre-written scenarios as a teaching technique is a recommended learning method for decision-making skills (Dydal & Sondag, 2000).

The judging process provides experience in organizing thoughts and defending decisions with oral reasons. In this program the youth participate in a judging contest where they rank articles or products over others based on criteria, standards, and quality. 4-H'ers review scenarios as in Figure 1, evaluate consumer items, and tell why they think one is better than another. Previous research on livestock judging programs indicate that participation in judging has influenced the development of several life skills, including: the ability to verbally defend a decision, work together as a team, solve problems, communicate effectively and make wise decisions (Rusk, Martin, Talbert, & Balschweid, 2002; Nash & Sant, 2005).

Figure 1.
Participants Judging Class

Contest Components

Individually, participants:

• Judge five classes:
  • Health & nutrition
  • Clothing & textiles
  • Entertainment & leisure
  • Consumerism/personal finance
  • Personal care products
• Complete questions on one identified class
• Orally present reasons on identified class(es)

As a group:

• Teams participate in a Group Process activity, utilizing the following decision-making model to assess a given situation, determine an outcome, and present their decision:
  1. Ascertain the issue or problem and state the facts
  2. Determine the alternative solutions to the problem
  3. List the personal or social goals (or criteria) bearing on the problem
  4. Evaluate the alternatives according to the goals or criteria
  5. Make a decision based on the evaluation

Service Learning Activity

Most judging contests end when the judging is completed. The Minnesota program is unique in that the state contest involves an educational activity that allows more in-depth learning for the youth along with a service-learning component. With assistance from university specialists, the youth learn about issues in our Minnesota communities (such as family costs for food, shelter and clothing), purchasing strategies, and participate in a shopping experience. During a shopping experience (Figure 2), each team receives a set dollar amount to purchase items, based on a given set of criteria (e.g., budget, quality, need) and defends their choices to the large group based on the given criteria.

Figure 2.
Participants Evaluate Product Options for Purchase

Upon returning to their home communities, the youth donate the products to a non-profit entity to be used by low-income families. In addition to donating the product, teams are encouraged to donate time and learn more about the issues. The service-learning component allows youth to practice life skills (Hariston, 2004). The service learning activity completes the experiential learning process by generalizing what they have learned to connect the experience to a real-world situation and by applying what was learned with others in their community.

Service Learning Activity Components

• Faculty presentation
• Hands-on site-based experience
  • Tour facility
  • Teams make purchasing decisions based on given situation
  • Teams report back to the large group decisions made
• Service learning
  • Teams donate purchased items and volunteer time to non-profit organizations in their home community

Program Evaluation

Participants completed a written end of session evaluation that included questions to collect quantitative data about the increase of knowledge acquired as a result of the experience and open-ended questions to collect qualitative data from participants.

End of program evaluation results from 2005 and 2006 completed by 112 youth indicate that youth decision-making skills have been enhanced. Youth report that as a result of participating in the 4-H Consumer Decision Making program they:

• Are more competent in making consumer decisions (97%)


• Are more confident in making consumer decisions (95%)


• Expand communication skills (92%)


• Commit to share their experience and expertise on consumer decision making with others (88%)


• Commit to apply what they have learned about consumer decision making in their personal lives (96%)


• Prepare for the future by learning to reason, recognize quality products, and to make decisions based on a given situation (96%)


• Commit to share their time and resources with local community non-profit agencies (80%)

In response to the question "The most important thing I have gained from participating in the Consumer Decision Making program is," youth replied: "I have learned how to better spend my money and what to look for to make good consumer decisions"; "The ability and skills to have a clear thought process while shopping and purchasing items"; "That name-brand stuff isn't always important, the generic kind can taste just as good."; and "The contest is a ton of fun and it teaches a lot about making smart choices."

These findings are consistent with previous research conducted by Rusk et al. (2002) and Nash and Sant (2005) on 4-H livestock judging programs. Evaluations from livestock judging and consumer decision making judging both report growth in communication skills, problem solving, and decision making. It appears that connecting a consumer decision-making contest to a community service learning activity strengthens 4-H youth's consumer decision-making skills.

Conclusions

The opportunity to learn and practice critical decision-making skills is provided through the University of Minnesota Extension 4-H Consumer Decision Making program. The program is strengthened by the involvement of field and campus faculty, 4-H Youth Development and Family Development staff, as well as volunteers. Participants appreciate the "real life" experience with a purpose, actually applying what they learned to make real life purchasing decisions and then donating items and time to a community organization. The service-learning component extends the learning for participants. Funds need to be secured to support the service-learning component.

The evaluation provides an opportunity for participants to have ownership of the program, providing feedback that will be used for the following year's planning, as well as validating the learning. The program needs to be current to appeal to youth's interests. The authors believe it is critical for Extension to allocate resources to support this program because decision making is a critical, crosscutting skill that is vital for the success of today's youth.

References

Dybdal, L., & Sondag. K. A. (2000). Developing decision-making skills through the use of critical incidents. Journal of Health Education, 31(2), 115-118.

Hairston, J. E. (2004). Identifying what 4-H'ers learn from community service learning projects. Journal of Extension [Online], 42(1). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2004february/rb4.shtml

Nash, S. A., & Sant, L. L. (2005). Life-skill development found in 4-H animal judging. Journal of Extension, [On-line], 43(2) Article 2RIB5. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2005april/rb5.shtml

Rusk, C. P., Martin, C. A., Talbert, B. A., & Balschweid, M. A. (2002). Attributes of Indiana's 4-H livestock judging program. Journal of Extension, [On-line], 40(2). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2002april/rb5.html

Welker, E. (1998). Decision making/problem solving with teens (Ohio State University Extension Factsheet Publication No. HYG-5301-98). Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved June 1, 2007 from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5301.html

Building Community Support for a County-Wide Trail and Green Space Plan

Chris Zoller
Extension Educator, ANR/CD
Ohio State University Extension
New Philadelphia, Ohio
zoller.1@osu.edu

Introduction

There has been a growing interest among Tuscarawas County, Ohio citizens to have more recreational areas for their use and enjoyment, especially trails for walking, bicycling, and equestrian use. One of the challenges of stimulating support for trails and green space in the county is the sense that there is already an abundance of open space. In many cases, residents can walk out their front door and see green space. However, many citizens have seen and experienced recreational opportunities in other communities and want those same opportunities in their own county.

In addition to the desire for additional recreational opportunities, many more people are realizing there is a relationship between trails and green space and community and economic development. Many companies seeking to relocate or establish a corporate headquarters have cited the availability of trails as a significant factor in their decision to choose one locale over another (Rails to Trails Conservancy, 2006). This has been true for a local high-tech industrial park planned for the county. Of the several hundred acres planned for development, more than 100 acres will be devoted to green space and trails.

Background

In 2004, the County Commissioners contracted with the Ohio and Erie Canal Coalition (OECC) to assist the county in the development of a Countywide Trail and Green Space Plan. At the same time, the commissioners appointed a 16-member Park Advisory Committee comprised of representatives to act in an advisory role to the OECC and the county commissioners. Representation on the Park Advisory Committee includes township, city, and county government; Farm Bureau; farmers; business owners; chamber of commerce; convention and visitor bureau; and Ohio State University Extension. The advisory committee reports directly to the commissioners. Sub-committees were also developed and include: planning, finance, and public relations.

With the guidance of the OECC, the advisory committee developed a mission statement that guides the efforts of the committee. The mission statement reads:

Working in partnership with representatives from the agricultural community, trail and green space advocates, businesses and local government, the Tuscarawas County Parks department seeks to preserve and interpret the agricultural, natural, cultural and recreational resources of Tuscarawas County. The Tuscarawas County Parks Department seeks to partner with local communities and non-profit organizations to develop a county-wide network of trails and parks, promote agricultural lands and green spaces, stimulate community and economic development and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Tuscarawas County.

Methods

To build community support for the development of a trail and green pace plan, the advisory committee has involved greatly the public, including elected officials, business owners, and private citizens. This grassroots support began with members of the OECC and Parks Department Advisory Committee visiting the trustees in each of the 22 townships to explain the purpose of the plan and to ask for a resolution of support from each township, along with a financial commitment.

In addition to the township trustee meetings, every municipality in the county has been presented with a description of the goals of the plan and asked to provide a resolution of support along with a financial commitment to the project. During meetings with the elected officials, no specific level of financial commitment was requested. In some cases, some trustees and other elected officials chose to make no financial contribution, while others made a pledge of financial support.

Discussions have also been held with area businesses to describe the goals of the project and to seek financial commitments to assist with the cost of developing the plan. If people are willing to invest in the plan, they are more likely to be supportive and engaged in its implementation.

After completing meetings with elected officials, public meetings were scheduled. Three sets of public meetings have been completed in five strategic locations throughout the county. The purpose of these meetings has been to 1) describe the proposed plan for the development of a trail and green space plan, 2) to gauge public feedback about the process and goals, and 3) to build public support for the plan.

Results

A number of sources have provided funding, both cash and in-kind to support this project, as indicated in Table 1.

From the public meetings, four to six "early action" projects have been identified. These projects were chosen based on 1) the proposed project sites are on privately owned property; 2) the projects are relatively easy to implement; and 3) the projects are strategically placed throughout the county. Because of these public meetings and as a result of achieving buy-in from the community, several sub-committees have been formed and are comprised of local citizens who wish to volunteer their time to help carry out the goals identified in the project.

In addition to the financial commitments, this process has brought together communities that, in the past, didn't work together to achieve common goals. Throughout this process citizens and elected officials have come together to talk about projects that can bring communities together for both economic and community development.

Summary

Developing a countywide trail and green space plan can be a difficult issue, especially in rural communities. However, the experience of this county has shown that using a process that is grassroots and involves people at all levels and at all stages of development can make the process and the outcome positive.

Reference

Rails to Trails Conservancy. (n.d.). Economic benefits of trails and greenways. Retrieved May 17, 2006 from: www.trailsandgreenways.org/resources/benefits/topics/tgceconomic.pdf

Re-Homing Exotic Species--A Pilot Program to Prevent Release of Exotic Aquatic Pet Species

Andrew M. Lazur
Aquaculture Extension Specialist
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Maryland Sea Grant
Cambridge, Maryland
alazur@hpl.umces.edu

Ruth Hanessian
President
Maryland Association of Pet Industries
Rockville, Maryland
animalexchange@erols.com

Introduction

The introduction in 2002 of northern snakehead, an Asian fish species thought to be highly predatory (Cortenay & Williams, 2004) in Maryland, resulted in extensive media attention and consideration by natural resource agencies to implement stricter import regulations for pets and other animals. Aquaria releases rank third as the pathway for introductions and account for approximately 15% of all fish releases (Benson, Jacono, Fuller, McKercher, & Richerson, 2004).

The pet industry in Maryland was concerned over economic implications of possible new regulations on pet importation and possession. Maryland Association of Pet Industries (MAPI) proactively developed a collaborative education program promoting responsible pet ownership and presenting the dangers of introducing exotic species to the environment. In addition, the program went beyond existing non-native species education programs such as Habitatitude <http://www.habitattitude.net/> and Nab the Aquatic Invader <http://www.sgnis.org/kids/>, and focused on establishing a re-homing mechanism for placing unwanted pets in new homes, in hopes of reducing unwanted environmental releases.

Though prompted by the first introduction of northern snakehead, Channa argus, in a Maryland pond, which was addressed by common fish eradication techniques (Lazur, Early, & Jacobs, 2006), the education program focused on all exotic species, including animals and plants. A poster served as the main educational tool and related the dangers of releasing exotic species and included the MAPI Web site address for more information on re-homing pets. A preliminary survey of participating pet shops was conducted to assess initial perception of pet shops of the concept of re-homing pets.

Methodology

The poster and re-homing program was a collaborative effort between MAPI, Maryland Sea Grant, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. MAPI surveyed its members (pet shops) as to interest in serving as a participating re-homing outlet. Fourteen shops agreed to participate in the pilot re-homing program, which involved receiving, caring for, and relocating or re-selling a pet.

Re-selling and placing the returned pets in new homes was the preferred option of shops for handling pets. Other possible options are placing animals in an educational display, such as a public aquaria, or euthanasia, if deemed necessary due to poor health or if the animal is regulated as a prohibitive species.

A no-questions-asked policy of the pet shops helped to encourage participation by pet owners. This was developed as concern over possession of snakehead fish increased after a new federal regulation was enacted after the first introduction in Maryland, which prohibits importation, but not possession. The poster (Figure 1) was 11 x 17 inches in size and was initially distributed to approximately 50 pet shops in Maryland and later distributed to recreational fishing licence centers in Maryland and Virginia.

Figure 1.
Poster Used in the Re-Homing Program

After a 2-year period, a mail survey was distributed to the 14 participating pet shops to determine:

• Number and species of pets re-homed


• Assessment of program and its benefit to the industry


• Ability of poster to gain attention of consumers


• Ability to educate consumer of dangers of releasing pets


• Pet shop assessment of other consumer needs for exotic species educational material

Results and Discussion

The poster was distributed to 50 pet shops and over 100 fish licence centers in Maryland and Virginia. The mail survey of the 14 participating pet shops resulted in six responses, of which five indicated they re-homed pets. A total of 653 animals, were re-homed in the 2-year period by the five shops. From the survey it was estimated that 31% or 201 of the re-homed animals were directly attributed to the poster. Specifics of the 201 animals species re-homed are as follows:

• 192 fish
• 5 crabs
• 2 birds
• 1 snake
• 1 African frog

Of the 192 fish, 38 species were represented, including 30 freshwater and eight marine species. Freshwater species included:

• Cichlids
• Eel
• Goldfish
• Oscars
• Pacu
• Snakehead
• tetras

Marine fish species included:

• clownfish
• grouper
• lionfish
• puffers
• triggerfish

The survey also showed that pet shops:

• Rated the poster at 92% for being able to gain attention of consumers and being of benefit to the pet industry,


• Rated the poster at 94% as a means of highlighting the re-homing program, and


• Rated the poster at 76% for ability to educate consumers of the dangers of releasing pets into the environment

In addition, three of the six shops recommended that additional educational material on the dangers of releasing non-native or exotic species be distributed to consumers. Specific recommendations included:

• Providing definitions of non-native and exotic species and


• Expanding emphasis on the potential cruelty of releasing animals into an unfamiliar environment

Though not specifically evaluated in the survey, participating shops do derive economic benefit from re-homing animals, and also gain important consumer support being perceived as aiding in the cause of environmental stewardship.

Conclusions

The relatively large number of animals re-homed over a 2-year period as reported by the six shops demonstrates that re-homing is an attractive and environmentally responsible mechanism for pet owners to humanely handle unwanted pets. An additional benefit of the program was that other shops have expressed interest in re-homing pets.

Developing a pet re-homing program is simple and provides consumers with the assurance that their pet will be placed appropriately in a good home, which can help prevent environmental releases of exotic or invasive species. The commitment made by the 14 participating pet shops was coordinated by MAPI and would be relatively easy to duplicate by other pet associations. Including telephone contact information for local Humane Society offices may be an important addition to re-homing programs.

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank Paul Shafland and the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission for their use of much of the poster wording and artwork, Deborah Kennedy for her contribution to the fish illustration, Sandy Rodgers for poster design assistance, and all of the 14 participating MAPI pet shops for their commitment to this re-homing program and fostering responsible pet ownership.

References

Benson, A. J., Jacono, C. C., Fuller, P. L., McKercher, E. R. & Richerson, M. M. (2004). Summary report of nonindigenous aquatic species in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved March 13, 2007 from: http://nas.er.usgs.gov/publications/R5finalreport.pdf.

Courtenay, W. R., & Williams, J. D., (2004). Snakeheads (Picses:Channadae): A biological synopsis and risk assessment. U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1251. Retrieved March 13, 2007 from: http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/Snakehead_circ_1251/circ_1251_courtenay.pdf

Lazur, A. M., Early, S. & Jacobs, J. M. (2006). Acute toxicity of 5% rotenone to northern snakeheads. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 26:628-630.

Comment Coordinators: Connecting Stakeholders and Regulatory Agencies

Jane M. Thomas
Pacific Northwest Comment Coordinator
Richland, Washington
jmthomas@tricity.wsu.edu

Catherine H. Daniels
Director, Washington State Pest Management Resource Service
Puyallup, Washington
cdaniels@wsu.edu

Washington State University

Four regional Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Centers, located at seven land-grant universities, have a charter closely linked to Extension. In order to enhance responsiveness to critical pest management challenges, the centers are tasked with increasing coordination of IPM research, education, and Extension efforts. They accomplish this by providing methods of interactive communication that complement and strengthen existing IPM programs and activities, including those conducted by agriculture experiment stations and Extension services.

Accordingly, the Western IPM Center has created an innovative, low-cost program that greatly enhances stakeholder input on pesticide use to both the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Western IPM Center funds two part-time Comment Coordinators to provide regional responses to USDA and EPA information requests about grower practices. Comment Coordinators directly connect local stakeholders with these federal regulatory agencies by using existing Extension infrastructure to gather and report data. This concept could be broadly applied to many Extension programs whose stakeholders need a more compelling voice within their regulatory agencies.

Background

The EPA regularly evaluates the risks posed to humans and the environment by continued use of the active ingredients in pesticides. To do so, the EPA must understand how a pesticide is used:

• What crops rely on the pesticide?


• How many applications are made per season?


• How much acreage is treated?


• How is the pesticide applied?


• Are alternative pesticides usable?

The outcomes of these reviews are critical to agricultural stakeholders. However, in the absence of detailed pesticide use information, EPA uses default assumptions that typically overstate risk. When this happens, more restrictive regulations may be adopted. This upsets stakeholders by potentially changing entire crop practices, but in the absence of actual use information, EPA has little recourse.

In discussing its pesticide review process in the July 13, 2005 Federal Register (Procedural Regulations, 2005), EPA stated that the value of stakeholder input and public participation was one of the lessons learned from the current pesticide re-registration program.

Traditional Information Gathering

When EPA needs detailed pesticide use information, it turns to USDA and the regional IPM Centers, who in turn contact individual states. The IPM Centers provide resources such as crop profiles and pest management strategic plans (PMSPs) and fund State Liaisons, primarily at land-grant institutions, who work with the centers.

These resources, while available to EPA, are problematic for several reasons. Looking at national apple production, for example, there are 22 crop profiles and three regional PMSPs. For EPA to glean pesticide use information from the profiles and PMSPs, the agency would need to review and summarize 25 documents--a time-consuming, inefficient practice prone to error. Also, when EPA sends out broad requests for information from individuals, the agency can be flooded with disparate and even conflicting information that does not explain use differences across regions.

Despite broad agreement that EPA information requests are important, individual state responses historically have been sporadic. In some cases, states only covered crops blessed with active and well-organized grower groups or Commodity Commissions. Because input regarding pesticide use on smaller, specialty crops was difficult and time-consuming to obtain, states often omitted this input from their responses--with predictable consequences.

A New Approach

In 2002, the Western IPM Center's Pacific Northwest Workgroup met to discuss a more efficient mechanism for providing stakeholder input to EPA. The states represented by the workgroup produce more than 250 specialty crops that depend heavily on pesticide registrations. State liaisons felt it was duplicative to reply individually to information requests when they shared so many crops and stakeholder groups in common. The five state liaisons requested grant funds from the Western IPM Center for a half-time position tasked with responding to information requests. This was the origin of the Comment Coordinator concept.

The Western IPM Center currently funds two part-time Comment Coordinators serving Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Marshall Islands. As of May 2007, these two positions had submitted 112 responses to information requests.

When they receive an information request, Comment Coordinators contact individual growers, land-grant university personnel, or Commodity Commissions. Such contacts were developed through prior working relationships or introductions from trusted Extension personnel and continue to be developed in this manner.

In addition, contacts may also take the form of cold calls, in which Comment Coordinators depend upon the reputation of Extension in a community to invoke the trust necessary for stakeholders to provide information normally withheld from outsiders. In practice, stakeholders willingly provide information requested by Comment Coordinators. Once collected, the information is reviewed and summarized for a response submitted to EPA or USDA. Through this process, the Comment Coordinators provide real-world information for pesticide risk assessments.

Benefits

Regulatory Agencies

Through a regional point of contact, USDA and EPA receive more detailed pesticide use information, particularly for specialty crops, as well as an explanation of use differences across regions. The process provides an effective mechanism for direct stakeholder input during the review process.

Stakeholders

Comment Coordinators provide an unbiased voice for growers unrepresented by Commodity Commissions, grower groups, or other organizations. In addition, grower input comes exactly when critical decisions affecting their industry are being made.

Extension

The Comment Coordinator program expands the capacity of busy Extension personnel to serve stakeholders by providing their input to USDA and EPA without preparing individual submittals. At the same time, Extension personnel become exposed to pesticide re-registration issues that affect their clients. Overall, the Comment Coordinator program strengthens Extension's role in building links between stakeholders and regulatory agencies.

Conclusion

The Comment Coordinator program gives growers more effective and timely input into federal policies that affect their livelihoods. This resource-consolidating approach for providing stakeholder input may prove useful in other Extension situations that lack organized means for providing such feedback.

References

Procedural Regulations for Registration Review, 70 Fed. Reg. 40251 (2005). (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. § 155.40).

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