a 4-h afterschool resource guide guiding growth · 2012-01-03 · after-school programs, creating...

A 4 - H A F T E R S C H O O L R E S O U R C E G U I D E

Training Staff forWorking with Youth inAfter-School Programs

GuidingGrowth

4 - H A F T E R S C H O O L

G U I D I N G G R O W T H

4-H Afterschool is a collaborative effort of the Cooperative ExtensionSystem — state land grant universities, state and county governments andthe Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service,United States Department of Agriculture — and National 4-H Council.

www.fourhcounci l .eduwww.nat ional4-hheadquarters .govwww.reeusda.gov

JCPenney Afterschool Fund provides vital financial support to 4-H Afterschool.This generous funding has enabled us to create and launch 4-H Afterschoolas a focused nationwide initiative.

www.jcpenneyafterschool .org1-800-856-5314

4-H Afterschool is committed to a policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities,

and employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, religious creed, ancestry or national origin, age,

veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, physical or mental disability. Mention or display

of trademark, proprietary product or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by 4-H

Afterschool and does not imply approval to the exclusion of suitable products or firms.

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Donald T. Floyd, Jr.National 4-H Council

Kashyap ChoksiNational 4-H Council

Theresa M. FerrariOhio State University

Susan HalbertNational 4-H Council

Lynda HarrimanOklahoma State University

Andrea HutsonUSDA/Army Youth DevelopmentProject, Virginia CooperativeExtension

Sharon K. JungeUniversity of California

Eric KillianUniversity of Nevada, Reno

Lisa LauxmanUniversity of Arizona

Ina Metzger LinvilleUniversity of Missouri

Eddie LocklearNorth Carolina State University

Gretchen MayUniversity of Massachusetts

Sheila Urban SmithMichigan State University

Samuel SuinaInstitute of American Indian Arts

Deirdre ThompsonUniversity of California

Nancy ValentineCSREES/USDA

Bonita WilliamsLincoln University Missouri

Sharon K.B.WrightCSREES/USDA

C R E D I T S

DIRECTOR, 4-H AFTERSCHOOLEddie Locklear

COORDINATOR, 4-H AFTERSCHOOLRonald C. Drum

EDITORMary KrollKroll Communications

DESIGNERAmy BillinghamPensaré Design Group, LTD

A 4 - H A F T E R S C H O O L R E S O U R C E G U I D E

N A T I O N A L P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R

JCPenney Afterschool Fund

Training Staff for Working withYouth in After-School Programs

GuidingGrowth



I N T R O D U C T I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What is 4-H? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Issue of After-School Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Why Should 4-H Be Involved in After-School Programs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

What is 4-H Afterschool? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

How To Use This Resource Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Other Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Master Training Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

C H A P T E R O N E

Growing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Training Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Name Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Child Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Ages and Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Guidance and Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Audiences with Special Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

C H A P T E R T W O

Learning by Doing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32


Training Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Experiential Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Sample Activity: Good Vibrations: The Science of Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

3

Table of Contents



C H A P T E R T H R E E

Health and Nutrition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39


Training Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Planning and Preparing Snacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Food Safety and Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Teaching Children About Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

C H A P T E R F O U R

Programs and Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52


Training Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Program Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Community Needs Assessments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

C H A P T E R F I V E

Working With Parents and the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . 59


Training Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Parental Involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Family Activity Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Working With the Community at Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

C H A P T E R S I X

Share Your 4-H Afterschool Program Results . . . . . . . . . 71

Appendix A: Your Guiding Growth Training Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

4

Table of Contents

T H E 4 - H P L E D G E



Introduction* 5

What is 4-H?4-H is the Cooperative ExtensionSystem’s dynamic, nonformal, edu-cational program for youth. Theprogram partners the cooperativeefforts of youth, volunteer leaders,state land grant universities, stateand local governments, 4-H founda-tions, and the Cooperative StateResearch Education and ExtensionService (CSREES) of the U.S.Department of Agriculture. 4-H isone of the largest youth organiza-tions in the United States, withmore than 6.8 million youth andalmost 611,000 youth and adult vol-unteers. The name 4-H is summa-rized as the four-fold developmentof youth through the Head, Heart,Hands, and Health.

This resource guide is designed to be used by Extension professionals to train after-

school program staff to improve the quality of after-school programming. It represents

some of the curricula, ideas, and information available throughout the Cooperative

Extension System. Other materials can be used to supplement any trainings, including:

• Training School-Age Child Care Staff, A Handbook for Workshop Leaders. CornellCooperative Extension.

• Moving Ahead: Preparing the Youth Development Professional. 4-H CooperativeCurriculum System. Order at http://www.n4hccs.org.

* Introduction based on work by Theresa Ferrari, Ohio State University.


Introduction 6


After-school

hours

represent

either risk or

opportunity.

Care for school-age children is aconcern for millions of Americanfamilies, particularly those in whichthe single parent or both parents areemployed. With nearly 40 millionchildren between the ages of fiveand 14, the United States is experi-encing a burgeoning need for out-of-school programs.1, 2

There is a growing awareness thatwhere youth spend their time, whatthey do, and with whom they doit are important to their overalldevelopment.3, 4 After-school hoursrepresent either risk or opportunity.Youth who are unsupervised aremuch more likely to engage inactivities that place them at risk.5, 6

Programs in the out-of-school hoursgive youth safe, supervised places tospend time, along with chances tolearn new skills, develop their inter-ests, and spend meaningful timewith peers and adults.

Participation in high quality after-school programs is linked with alower incidence of problem behav-iors, such as decreased academicfailure, substance use, and delin-quency.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Furthermore,youth who attend these programshave demonstrated improved acade-mic achievement (e.g., better schoolattendance and better grades) andimproved social skills (e.g., positiverelationships with adults, opportuni-ty to make new friends, greater self-concept and self-esteem.)13, 14, 15

However, it is also well documentedthat there are challenges in runningeffective after-school programs.16, 17, 18

Primary among these challenges areprogram quality, staff training, staffturnover, and consistent funding.

The Issue ofAfter-School Care

A broad range of activities and organizations are described as

after-school programs, creating ambiguous definitions.* After-school

programs don’t always share a common time period (i.e., immediately

following the school day), since the term is used broadly to refer to

any programs outside of school hours. Additionally, programming in

after-school hours is not solely the domain of any one group. The

after-school landscape is populated by a myriad of program types,

program locations, and sponsoring organizations.

* Gootman, J. (2000). After-school programs to promote child and adolescent

development. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Science.



Introduction 7

The current situation representsa tremendous opportunity to alignexisting youth development pro-grams available through Extensionand 4-H with the need for after-school care, as well as an oppor-tunity to create new programdelivery models.

Why Should 4-H Be Involvedin After-School Programs?

Although states such as California and North Carolina have a

long history of Extension leadership in after-school programming,

school-age care education was emphasized nationally when

Extension programming expanded in 1991. Thirty school-age

child care sites were funded as part the Youth-at-Risk Initiative,

a federal budget initiative that supported efforts to help high-risk

youth. Two additional national initiatives (Children, Youth, and

Families at Risk [CYFAR] and Extension Cares…for America’s

Children and Youth) have been founded since then, devoting

more Extension resources to after-school programs. Despite

these efforts, 4-H is not widely known in the after-school arena.

Elementary and secondary

school enrollment is at record

levels and is expected to

increase every year through

the early 2000s. The need for

after-school programs will

continue to increase.

4-H Afterschool is designed tocombine the resources of 4-H andthe Cooperative Extension Systemwith community-based organizationsthat provide after-school programswhich address community needs.4-H Afterschool seeks to increase thequality and quantity of after-schoolprograms. To accomplish this, we’vechosen here to focus on improvingthe ability of program staff to offerhigh quality care, education, anddevelopmental experiences for youth.

Other materials focus on helpingafter-school sites start 4-H clubswithin their operations and provid-ing activities and learning experi-ences for day-to-day programming.

What is 4-HAfterschool?

4-H has the resources to providethese after-school opportunities.Providing experiences for youngpeople that address healthy develop-ment is the goal of 4-H. Extensionhelps youth develop into confident,capable, and contributing citizens.

It is probably not feasible for 4-Hyouth development professionalsto meet all the after-school programneeds for youth in their communi-ties. However, many communitieshave existing programs that wouldbenefit from Extension expertise andresources, and they would welcomeopportunities to partner withExtension staff.


Introduction 8


This Guiding Growth: TrainingStaff for Working with Youth inAfter-School Programs resource guideis designed to be used by Extensionprofessionals to train after-schoolprogram staff to enhance the qualityof care they provide. It representsthe curricula, ideas, and infor-mation available throughout theCooperative Extension System.This guide can be supplementedwith other Cooperative ExtensionSystem materials, such as:

1 Training School-Age Child CareStaff, a Handbook for WorkshopLeaders. Cornell CooperativeExtension.

2 Moving Ahead: Preparing theYouth Development Professional.4-H Cooperative CurriculumSystem (can be ordered athttp://www.n4hccs.org).

A Master Training Matrix is provided on page 9 to help Exten-sion professionals plan seminarsor trainings. The typical trainingtakes about eleven hours. It canbe offered as a two-day training,as three half-day trainings, or asa series of two- to three-hour train-ings. Or, chapters and/or topics canbe individually selected and usedin shorter workshops or trainings.

How To Use ThisResource Guide

There are two other resource guides in the 4-H Afterschool

series. Starting 4-H Clubs in After-School Programs is used

to help after-school sites get 4-H clubs up and running.

Extraordinary Learning Opportunities: A Sampler of 4-H

Afterschool Activities is an excellent sampling of 4-H program-

ming and activities that sites can use directly or with assistance

from Extension professionals. These guides are to be used

independently; as such, they may contain some repetition.

Other OutreachExtension professionals also maywish to start 4-H clubs in after-school sites (see Starting 4-H Clubsin After-School Programs). After-school program staff may requestfiller activities or just “something todo” with the children who attendtheir programs. ExtraordinaryLearning Opportunities: A Samplerof 4-H Afterschool Activities fillsthis need.

The training offered in this book is for an

after-school program staff audience. The

entire training takes about eleven hours.

It can be offered as a two-day training, as

three half-day trainings, or as a series of

two- to three-hour trainings. Or, chapters

and/or topics can be individually selected

for shorter workshops or trainings. Appendix

A: Your Guiding Growth Training Planner

can provide help in planning a training.


S E C T I O N P U R P O S E

C H A P T E R O N E

Growing Up (Approximately three hours to complete.)

NAME GAMES To help participants get to know each other and feel more comfortable interacting.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT To understand how children develop, and how these stages set the tone for programming.

AGES AND STAGES To understand pre-adolescent and adolescent characteristics and behavior.

GUIDANCE AND DISCIPLINE To better understand how to foster cooperation and acceptable behavior among children.

AUDIENCES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS To be able to adapt activities to be more inclusive of children with special needs.

C H A P T E R T W O

Learning by Doing (Approximately two hours to complete.)

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING To be able to describe and use the experiential learning process.

SAMPLE ACTIVITY: GOOD VIBRATIONS: To learn how to incorporate the experiential learning cycle into an activity.THE SCIENCE OF SOUND

C H A P T E R T H R E E

Health and Nutrition (Approximately 21⁄2 hours to complete.)

PLANNING AND PREPARING SNACKS To try some simple, healthy snack recipes.

FOOD SAFETY AND HANDLING To learn the basics of safe food handling.

TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT To learn an activity associated with nutrition to teach children.NUTRITION

C H A P T E R F O U R

Programs and Places (Approximately 11⁄2 hours to complete.)

PROGRAM QUALITY To compare current programs with NSACA standards for administration.

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS To gain knowledge about community needs assessments.

C H A P T E R F I V E

Working with Parents and the Community (Approximately two hours to complete.)

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT To share successful methods for involving parents in programs.

FAMILY ACTIVITY NIGHTS To give parents, caregivers, children, and staff opportunities to interact and learnin informal ways.

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY To understand how to begin to build a sense of community at sites.AT LARGE


9

Master Training Matrix

Introduction

This is a suggested training sequence for this guide. All activities can be offered, or they can be specifi-cally selected to meet training needs. NOTE: To teach more in-depth about a particular topic, such aschild development, this guide can be supplemented with other Cooperative Extension System curricula.

For help with planning a training, see Appendix A: Your Guiding Growth Training Planner.



10

Chapter

1

G R O W I N G U P


C H I L D D E V E L O P M E N TAs an extension professional, youcan help after-school program staffunderstand that each child developsat his or her own rate. While thechild’s chronological age may be ten,his or her social, emotional, intellec-tual, and other “ages” may be allover the board. In other words, eachchild is a conglomeration of abilities,skills, and talents, sometimes wildlydisparate from each other.

After-school program staff facemany challenges in providing carefor children. One of the greatestis understanding youth develop-ment — why children behaveas they do, how to communicatewith children, and how to structurelearning so that it is based on howchildren develop. After-schoolprogram staff need to know howto help children develop healthyself-concepts, achieve success, beindependent, express affection,try new adventures, be acceptedby others, and be secure in whothey are. This is a tall order!

A G E S A N D S TA G E SAfter-school program staff offerprograms that encompass childrenwho range in age from five to 14,and may also work with older teens.How, then, does the curriculumand activities include all these agegroups? And what makes eachgroup unique?

There are common traits sharedby different age groups. For exam-ple, eight year olds are notoriousfor being able to control their largemuscles better than small muscles.If program staff place this age groupwith 12 year olds and ask them allto make jewelry, the older childrenwill have stunning creations whilethe eight year olds may be reducedto tears. Their small motor skillsdon’t allow for flawless beading.

Chapter 1 11 G R O W I N G U P

Chapter Background*


It’s important for program staffto recognize the different ages andstages youth experience as theymature, and reflect on how theseaffect programming.

Involving Older Youthin After-School Programs*Children ages 10 to 14 begin to focus quite a bit on peer relation-ships and have a strong need to belong. Program staff can includethem by:

1 Seeking their opinions and feedback about the activities theyparticipate in, the rules they abide by, and the site itself.

2 Giving them responsibility.

3 Helping them connect to the larger community.

4 Exposing them to a wide range of interesting and challenginglearning experiences.

5 Providing a support environment.

* Adapted from Tips on Out-of-School Youth Development Programs,

at www.niost.org/tips-activities.html. Accessed 6/2002.

* Use this section as background information to readand understand before you begin training. You may alsochoose to repeat this information during trainings.

For more information about child development,go to the Cooperative Extension System’sNational Network for Child Care web site atwww.nncc.org/homepage.html.

For more information about the ages andstages of children, go to the National Networkfor Child Care’s web site at www.nncc.org/cyfernet/cd.page.html.


G U I D A N C E A N DD I S C I P L I N E One of the biggest challenges facingafter-school program staff is guidanceand discipline. Every person whohas ever taught a class or interactedwith children in a group knows thatone or two mis-behaving youth cancompletely alter the outcomes oflearning and play. Guidance anddiscipline must be used to protectthe rights of all children.

According to some child developmentexperts, children usually misbehavefor one of four basic reasons: atten-tion, power, revenge, or inadequacy.*

1 Attention: When childrenbelieve they “belong” only whenthey are noticed. They feel impor-tant when they are commandingtotal attention.

2 Power: When children believethey belong only when they are incontrol or are proving that no onecan “boss them around.”

3 Revenge: When children believethey belong only by hurting others,since they feel hurt themselves.

4 Inadequacy: When childrenbelieve they belong only whenthey convince others not to expectanything of them since they arehelpless or unable.

Program staff can employ a host ofstrategies to help children get backon the right track. These includecatching children being “good,”ignoring inappropriate behavior,implementing routines that structurethe day, helping children expressfeelings, and other responses.


Chapter Background


* Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care (NNCC).DeBord, K. Appropriate limits for young children: a guide for discipline, Part 1.Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

For more information about guidance anddiscipline, including research on such topicsas behavior management and establishingrules, go to the National Network for ChildCare’s web site at www.nncc.org/Guidance/guide.disc.page.html.


A U D I E N C E S W I T HS P E C I A L N E E D S Children with special needs usuallyhave at least one physical, social,emotional, or mental impairmentthat limits their abilities. These mayfall into following categories:19

1 Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome

2 Attention Deficit Disorder andAttention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder

3 Cerebral Palsy and Neurology

4 Developmental Disabilities

5 Emotional Disabilities

6 Learning Disabilities

7 Mental Illness

8 Orthopedic and Other HealthImpairments

9 Speech, Language, and Hearing

10 Vision Disabilities

More than half of the identifieddisabilities in children with specialneeds are related to learning disabili-ties. Physical disabilities, accordingto the Internet-based Eric Digest,are relatively rare, constituting lessthan 2 percent of those identifiedas having disabilities.20

There are two important questionsto consider when working with yourprograms and children with specialneeds:

1 How can after-school staff andthe children who attend the pro-gram better understand the perspec-tives (physical, emotional, etc.)of a child with special needs?

2 How can after-school staff andthe children who attend the pro-gram help make the environmentas rich and exciting for children withspecial needs as it is for everyone?

A B I G I M PA C TAgain, challenges faced by after-school program staff are deep andwide. Children may spend morethan 700 hours each year in after-school programs. The impact thatafter-school programs have onhealthy youth development cannotbe underestimated. Providing safe,quality educational and recreationalprograms is the goal of Extensionand after-school sites alike.


Chapter Background


This resource guide provides information with

which to train with after-school program staff.

It can be supplemented with material from

other sources, including:

• Moving Ahead: Preparing the Youth Develop-ment Professional. 4-H Cooperative CurriculumSystem. Order at http://www.n4hccs.org.

• Training School-Age Child Care Staff, AHandbook for Workshop Leaders. CornellCooperative Extension.

• Information and training from the CYFARsite, available at www.cyfarnet.org.

The University of Delawaremaintains an excellent web sitefor information about workingwith children with disabilities.The web address is http://ag.udel.edu/extension/fam/ParentGrndMentor/special_needs_and_disabilities.htm.


S E C T I O N P U R P O S E M AT E R I A L S N E E D E D T I M E

NAME GAMES To help participants get Beachballs or balloons, nametags. 20 minutes

to know each other and Set tables with drawing paper, cups and

feel more comfortable markers, hard candy, and any other

interacting. decorations. Also make a handout of the

day’s agenda, or write it on a flipchart with

markers or on a chalkboard with chalk.

CHILD To understand how Make Child Development Overhead 45 minutes

DEVELOPMENT children develop, and (page 18); make signs using art paper

how their stages set the and markers (see under Overview);

tone for programming. photocopies of Implications for

Programming Handout (page 19).

AGES AND STAGES To understand pre- Make overheads from Ages and Stages 30 minutes

adolescent and adolescent Overhead 2, Overhead 3, Overhead 4.

characteristics and behavior. (pages 21 to 23).

GUIDANCE To better understand Flipchart and markers or chalkboard 30 minutes

AND DISCIPLINE how to foster cooperation and chalk; photocopies of Guidance

and acceptable behavior and Discipline Handout (page 26).

among children.

AUDIENCES WITH To be able to begin to adapt Photocopies of Leaf Litter Search (pages 29 One hour

SPECIAL NEEDS activities to be more inclusive and 30); Special Needs Cards (photocopy

of children with special needs. sheet and cut apart, page 31); flipcharts

and markers. If you plan to do the Leaf

Litter Search activity, you’ll also need lens

boxes or magnifying glasses; collected leaf

litter (or go outside); colored pencils; paper;

insect/beetle field guides; plastic glasses;

newspaper (if activity is done indoors).



Training MatrixThis is a suggested training sequence for this chapter and for the topic of child development. You can

offer all the activities or pick and choose to meet your training needs. NOTE: To teach more in-depth about

a particular topic, such as guidance and discipline, you may need to supplement the materials found in

this chapter with other Cooperative Extension System curricula.


O V E R V I E WYou can use the ideas found hereto begin your workshop, especiallyif your participants include after-school program staff from manydifferent sites. Before you begin,cover the tables with drawing paperand place cups full of colorful mark-ers and hard candy at each table.This encourages creativity and relax-es participants. Each participantalso should have a nametag.

NOTE: If participants already knoweach other, skip this activity. Instead,start your training with an informalintroduction and review of the day’sagenda.

S TA R T H E R EWelcome participants to the work-shop and introduce yourself. Explainthat the important purpose of today’sworkshop (or series of workshops) isto enhance the ability of after-schoolprogram staff to help youth learn,play, and develop positively.

Use one (or more) of the followinggames to help participants get toknow each other better:*


Name Games


OBJECTIVE

To help participants (after-school program staff) get toknow each other and feelmore comfortable interact-ing. (Assumes you are train-ing staff from several differ-ent sites.)

T IME

20 minutes.

MATERIALS

Beachballs or balloons,nametags. Set tables withdrawing paper, cups andmarkers, hard candy, andany other decorations. Alsomake a handout of the day’sagenda, or write it on aflipchart with markers or ona chalkboard with chalk.

* Adapted from Crosiar, Sally Jo, Kathryn Sanger, Jennifer Birckmayer, andPolly Spedding. 1995. Training School-Age Child Care Staff, A Handbook forWorkshop Leaders. Cornell Cooperative Extension.

1 Imaginary Ball Toss. Askthe group to form a circle. Start bytossing an imaginary ball to yourneighbor, first saying her name, “I’mthrowing this ball to Eliza. Catch!”Ask participants to continue tothrow the pretend ball around, firstsaying the name of the person theyare throwing it to. After a fewrounds, explain they are now throw-ing a water balloon. Soon, it growsto a bowling ball, watermelon —whatever the person throwing theobject wants it to be. Repeat untileach participant has had a few turnscatching and throwing his or herimaginary objects.

2 Years and Years. Ask partici-pants to line themselves up, startingfrom the highest number to the low-est, in the order of the years they’vebeen involved in youth develop-ment/after-school care.

3 Up in the Air. Ask participantsto form a circle and hold hands.Throw a balloon or beachball intothe air, and tell them they need tokeep it from touching the groundwithout breaking the circle. If thisseems too easy, add some moreballoons or balls.

F I N A L A C TAfter the group has settled downagain, introduce the agenda for thesession, using either a handout orflipchart and markers/chalkboardchalk. Ask participants if there isanything that can be done to makethe room more comfortable, andaddress these needs. You’re readyto move on to the next activity.



O V E R V I E WIn this activity, you’ll introduce ideasabout how children develop, settingthe stage for the rest of the GrowingUp training.

Before you begin, hang colorfulsigns (make these with markers andart paper) around the room with thefollowing sayings:

1 “Anyone who imagines that allfruits ripen at the same time asstrawberries knows nothing aboutgrapes.” — Paracelsus

2 “Children love and want to beloved and they very much prefer thejoy of accomplishment to the tri-umph of hateful failure. Do notmistake a child for his symptom.”— Dr. Erik Erikson

3 “If a child is to keep alive hisinborn sense of wonder, he needsthe companionship of at least oneadult who can share it, rediscoveringwith him the joy, excitement andmystery of the world we live in.”— Rachel Carson

4 “Children allowed to develop attheir own speed will usually win therace of life.” — Fred O. Gosman

5 “The child’s personality is a prod-uct of slow gradual growth … all ofhis abilities … are subject to laws ofgrowth. The task of child care is notto force him into a predeterminedpattern but to guide his growth.”— Arnold Gesell

S TA R T H E R EIntroduce the topic of child devel-opment. Use Overhead 1 to explainhow children have many differentdomains that interact to determinethe child’s overall “maturity.” Thismay explain why children who canskillfully hit a ball past third basemay crumple at home if called“out.” Ask participants to think ofa certain child, and try to estimatehis or her different developmental“ages.” They may wish to shareexamples aloud.


Child DevelopmentOBJECTIVE

To understand how childrendevelop, and how theirstages set the tone forprogramming.

TIME

45 minutes.

MATERIALS

Make Child Develop-ment Overhead (page 18);make signs using art paperand markers (see underOverview); photocopiesof Implications for Program-ming Handout (page 19).


Next, explain that each child hasdifferent needs from a provider.Besides being understood for theconglomeration of ages he or sherepresents, a child also needs thefollowing things to move smoothlythrough life (write these on aflipchart with markers):

1 a satisfactory self-concept

2 success in achievement

3 increasing independence

4 giving and receiving affection

5 adventure

6 acceptance by peers and elders

7 and the development andacceptance of a sex role.*

Ask participants to share aloudany examples they can think of asto how their programs meet theseneeds. For example, their programsmay include using 12 year olds asmentors (increasing independence)or exploration days (adventure).Give participants several minutesto exchange ideas.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ? Break the group into five teams.Let each team choose one of thesayings you have hung around theroom (they can physically retrieveit). Explain that teams will use thesesayings to fill out an Implicationsfor Programming Handout (distrib-ute to teams).

Bring teams back together as a largegroup after they have filled out thesheets. Ask each team to share itssaying and thoughts about how thisaffects programming (teams cansummarize their sheets).

F I N A L A C TAsk participants the followingquestions:

1 What are the biggest challengeswith working with children?

2 What are some ways that yourprograms generally can help childrendevelop independence, caring, andother positive attributes?

Recommend that sites plan a childdevelopment day to figure out howprograms can better address childdevelopment needs.


Child Development


* Adapted from Crosiar, Sally Jo, Kathryn Sanger, Jennifer Birckmayer, andPolly Spedding. 1995. Training School-Age Child Care Staff, A Handbook forWorkshop Leaders. Cornell Cooperative Extension.

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Child Development

Children can be in different developmental stages in each developmental area.

For example:

D E V E L O P M E N T A L S T A T E SI N D I F F E R E N T D O M A I N S

SOURCE: Cooperative Extension System Extension “CARES”for America’s Children and Youth Initiative, March 2001.


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Child Development



Implications for ProgrammingInspiration is nine-tenths of the work in raising children. But what does it mean for programming?

Analyze the quote your team has chosen to try to glean some ways to improve programming.

1 What does the saying mean? Write it down:

2 Does this saying ring true for the children you work with? If so, give some examples of how or why you

think it fits children. If not, explain why.

3 As a team, brainstorm some ways you can help the children you work with achieve the major theme(s)

of your saying (e.g., independence, accomplishment, autonomy, companionship). Write your ideas here

(they can be specific or general):


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, you’ll teach after-school program staff the basics of4-H educational theory and intro-duce them to some activities.

S TA R T H E R EExplain to participants that one ofthe guiding principles of 4-H is thedevelopment of the child. Whileeducation in content areas and gain-ing skills are important, it is criticalthat we first understand the differentages and stages of a child’s world.

Use Overheads 2, 3, and 4 to explainthe different ages and stages of childdevelopment. As an extension, askparticipants to give examples fromtheir experience working with youthof each age group, especially in storyformat. Alternatively, you can ask asmall group to come up and pretendthey are the age group representedon the overhead dealing with thesedilemmas:

1 They must work together totake care of a hamster. The groupincludes two boys, two girls, andone adult.

2 They are trying to share onevideo game. The group includesthree boys.

3 They are drawing posters to tryto win a contest about the impor-tance of brushing teeth. The groupincludes two girls, one boy, andone adult.

The group should role play usingthe characteristics of each age group(you can use separate groups torepresent the different ages of eachoverhead).

W H AT ’ S N E X TEmphasize that most program staffwill work primarily with childrenages five to eight. But understandinghow different ages act and learn willhelp them attract and engage moredifferent-aged children. For example,sites may choose to start a volunteerprogram to keep youth ages 12 to16 busy in the summer by helpingat the site. Ask program staff toshare examples of:

1 Whether they are currently workingwith older youth (ages 10 and up).

2 How they are helping these youngpeople learn and/or gain skills.

3 Whether they have special pro-grams to recruit older youth.

4 How they may have benefitedfrom using older youth in theirprograms.

F I N A L A C TExplain that understanding howdifferent ages work, play, and learnis critical to helping them developinto productive and happy adults,and is core to 4-H programming.


Ages and Stages


OBJECTIVE

To understand pre-adoles-cent and adolescent charac-teristics and behavior.

T IME

30 minutes.

MATERIALS

Make overheads from Agesand Stages Overhead 2,Overhead 3, and Overhead4 (pages 21 to 23).

Overwhelmingly across the country,

children in pre-kindergarten through third

grade make up the majority of those

enrolled in after-school care.

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Ages and Stages

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S I M P L I C AT I O N S F O R P R O G R A M M I N G

PhysicalGrowing slowly, just learning to master Projects and meal times are messy. Activities that

physical skills. Can control large muscles encourage use of large muscles, such as running,

better than small muscles. playing games, etc. are good.

SocialLearning how to be friends; may have many Small group activities let this group practice their

friends. Fighting occurs but doesn’t last long. social skills, but still allow for individual attention.

Towards the end of this phase, boys and Role-playing helps children gain empathy. Encourage

girls separate. children to participate in mixed-gender activities.

EmotionalAre self centered. Seek approval from adults, Be positive! Plan activities where everyone can

and go out of their way to avoid punishment. experience some success. Foster cooperation,

Are sensitive to criticism; don’t like to fail. not competition.

IntellectualAre concrete thinkers — base thinking in reality. Plan lots of activities that take a short time to finish.

Can’t multi-task well. Are more interested in doing Focus on the process rather than the final product.

things than getting a good result at the end. Allow for exploration and inquiry.

Characteristics of YouthG R A D E S K – 3

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Ages and Stages


PhysicalMoving all the time; can’t sit still. Beginning of Provide active learning experiences.

adolescence is marked by a growth spurt, with Avoid competitions between boys and girls.

females maturing before males.

SocialJoining clubs becomes popular. Don’t always Use group learning as much as possible,

understand other viewpoints, but like to try to with same-sex members. Encourage older

make others happy. Strive to please adults with mentors to work with your group.

successful project completion, rather than gaining

satisfaction from completing the project itself.

EmotionalHave a weak sense of their individual identity. Don’t compare youth to each other. Help

May become moody. Justice and equality become them identify their own strengths. Emphasize

important issues. Need to feel as if they are part progress made from previous performances.

of something very important.

IntellectualUntil about age 11, think concretely (black/white), Use simple, short directions and brief learning

but begin to understand new ideas if related to experiences. Offer a wide range of activities

previous experiences. Begin to think abstractly. to ensure many experience success.

Become immersed in subjects that interest them.

Often reject solutions offered by adults in favor

of finding their own solutions.

Characteristics of YouthG R A D E S 4 – 8

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Ages and Stages


PhysicalPhysical changes are usually accepted, but boys Be willing to answer questions about physical

may still be growing quickly. Most females reach changes. Avoid comments that criticize or compare

maximum height by age 14 and most males body shapes/sizes.

by age 16.

SocialSelf centered, but capable of feeling empathy. Let teens plan their own programs. Establish

Are able to maintain relationships with many diverse a climate that is conducive to peer support.

people. Acceptance by members of the opposite Emphasize personal development whenever

sex is important. Want to belong to clubs yet be possible.

recognized as unique within those organizations.

Spend more time working and going to school;

less time in club and group activities.

EmotionalSearching for their identity, and usually find it Let teens assume responsibility; expect them

around age 16. Want to be autonomous from to follow through. Help them explore their

parents. May have trouble with compromise; identity, values, and beliefs. Help them develop

and may have unsettled emotions. Strive to individual skills. Encourage them to work with

earn responsibility and the respect of others. older teens and adults.

IntellectualGain cognitive and study skills. Are mastering Give them real-life problems to figure out. Let

abstract thinking. Emphasis is on exploring and them make decisions and evaluate the outcomes.

preparing for future careers and roles. Like to set Encourage service learning. Plan field trips to

their own goals based on their own needs, and businesses or colleges.

may reject goals imposed by others.

Characteristics of YouthH I G H S C H O O L


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, you’ll introduceideas about guidance and disciplineto the group. Before you begin, youmay wish to write the situationsdescribed under What’s Next? ona flipchart or chalkboard.

NOTE: There are extensive resourcesavailable to help you teach aboutchild guidance and discipline. Thisactivity is meant as a starting point.You might wish to access activitiesin other curricula, including the fol-lowing, to supplement your training:

• The Wisconsin CooperativeExtension System maintains aweb site for their Early ChildhoodExcellence Initiative. The sitecontains a comprehensive listingof information about topics relatedto child development. Learn moreat http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/ece/prompac/.

• Researchers with MissouriUniversity Extension have produceda paper along with participant feed-back called Positive Discipline andChild Guidance. To order or print,go to http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/humanrel/gh6119.htm.

• See also the beginning of thischapter for more resources on childdevelopment.

S TA R T H E R EUse the Chapter Background ascontent to help program staffunderstand why children maychoose to misbehave. Key pointsto cover include:

1 Children usually misbehave forone of four basic reasons: attention,power, revenge, or inadequacy.

2 Guidance and discipline mustbe used to protect the rights of allchildren.

3 Employ a host of strategies toget children back on track, suchas catching children being “good,”ignoring inappropriate behavior,implementing routines thatstructure the day, and helpingchildren express feelings.


Guidance and Discipline


OBJECTIVE

To better understand howto foster cooperation andacceptable behavior amongchildren.

T IME

30 minutes.

MATERIALS

Flipchart and markersor chalkboard and chalk;photocopies of Guidanceand Discipline Handout(page 26).


Next, share the information fromthe Guidance and Discipline Handoutwith participants. Review as a group,and ask participants to give exam-ples or ask questions as you proceedthrough the information.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ? Divide participants into threeteams. Give each team one of thefollowing situations (describe orwrite on flipchart). Ask them tofigure out how they would respond,both proactively and after the fact,to the situation. (They can referto the handout for more informa-tion.) They can present theirsuggestions to the entire group.

1 Denton is six years old. Heseems anxious when he arrives atafter-school care, or when Momleaves him in the morning duringthe summer. He plays but is sub-dued and withdrawn. He can’t seemto concentrate enough to finishpuzzles and other tasks. He wandersand tries to leave the group. Theteacher/provider thinks he is justtrying to get attention.

2 Asha is seven years old. She triedto paint a rainbow as well as herolder friend Becky did, but thepaint all ran together. When Beckylaughed at the picture, Asha becameangry and poured tempera all overBecky’s painting, ruining it. It wasn’tAsha’s first outburst.

3 Elisha is a smart eight year oldwith a very advanced vocabulary. Heenjoys most learning but has troublesitting still during group time andduring meal time. Marilyn is veryloving but independent. Whenasked to follow rules, she oftenignores requests and continuesdoing what she wants to do.

F I N A L A C TAsk participants to continue theirdiscussion by discussing discipline attheir sites. What types of strategiesdo they employ to help childrenhave positive experiences? What aretheir biggest challenges? How canthey use the information theylearned today to make changes?




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W H Y D O C H I L D R E NA C T O U T ?According to some child develop-ment experts, children usuallymisbehave for one of four basicreasons: attention, power, revenge,or inadequacy.*

1 Attention: When childrenbelieve they “belong” only whenthey are noticed. They feel impor-tant when they are commandingtotal attention.

2 Power: When children believethey belong only when they are incontrol or are proving that no onecan “boss them around.”

3 Revenge: When children believethey belong only by hurting others,since they feel hurt themselves.

4 Inadequacy: When childrenbelieve they belong only whenthey convince others not to expectanything of them since they arehelpless or unable.

Additionally, after-school sitesmight have different expectationsthan school or home. Childrenmight not understand the rules,or may be held to rules that arebeyond them, developmentally.

R E S P O N D I N G T OM I S B E H AV I O R

1 Natural Consequences:Allowing children to experiencethe consequences of their behaviordirectly.

2 Logical Consequences:Structured consequences that followmisbehavior. The child should beable to see how these are related.

3 Fix-Up: If children damagesomething, they need to help fixit or clean up. If they cause some-one distress, they should help inrelieving that.

4 Time Out: During time out,children are required to spend timealone in a specific place that has few,if any, rewarding characteristics. Thisgives a child time to reflect on hisor her behavior.

5 Redirection: If a child is notfollowing the rules and is beinguncooperative, get the child’s atten-tion and introduce another activity.




* Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care (NNCC).DeBord, K. Appropriate limits for young children: a guide for discipline, Part 1.Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Proactive Strategies for After-School Sites*• Set clear, consistent rules.

• Make sure your environment is safe and worry free.

• Show interest in the child’s activities.

• Provide appropriate and engaging playthings.

• Encourage self-control by providing meaningful choices.

• Focus on the desired behavior, rather than the one to be avoided.

• Build children’s images of themselves as trustworthy, responsible,and cooperative.

• Expect the best from the child.

• Give clear directions, one at a time.

• Say “yes” whenever possible.

* From Positive Discipline and Child Guidance, available at

http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/hesguide/humanrel/gh6119.htm.


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, you’ll teach after-school program staff how to beginto adapt activities so that they aremore inclusive of children withspecial needs.

NOTE: This activity is meant toheighten awareness about adaptingactivities for children with disabili-ties, and including all children inlearning. Many after-school sites willbenefit from using experts in the fieldto help them ensure program accessto all participants at their sites andwithin their programs.

Before you begin, prepare a flipchartwith the curriculum adaptation tips(listed below under Start Here).

If you plan to actually do theLeaf Litter Search activity, preparethe materials you’ll need (seeMaterials, page 29).

S TA R T H E R EGive participants an opportunityto adapt a learning activity forchildren with special needs. Afterintroducing the topic (see ChapterBackground for more information),divide participants into teams of twoor three. Give each team a flipchartwith markers. Hand out copies ofthe Leaf Litter Search (see followingpages) to each team. Then hand outa Special Needs Card to each team,which lists a disability, impairment,or handicap. Explain that eachteam has the task of adapting theactivity to include the participationof children with the special needrepresented by the card.

Before they begin, refer to the pre-pared flipchart with these curriculumadaptation tips. Note that activitiescan be made more inclusive by:*

• Size: Adapt the number of itemsthe learner is expected to learn orcomplete.

• Time: Adapt the minutes, hours,or days you allow for completion ortesting.

• Input: Adapt the way the infor-mation is delivered to the learner.

• Output: Adapt the way thelearner can respond to instruction.

• Difficulty: Adapt the skill levelor problem type according to thestudent’s need.

• Participation: Adapt the extentto which a learner is activelyinvolved in the task.

• Level of support: Increase thehuman interaction with a particularlearner.

• Alternate goals: Adapt theoutcome expectations while usingthe same materials.

Note that:

“Inclusion is changing the rulesof the game so that everyone canplay and everyone can win.”

— Richard Villa


Audiences with Special Needs


OBJECTIVE

To be able to begin toadapt activities to be moreinclusive of children withspecial needs.

T IME

About one hour.

MATERIALS

Photocopies of Leaf LitterSearch (pages 29 and30); Special Needs Cards(photocopy sheet and cutapart, see page 31); flip-charts and markers; anditems listed in the Materialssection of the Leaf LitterSearch (see page 29).

* From Donnelly, Julie A. 1995. Midwest Autism Newsletter.From www.smsu.edu/Access/fact16.htm. Accessed 8/2002.


Next, ask teams to go ahead and usetheir flipcharts and this informationto brainstorm ideas and outline howthey would change the activity.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?After teams have had time to discussand brainstorm solutions, ask themto share their ideas with the largergroup. If other teams have ideas, listthose, too. The goal is to start think-ing of how best to include childrenof differing abilities in all activities.

You may wish to test some of theideas by actually doing the activitywith the adaptation ideas with thegroup. You may choose to simulatesome of the physical challenges, e.g.,blindfold a participant to simulateblindness; use a wheelchair tosimulate paralysis. However, it isdifficult to simulate autism, mentalillness, or other disabilities. Youcan, in these cases, discuss if adaptedactivities might be successful forall participants. (NOTE: Please besensitive to this role playing.)

F I N A L A C TAfter the activity is finished, ask par-ticipants if they thought the adapta-tion was sound. How did they enjoythe activity? Do they feel theylearned anything? How could theirexperience have been improved?

Ask participants if they considered:

• Pairing children with disabilitieswith teen volunteers?

• Recognizing everyone for partici-pating and finishing the activity?

• Demonstrating the activity beforechildren did it on their own?




The goal

is to start

thinking of

how best

to include

children

of differing

abilities in

all activities.



O V E R V I E WMany organisms live in leaf litter —the leaves, twigs, and other debristhat falls onto the forest floor. Mostof these animals are decomposers.Decomposers are extremely im-portant — they break down deadmaterial into nutrients, which canbe used again by living things(such as trees or flowers).

In this activity, children look atleaf litter to find small animals —arthropods, insects, bugs, and otherorganisms that are classified asdecomposers. They can use a lensbox to look at their creatures moreclosely. Before you start this activity,find a safe outdoors area where thereis leaf litter on the ground, or collectsome and bring it in to the group.(It shouldn’t be more than a fewhours old, or the insects/bugs maymigrate to the bottom of the garbagebag or other collecting device.)

S TA R T H E R EExplain that everyone has a home.Even decomposers. Decomposers arebugs, insects, and other living thingsthat munch on dead material andrelease nutrients. Ask children wherethey think decomposers live. Explainthat it’s easiest to find decomposersamong the land of the dead — deadleaves, that is! Invite children to lookfor these very important creatures.

Indoor directions: Divide childreninto teams of two or three. Giveeach team a magnifying glass or lensbox, some newspaper, colored pen-cils, paper, plastic glasses, and a bagof leaf litter. Instruct teams to spreadout the newspaper and then dumpsome of the leaf litter on top.

Outdoor directions: Divide childreninto teams of two or three. Giveeach team a magnifying glass or lensbox, colored pencils, paper, andplastic glasses. Take teams outdoorsto a safe area with trees and forestdebris. Ask teams to collect a pileof leaf litter.



LIFE SKILL

Critical Thinking, Learning

to Learn.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

To analyze small animals in

leaf litter.

AGE

Five to 12. (Pair older children

with younger ones.)

T IME

One hour.

SETTING

Outdoors or indoors. Fall is

the best time of the year for

this activity.

MATERIALS

Lens boxes or magnifying

glasses; collected leaf litter

(or go outside); colored pencils;

paper; insect/beetle field guides;

plastic glasses; newspaper

(if activity is done indoors).* Adapted from Cycling Back to Nature: Food Production and Pesticides.National 4-H Council.

L E A F L I T T E R S E A R C H *


W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Ask teams to gently search theirleaves for living things. Explainthat it may take several minutesbefore teams locate a decomposer.Encourage them to keep looking.When they find an insect, arthro-pod, or other creature, they can usetheir pencil and gently put it intothe plastic cup for further study.One or all of the team memberscan sketch the animal.

Teams also can look through fieldguides to try and identify the crea-tures they’ve drawn. Ask teams:

1 What kind of creature didyou find?

2 Was it eating something?

3 Where did it come from?

4 Did you find other bugs orinsects?

5 What else do you think theanimals used the leaves for?

6 What role does the animalplay in the forest?

7 What else can you tell meabout it?

Also ask teams to share theirpictures. You may wish to hangthem around the room.

F I N A L A C TBe sure teams return their bugs tothe leaf litter. If teams are indoors,put the leaf litter back outsidewhen you’re through. Explain whyit’s important to put the materialsback outside (creatures can goback to their lives; nutrients canbe released into the soil).




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Autism and Asperger’s SyndromeBoth Asperger’s Syndrome and autism are neurobiologicaldisorders, although children diagnosed with Asperger’s aresaid to fall into the “high end” of the autistic spectrum. Bothconditions are characterized by serious and chronic social,behavioral, and communicative impairments. Affected childrenoften have obsessive routines and can be preoccupied bya single thing or subject.

Developmental DisabilitiesA developmental disability is defined as a severe, chronicdisability that is caused by a mental or physical impairment.It results in limiting the person’s ability to care for himself orherself, receive or express language, learn, move, and/orlive independently.

Emotional DisabilitiesAn emotional disability is a condition that is chronic and limitsa child’s ability to learn. The child with an emotional disabilitymay have inappropriate behavior or feelings, general depres-sion, an inability to maintain relationships, and a tendency todevelop illness or fears associated with personal or schoolproblems.

Orthopedic and Other HealthImpairmentsChildren who have lost a limb or have other orthopedicimpairments that require the use of wheelchairs may be in otherwise excellent health. Other health impairments includeheart conditions, asthma, leukemia, and others that limit thechild’s educational performance.

Speech, Language, and HearingThese impairments can include communication disorderssuch as stuttering, impaired articulation, and hearing loss ordeafness.

Learning DisabilitiesLearning disabilities can take many forms. Affected childrenmay have trouble controlling their rate of speech or learning tomake speech sounds. They may have trouble expressing them-selves. They may not understand certain aspects of language.Dyslexia is a common learning disorder. Other learning disabili-ties include developmental writing and arithmetic disorders,along with motor skills disorders.

Cerebral Palsy and NeurologyCerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to the brain,usually occurring before, during, or shortly after birth. Thisand other neurological disorders can mean a loss of controlof motor functions.

Mental RetardationThis condition is marked by subaverage general intellectualfunctioning; it severely affects a child’s educational performance.

Attention Deficit Disorderand Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderADD is officially called Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,commonly called in lay language ADHD. The primary featuresof ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

Vision DisabilitiesA child affected with a vision disability may range from nearnormal site (when corrected) to blindness.

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L E A R N I N G B Y D O I N G


Training Matrix


E X P E R I E N T I A LL E A R N I N GAfter-school program staff are inun-dated with curricula that focus ondifferent topics or content. Thereare activities to study frog eggs, ana-lyze rainbows, role play the Wrightbrothers’ first flight, paint abstractly,etc. All of these concepts, whileintriguing, are best learned througha process called experiential learning.


EXPERIENTIAL To be able to describe and Flipchart and markers or chalkboard and chalk; One hour

LEARNING use experiential learning. make overhead from Experiential Learning Over-

head (page 35); photocopy and make cards from

the Experiential Learning Cards (page 36). Also

need pine cones with seeds intact and tweezers.

SAMPLE ACTIVITY: To learn how to incorporate Drum and drumsticks; plastic containers with 30 minutes

GOOD VIBRATIONS: the experiential learning cycle lids that aren’t clear; beans, pennies, paper clips,

THE SCIENCE OF into an activity (the activity o-shaped cereal, popcorn kernels, and other

SOUND helps children understand how small items to put inside the containers.

sounds travel and are heard,

and gain an appreciation for

how sounds enrich our lives).

Chapter 2 33 L E A R N I N G B Y D O I N G

Chapter BackgroundExperiential learning, or learningby doing, is the most effective wayof helping children gain knowledge,since it engages learners actively,encourages them to think and puzzlethings out for themselves, workharder, and ultimately, learn more.

This is a suggested training sequence for this chapter and for the topic of learning by doing. You can

offer all the activities or pick and choose to meet your training needs. NOTE: To teach more in-depth

about experiential learning, you may need to supplement the materials found in this chapter with other

Cooperative Extension System curricula.

Curricula not based in this processare not as effective at buildingknowledge and awareness. Suchmaterials also don’t increase investi-gation, critical thinking, problemsolving, and other important lifeskills in children. Program staff canenhance any materials they use bylearning and following the experien-tial cycle. All 4-H curricula arebased upon this process.



O V E R V I E WIn this activity, you’ll teach after-school program staff the basics ofthe experiential learning theory.Before you begin, write the informa-tion found in the textbox on thispage on a flipchart or chalkboard.

S TA R T H E R EExplain that for children and teensto fully understand a new concept,several steps must happen. This iscalled experiential learning. UsingOverhead 5, explain experientiallearning.

Break the group into five teams.Explain that teams each get a chanceto contribute to teaching an activity.Randomly assign teams one of thefollowing functions: DO, SHARE,PROCESS, GENERALIZE, andAPPLY. Give teams the correspond-ing Experiential Learning Cards.Explain that it is the task of thefirst team to DO the activity, thetask of the second team to continueand SHARE the activity, the taskof the third team to continue andPROCESS the activity, and so on.

Here’s the activity:Use tweezers to dissect a pine cone.Figure out how a pine tree uses thispackage to perpetuate itself (grownew seedlings).

Each team actually works on thisproject as a group. (Refer the teamsto the information on the flipchart/chalkboard to help them plan theirsegments.) The DO team shouldbegin the activity with instructionsand should hand out materials.They should then proceed as theircard describes.

When the DO team is finished,the SHARE team is next. Continueuntil all teams have finished theirpart of the activity.

F I N A L A C TField any questions. Ask:

1 How does the experiential learn-ing process build understanding?How can you use it to strengthencurricula and activities?

2 Can you think of other applica-tions of this process within thematerials you are using now? Sharesome examples, if you’d like.


Experiential LearningOBJECTIVE

To be able to describe anduse experiential learning.

TIME

One hour.

MATERIALS

Flipchart and markers orchalkboard and chalk; makeoverhead from ExperientialLearning Overhead (page35); photocopy and makecards from the ExperientialLearning Cards (page 36).Also need pine cones withseeds intact and tweezers.(Some pine cones are diffi-cult to dissect. Try to findones that have alreadybegun to release seeds.)

Write on a flipchart/chalkboard these thingsto consider:

• Cones are heavy, and can drop efficientlyfrom the trees.

• Cones protect seeds.

• Cones release seeds.

• Most seeds have light wings that help themdisseminate by wind.

• Animals such as squirrels help introduce pinesand other conifer trees to new areas by movingcones around.

• Some cones are called serotinous — they don’trelease seeds unless heated by fire or by highground temperatures. This ensures seeds won’thit the ground until there is bare soil that theyneed to grow.


OV

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Experiential LearningDirect, hands-on involvement(learning by doing) is the mosteffective way to help children learn.4-H puts full emphasis on thisprincipal. The experiential learningprocess engages learners actively,encouraging them to think forthemselves, work harder, andultimately learn more.

D ODescribe the activity you’ll haveparticipants do. Encourage themto think about what they might seeor what might happen. Then, letparticipants experience the activity;perform or do it.

S H A R E Ask questions about the activityand the experience after they’vecompleted it. Participants describethe results and their reactions.

P R O C E S SAsk questions about something thatwas important about the experience.Children analyze the experience andreflect upon the results.

G E N E R A L I Z EApply the results back to real worldexamples. Ask questions to helpchildren connect the subject matterto life skills and the bigger world.

A P P LYHelp participants apply whatthey learned to their own lives, togive them opportunities to practicethese new skills or use the newinformation.

E X P E R I E N T I A L L E A R N I N GM O D E L

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Experiential Learning

DoDescribe the activity you’ll

have participants do.

Encourage them to think

about what they might

see or what might happen.

Then, let participants

experience the activity;

perform or do it.

E X P E R I E N T I A L L E A R N I N G C A R D S

ShareAsk questions about the

activity and the experience

after they’ve completed it.

Participants describe the

results and their reactions.

ProcessAsk questions about

something that was impor-

tant about the experience.

Children analyze the

experience and reflect

upon the results.

GeneralizeApply the results back

to real world examples.

Ask questions to help

children connect the

subject matter to life skills

and the bigger world.

ApplyHelp participants apply

what they learned to their

own lives, to give them

opportunities to practice

these new skills or use

the new information.

Sample Activity


LIFE SKILLS

Critical Thinking, Learning

to Learn.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

To learn how to incorporate the

experiential learning cycle in a

typical 4-H activity. (The activity

helps children understand how

sounds travel and are heard,

and gain an appreciation for

how sounds enrich our lives.)

AGE

Five to 12.

T IME

30 minutes.

SETTING

Indoors or outdoors.

MATERIALS

Drum and drumsticks; plastic

containers and lids that aren’t

clear; beans, pennies, paper

clips, o-shaped cereal, popcorn

kernels, and other small items

to put inside the containers.


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, you’ll train partici-pants how to use a typical 4-H expe-riential learning-based, hands-onactivity. Good Vibrations: The Scienceof Sound helps youth understand theprocess of problem solving. NOTE:This activity (adapted) also can befound in Extraordinary LearningOpportunities: A Sampler of 4-HAfterschool Activities.

In this activity, participants get achance to explore their sense ofhearing. Before you begin, prepare“shaking containers” by placingbeans, pennies, paper clips, cereal,popcorn kernels, or other smallitems into containers. Prepare two ofeach — two containers with paperclips, two containers with beans, etc.

S TA R T H E R EExplain to participants that GoodVibrations: The Science of Sound isdesigned to emphasize the life skillof critical thinking. Ask participantsto pay particular attention to theexperiential learning process, to seehow it is applied in this activity.

Ask participants to assume the rolesof youth ages five to 12. Note thatthe group will be beginning with thefirst step in the experiential learningprocess: experiencing the activity.Before they do this, however, notethat you’ll be providing some con-tent background.

Explain that sound is vibration mov-ing through a substance such as air,water, or other material. Our earscollect the vibrations and pass themdown the ear canal to the eardrum.The eardrum vibrates like the headof a drum. (Use a drum to simulatethis vibration — ask for volunteersto help make the noise.)

Continue your explanation bypointing out that other small bonesin the ear continue the vibrationsuntil they reach the inner ear, wherethey are changed to signals that aresent to the brain.


* Adapted from 4-H Cloverbud Series II Curriculum. Ohio State.

T H E S C I E N C E O F S O U N DG O O D V I B R AT I O N S *

Sample Activity

T H E S C I E N C E O F S O U N D


W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Help participants explore the won-derful world of sound. Give eachperson a container. Tell them toshake it up but not open it. Listencarefully to the sound it makes.Now, instruct children to go aroundthe room and find the person withthe match — the same items inthe container that they have.Participants may only use theirsense of hearing to find the match.

After everyone has found a match,ask them to open their canisters andsee if they’ve chosen correctly. Thosewho aren’t correct should find theirmatch, and carefully compare thesounds made. Explain that this is theexperiential process of sharing results.



Next, explain to participants thatthey’ll be using a series of questionsto move through the next experien-tial steps, namely, processing, gener-alizing, and applying.

F I N A L A C TAsk participants these processingquestions:

1 What kind of sounds did you hear?

2 How did you know who had thesame items in their container?

3 Why did the different items in thecontainers make different sounds?

Ask some generalizing questions:

4 What other things could be putinto the containers to make sound?

5 What things could you put inthe containers that would notmake sound?

Help children apply what they’velearned. Explain that we get impor-tant information by hearing. Ask:When are some times when listeningcarefully is important? Are thereever times when listening isn’timportant?

G O O D V I B R AT I O N S

More to DoWhy not an eardrum band? Assemble everyone

and ask them to shake their canisters in beat to

a simple tune, such as This Old Man or Row, Row,

Row Your Boat. Accompany them on a piano

(or other instrument) or play a tape/CD of music.



39

Chapter

3

H E A L T H A N D N U T R I T I O N


After-school sites can help promotesafe and nutritious food. They canmake nutrition goals, both for theirsites and for educating youth, apriority. They can implement poli-cies that support goals and makesure they have adequate resourcesto support these goals.

P L A N N I N G A N DP R E PA R I N G S N A C K SSites are always challenged to thinkof simple, healthy snacks to feedchildren. Very large sites may be partof national or state programs thatprovide guidance and resources.Smaller sites, however, may be leftto their own devices. How best,then, to plan and prepare snackswith limited time, budget, and staff?And how do you ensure foods arenutritionally sound?

The USDA recommends somesimple rules for healthy eating,which includes snacking:

1 Don’t forget to consult the foodguide pyramid for snacks as wellas meals.*

2 Use whole grains to make snackswhen possible.

3 Choose fruit and vegetables assnacks.

F O O D S A F E T Y A N DH A N D L I N GFood safety and handling issues area growing issue. It seems that everyday cases of children stricken withE. coli or listeria are in the news.Restaurants and other establish-ments make the headlines becauseof unsanitary conditions. After-school sites, if they offer meals orsnacks, must meet regulations aboutfood preparation. They also can helpchildren learn about food safety intheir own homes.

Chapter 3 40 H E A LT H A N D N U T R I T I O N

Chapter Background


Foods kept

at the wrong

temperature

cause the

majority

of food

poisoning

cases.

Healthy eating is an important skill.*

1 It helps children grow, develop, and do well in school.

2 It prevents childhood and adolescent health problems suchas obesity, dental caries, and iron deficiency anemia.

3 It lowers the risk of future chronic disease such as heartdisease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer and reduces potentialhealth care costs.

* From USDA. September 2000. Helping Students Learn to Eat Healthy.

At www.fns.usda.gov/tn. (Accessed 7/2002.)

T E A C H I N G C H I L D R E NA B O U T N U T R I T I O NWith all the adults in a home work-ing, children often are left to preparetheir own snacks or meals. Often,their choices are convenience foodsthat contain high levels of sugar, fat,or both. How can program staff helpchildren make the best choices,nutritionally, that they can?

Many after-school programs usecooking or food projects to teachchildren about nutrition and foodsafety. Such programs help childrenlearn the basics of cutting, measuring,and use of equipment (microwaves,etc.). They also teach children simpleways to prepare nutritious foods.

* NOTE: The food guide pyramid, developed by USDA,may be modified by 2005. Changes could center on sep-arating types of fats; ungrouping red meat and chicken,fish, and dried beans; and distinguishing between whole-grain products and refined ones.




Training Matrix


PLANNING AND To try some simple, Photocopies of the Food Guide Pyramid One hour

PREPARING SNACKS healthy snack recipes. Handout (page 43) and Snack Ideas Handout

(page 44); chalk and chalkboard or flipchart and

markers; scratch paper; markers; paper. Optional:

computers and printers; healthy-eating cookbooks.

FOOD SAFETY To learn the basics Make photocopies of the Food Safety and Hand- One hour

AND HANDLING of safe food handling. ling Handout (page 46); posterboards; markers;

glitter glue and other art supplies; paper; pens.

TEACHING CHILDREN To learn an activity Photocopy Vegetable Game Cards (pages 50 About

ABOUT NUTRITION associated with nutrition and 51) and cut them apart. Write their values one hour

to teach children. on the back in large numbers. Chalkboard and

chalk or posterboard and markers. Use the

chalkboard/posterboard to make a Vegetable

Jeopardy game board.

This is a suggested training sequence for this chapter and for the topic of health and nutrition. You can


a particular topic, such as food safety, you may need to supplement the materials found in this chapter with

other Cooperative Extension System curricula.



O V E R V I E WMany after-school sites provide sim-ple snacks for children. This activityhelps after-school staff base snacks inthe food guide pyramid. Before youbegin, draw a large food guide pyra-mid on a chalkboard or flipchart.Leave lots of empty space within thepyramid; you’ll be recording snackresponses. You also may wish towrite the criteria from What’s Next?on a chalkboard or flipchart.

S TA R T H E R EDistribute copies of the Food GuidePyramid Handout. Ask participantsto study the pyramid and then list(out loud) some snacks they couldor do serve, and where they fit inthe pyramid. As they do this, writethem down on the giant pyramid.

Give participants copies of SnackIdeas Handout. Discuss the recipesusing these questions:

1 What are the major ingredients?

2 Where do they fall into the foodguide pyramid?

3 Would these be easy for your staff,or even children themselves (withsupervision) to prepare?

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Break participants into teams oftwo each. Ask each team to thinkof a recipe for a “SnackDown” cook-book. The recipe must meet thesecriteria (you may wish to writethem on a chalkboard/flipchart):

1 Use the food guide pyramid.

2 Use whole grains to make snackswhen possible.

3 Choose fruit and vegetables assnacks.

4 Be easy for a child to prepare.

Give teams heavy paper, scratchpaper, and makers and ask them torecord their recipes in their besthandwriting on the heavy paper. Youalso may wish to provide healthy-eating cookbooks for teams to refer-ence. (Optionally, you can use acomputer and let participants wordprocess the recipes into one largebook.) They also can write in foodsafety hints, if they wish. Give themlots of time to complete their recipes.

Give teams an opportunity to sharetheir recipes. If you wish, you canask the group to decide if eachrecipe meets the criteria (or howeach could be changed to do so).

F I N A L A C TReproduce the recipes, bind/staplethem together, and distribute toparticipants at some later point.They can use the “SnackDown”cookbook as a learning tool at theirsites by offering cooking classesusing the book, or by distributingthe recipes/books directly to thechildren and their families. Or, sug-gest that children at sites may wishto write their own cookbook!


Planning and Preparing SnacksOBJECTIVE

To plan and prepare somesimple snacks.

T IME

One hour.

MATERIALS

Photocopies of the FoodGuide Pyramid Handout(page 43) and Snack IdeasHandout (page 44); chalkand chalkboard or flipchartand markers; heavy 8" by11" paper; scratch paper;markers; paper. Optional:computers and printers;healthy-eating cookbooks.

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Planning and Preparing Snacks

F O O D G U I D E P Y R A M I DA GUIDE TO DAILY FOOD CHOICES

Bread, Cereal,Rice, & Pasta

Group6-11

SERVINGS

FruitGroup

2-4 SERVINGS

Meat, Poultry, Fish,Dry Beans, Eggs,

& Nuts Group2-3 SERVINGS

Vegetable Group 3-5 SERVINGS

Milk, Yogurt,& CheeseGroup 2-3 SERVINGS

Fat (naturally occurring and added)

Sugars(added)

These symbols show fat and added sugars in foods.

KEYFats, Oils, & SweetsUSE SPARINGLY

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available atwww.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.gif.

NOTE: The food guide pyramid, developed by USDA, may be modified by 2005. Changes could centeron separating types of fats; ungrouping red meat and chicken, fish, and dried beans; and distinguishingbetween whole-grain products and refined ones.

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Planning and Preparing Snacks

S N A C K I D E A S !

Veggie/Fruit Bites

• Fresh, cut-up, well-

washed raw vegetables,

such as carrot rounds,

cucumber slices, radish

slices, celery sticks, etc.

OR

• Fresh, cut-up, well-

washed raw fruits, such

as apple slices, strawberry

halves, banana slices,

melon slices, etc.

• Spreads, such as peanut

butter or cream cheese

Make bites by spreading

a vegetable/fruit piece

with a spread, and then

topping it with the same

vegetable/fruit.

Gorp on the Go

• 1 cup peanuts (check

for food allergies among

children before adding)

• 1 cup sunflower seeds

• 1 cup dried cranberries

or raisins

• 1 cup other dried

fruit, such as peach or

apple slices

Mix all ingredients together

and keep well sealed.

Serve in paper muffin cups.

G O R P W I T H A T W I S T

Omit other dried fruit,

and add 1 cup of cereal

such as bite-sized wheat

or o-shaped cereal and

1 cup pretzels.

Energy Bars

• 1⁄2 cup peanut butter

• 1⁄2 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1⁄2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 3⁄4 cup biscuit mix

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8" x 4" loaf pan.

Beat peanut butter and

sugar until well blended.

Mix egg, water and vanilla

separately; add to peanut

butter mixture. Add biscuit

mix and beat until smooth.

Pour into pan and bake

for about 40 minutes.

Cut into bars.



O V E R V I E WExperts estimate that about 9,000people die and at least six millionget sick each year from all food-borne infections. Keeping food safeat after-school sites and helping chil-dren learn how to eat safely at homeis critical. In this activity, partici-pants learn the basics of food safetyand then break into teams to figureout ways to reinforce the conceptsat their sites.

S TA R T H E R EReview the information in theChapter Background section of FoodSafety and Handling with partici-pants. Summarize by giving partici-pants the Food Safety and HandlingHandout.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Break participants into teams of twoto four members each (try to have atleast four teams). Ask one half of allthe teams to use the Food Safety andHandling Handout to design a sim-ple activity for children to get acrossone of the main points. Give theseteams paper and pens to plan theiractivities. The team can eitherdescribe or actually do the activitywith the group.

Explain that other teams will designa communication mechanism forstaff and volunteers about safe foodhandling, using one of the mainpoints of the handout. They maywant to design restroom hand wash-ing signs, for example, or design afood safety poster. Give these teamsaccess to posterboards, markers,glitter glue, and other art supplies.Allow all teams plenty of time tocomplete their tasks.

F I N A L A C TLet teams present their ideas, orrun the entire group through thenew activities. Encourage themto implement the ideas at the sites.


Food Safety and HandlingOBJECTIVE

To learn the basics of safefood handling.

TIME

One hour.

MATERIALS

Make photocopies ofFood Safety and HandlingHandout (page 46); poster-boards; markers; glitterglue and other art supplies;paper; pens.



Basic Rules of Food Safety*

Keep hot food hot. Always keep hot food at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

Keep cold food cold. Store food below 40 degrees Fahrenheit if it will be served

cold. Do the same with food that is still uncooked or with leftovers that will be reheated.

Perishable foods (foods other than baked goods or shelf-stable foods) should be

allowed to remain between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for no

more than two hours.

Keep things clean. This includes not just the food itself but also the utensils,

the kitchen, and the food handlers!

Hand washing is essential. Few people realize that this means scrubbing with a

full lather for 30 seconds! That is a long time, but less scrubbing just doesn’t do the job

of reducing bacteria.

Keep foods separate. Keep raw foods separate from cooked foods. Raw foods

such as meat and poultry may contain harmful bacteria. Cooking will destroy those

bacteria and make the food safe. But the bacteria will remain on plates, cutting boards,

and utensils that have been in contact with the raw food. It is important that raw or

already-cooked food not come in contact with these surfaces or with the raw juices

of these foods.

* Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care – NNCC. Keith, M.A.(1991). Kids, food, and safety. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), School-age connections, 1(1), pp. 3-4.Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

Chapter 3 46 H E A LT H A N D N U T R I T I O NH

AN

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Food Safety and Handling



O V E R V I E WIn this activity, participants willlearn how to teach a nutrition activ-ity to children. Before you begin,assemble the material for VegetableJeopardy (pages 48 and 49) andprepare the Vegetable Jeopardy gameboard and cards (see Overview,page 48).

S TA R T H E R EExplain to participants that thereare many health and nutrition activi-ties that they can teach to children.Explain you’ll work through onecalled Vegetable Jeopardy withthe group.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Play Vegetable Jeopardy with par-ticipants. Act as game host andmoderator. Participants may wishto take on the roles of childrenwhile they play. Follow directionswithin the activity.

F I N A L A C TAsk participants if they enjoyedthe game. Suggest that they couldlet older children research and writethe game cards, to increase knowl-edge outcomes. Ask participantsif they can think of other gameadaptations.


Teaching ChildrenAbout Nutrition Children

often do

participate in

choosing and

preparing

their meals.

OBJECTIVE

To learn an activity associ-ated with nutrition to teachchildren.

TIME

About one hour.

MATERIALS

See list of materials foundin Vegetable Jeopardy(page 48).



O V E R V I E WVegetable Jeopardy helps childrenbecome acquainted with vegetables,an important food group for diseaseprevention. NOTE: This activity(adapted) also can be found inthe Sampler of 4-H ExperientialLearning Activities.

In this activity, children play a gameto learn about vegetables. Beforeyou begin, make a gameboard fromposterboard or chalkboard. Writethe categories at top. Tape the GameCards on the gameboard, face down.

S TA R T H E R EIntroduce the topic of vegetables toparticipants. Explain that there arelots of good vegetables to eat, andwe need to eat them every day! Askquestions to stimulate discussion:

1 What’s your favorite vegetable?

2 Do you ever grow vegetables?

3 What kind of vegetables doyou like best — fresh, frozen,or canned?

Next, explain that everyone will playa game about these amazing foods!

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Divide participants into two teamsby counting off carrot, broccoli,carrot, broccoli, etc. Ask teams tochoose a captain, who will giveanswers for the team. Explain thatteam members must work togetherto choose the category and answerthe question. First captain who putshis hand up gets to answer. If oneteam gives a wrong answer, the otherteam gets a chance to answer.


Teaching ChildrenAbout Nutrition

LIFE SKILLS

Healthy Lifestyle Choices,

Disease Prevention, Teamwork.

AGES

Five to 14. Mix younger children

with older ones.

T IME

45 minutes.

SETTING

Indoors or outdoors.

MATERIALS

Photocopy Vegetable Jeopardy

Game Cards (pages 50 and 51)

and cut them apart. Write their

values on the back in large

numbers. Chalkboard and chalk

or posterboard and markers.

Use the chalkboard/posterboard

to make a Vegetable Jeopardy

game board.* Adapted from Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP). 1994.Youth Curriculum Sourcebook. North Central Region, University of WisconsinCooperative Extension Service.

V E G E TA B L E J E O PA R D Y *



Act as a moderator to read questionsand keep score, or appoint some-one to do these things. (Optional:With younger children, don’t keepscore. Everyone who participatesand works together on a team is awinner.) Play the game!

F I N A L A C TAfter the game is done, ask childrenthe following processing questions:

1 What was it like to play the game?

2 What did you like the best?

3 What did you learn aboutvegetables?

4 Did you like being on a team?

Help participants process and apply.Here are some guiding questions:

1 Vegetables are important partsof our diet. Can anyone think ofways to eat more?

2 Do you think you’ll eat morevegetables? Why or why not?

3 Can you think of a vegetablesnack you could make yourself?



V E G E TA B L E J E O PA R D Y

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10




Q. Name a vegetable used to make

pickles.

A. What is a cucumber?

V E G E T A B L E J E O P A R D Y G A M E C A R D S

Green Vegetables

20Q. This green vegetable is the basic

of most salads.

A. What is lettuce?

Green Vegetables

30Q. This vegetable can be green or

red, hot or mild.

A. What is a pepper?

Green Vegetables

40Q. When you eat this vegetable,

you’re actually eating the flower.

A. What is broccoli?

Green Vegetables

10Q. Maize is another name for this

vegetable.

A. What is corn?

Orange/Yellow Vegetables

20Q. You may eat this vegetable

at Thanksgiving, smothered in

marshmallows.

A. What is a yam (or sweet potato)?


30Q. This vegetable grows on vines

and its name is often used to describe

something you might do to a bug.

A. What is squash?


40Q. This orange vegetable gives

you good eyesight and can be used

to make cake.

A. What is a carrot?


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10


Q. Name a vegetable that’s red

inside and out.

A. (Either okay): What are red beets

or red cabbage?

V E G E T A B L E J E O P A R D Y G A M E C A R D S

Vegetable Puzzles

20Q. Name a vegetable you eat that’s

a root (or part of one).

A. (Any okay): What is carrot, turnip,

beet, radish, or potato?

Vegetable Puzzles

30Q. Only one in five people eat

enough of these every day.

A. What are vegetables?

Vegetable Puzzles

40Q. This vegetable is also a letter of

the alphabet.

A. What is a pea? (P)

Vegetable Puzzles

10Q. Bugs Bunny’s favorite food.

A. What is a carrot?

Vegetables in Cartoons and Movies

20Q. Popeye got his strength from

this vegetable.

A. What is spinach?


30Q. When an actor peels this

vegetable in a movie, he or she starts

crying.

A. What is an onion?


40Q. This small vegetable, placed

under a stack of mattresses, kept a

princess awake all night

A. What is a pea?




52

Chapter

4

P R O G R A M S A N D P L A C E S


P R O G R A M Q U A L I T YThe National School-Age CareAlliance (NSACA) has establishedstandards for quality after-schoolprograms.* These standards relate tothe quality of human relationshipsbetween children and with staff andfamilies; the indoor and outdoorenvironments; activities and schedul-ing; safety, health, and nutrition;and administration. After-schoolsites who meet these standards haveachieved high quality programs forthe children they serve. Sites will geta chance to examine these standardsby participating in the first activityin this chapter.

C O M M U N I T Y N E E D SA S S E S S M E N T SThe foundation of the programdevelopment process, according toresearcher Theresa Ferrari, is thecommunity needs assessment.**Community needs assessments allowafter-school sites to:

1 Gather information about atti-tudes and opinions;

2 Determine which issues are mostimportant to the community;

3 Give others a voice in structuringprograms;

4 Determine the amount of supportfor programming;

5 Evaluate current conditions atcenters.

Centers who undertake this effortwill be able to figure out if theyneed to increase the quality or quan-tity of their program. Programs canthen be structured and planned tomeet these needs.

Chapter 4 53 P R O G R A M S A N D P L A C E S

Chapter Background


Researchers also have found some indicatorsof quality after-school programs. Successfulprograms have:

• Community partnerships.

• Involved parents.

• Well-trained staff.

• Administrative policies and procedures thatare consistently enforced.

• Mechanisms in place that help ensuresustainability (sliding-fee scales; access togrants; access to food programs, etc.).

• Evaluation components.

• Positive environments for young peoplethat foster optimum development.

• Fiscal management policies.

* For more information about the NSACA standards, go totheir web site at www.nsaca.org.

** Ferrari, Theresa M. 2002. An Extension Program Modelfor Out-of-School Time. Ohio State University Extension.



Training Matrix



PROGRAM To compare current Photocopies of NSACA Standards Handout 45 minutes

QUALITY programs with NSACA (page 56); flipcharts and markers for teams;

standards for administration. flipcharts and markers or chalkboard and chalk

Optional: Print out copies of Personnel Practices

for School-Age Child Care, available at www.

nncc.org/Business/personnel.practices.html.

COMMUNITY To learn more about Make an overhead from Community Needs 45 minutes

NEEDS community needs assessments Assessment Overhead (page 58); flipchart

ASSESSMENTS and how they are used. and markers.

This is a suggested training sequence for this chapter and for the topic of after-school programs. You can


a particular topic, such as program quality, you may need to supplement the materials found in this chapter

with other Cooperative Extension System curricula.


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, participants will ana-lyze their sites according to standardsset by the NSACA. Before you begin,write questions found under StartHere on a flipchart or chalkboard.

S TA R T H E R EBreak the group into teams accord-ing to sites. For example, if you havefour after-school sites represented byprogram staff, let representativesfrom these separate sites become ateam. (Teams may have differentnumbers of members.)

Give each team a copy of NSACAStandards Handout. Review the sheetswith the large group. Then ask teamsto go through each area (Child/AdultRatios, Supervision, etc.) and writedown, using a flipchart and markers,some ideas for improving their pro-grams so that they could more closelyalign with the standards. (They canuse a separate sheet of paper for eacharea.) They should answer these ques-tions (write these on a flipchart/chalkboard):

1 What areas of our programneed improvement, accordingto the standards?

2 How could we move in thedirection of improvement?

3 How long would it take usto meet the standards?

4 Are there barriers to meetingthe standards? How could weaddress them?

Give teams quite a bit of time to dis-cuss their programs. Be sure to rotateto answer questions or to help teamsmove through the information.

W H AT ’ S N E X TAsk teams to share their findings,area by area. The goal is to get somedialog exchange about possible solu-tions, so you may want to ask teamsto talk about the areas they are mostexcited about improving.

F I N A L A C TOptional: Hand out copies of the Personnel Practices for School-AgeChild Care document referenced inthe Materials list. Explain that thisdocument is most relevant to thestaffing issues discussed in thissession. Give participants severalminutes to review and discussthe document.


Program Quality*


OBJECTIVE

To compare current pro-grams with NSACA stan-dards for administration.

T IME

45 minutes.

MATERIALS

Photocopies of NSACAStandards Handout (page56); flipcharts and markersfor teams; flipchart andmarkers or chalkboard andchalk. Optional: Print outcopies of Personnel Practicesfor School-Age Child Care,available at www.nncc.org/Business/personnel.practices.html.

* The optional sheet listed in the materials section can be used for educational purposes. Reprintedwith permission from the National Network for Child Care – NNCC. Eller, C.L. and Russell, M.M.(1993). Personnel practices for school-age child care (Beyond Opening Day). Storrs, CT: Universityof Connecticut Cooperative Extension.

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NSACAStandards*C H I L D / A D U LT R AT I O S

• Staff-child ratios vary accord-ing to the ages and abilities ofchildren.

• The ratio is between 1 to10 and 1 to 15 for groups ofchildren six and older.

• Staff-child ratios and groupsizes vary according to the typeand complexity of the activity,but group sizes don’t exceed 30.

• There is a plan to provideadequate staff coverage in caseof emergencies.

• Substitute staff help main-tain ratios.

S U P E R V I S I O N

• Children’s arrivals and depar-tures are supervised.

• Staff have a system in placethat lets them know wherechildren are at all times.

• Staff plan for different levels ofsupervision according to the levelof risk involved in the activity.

STAFF QUALIFICATIONS

• Staff meet the requirementsfor experience with school-agechildren in recreational programs.

• Staff meet minimum agerequirements.

• Enough qualified staff arein place to meet all levels ofresponsibility, e.g., administra-tion, management of dailyoperations, and supervisionof children.

S TA F F O R I E N TAT I O N

• Staff receive a written jobdescription that outlines respon-sibilities to children and families.

• The program is reviewed witheach staff member.

• Written personnel and pro-gram policies and proceduresare reviewed with staff (includingemergency procedures, confi-dentiality policies, etc.).

• New staff are given a com-plete orientation to the programphilosophy, routines, and prac-tices, and are introduced tostaff/parents/children.

T R A I N I N G O F S TA F F

• The training needs of thestaff are assessed. All staffreceive between 15 and 30hours of training annually.

• Staff receive training in howto work with families, how torelate to children, safety, andother issues.

• Program directors andadministrators receive trainingin program management andstaff supervision.

S TA F F S U P P O R T

• Staff receive enough support to make their work experiencepositive.

• The program offers the bestpossible wages and workingconditions to reduce turnover.

• Full-time staff receivebenefits, including healthinsurance and paid leaves ofabsences, paid breaks, andpaid preparation time.

• Staff are able to discussconcerns about the program.

• Staff receive continuousfeedback and supervision.

P R O G R A MM A N A G E M E N T

• The financial managementof the program supports theprogram’s goals.

• The administration overseesthe recruitment and retentionof program staff.

• The director involves staff,board, families, and children inplanning and decision making.

• Administrators assist withongoing evaluation, in aneffort to improve all areasof programming.

P R O G R A M P O L I C I E S

• Program policies and pro-cedures are responsive to theneeds of children, youth, andfamilies in the community.

• A written mission state-ment sets forth the program’sphilosophy and goals.

• The program is affordable toas many community membersas possible. It uses all potentialsources of subsidy.

• The program hours of opera-tion are based on family needs.

• Children with special needsare welcomed at the program.

* More information on the NSACA

standards, from which this sheet

is adapted, can be found at www.

nsaca.org/standards_glance.htm.



Program Quality


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, participants willstudy the basics of planning a com-munity needs assessment. Before youbegin, you may wish to write theproblem statement from Start Hereon a flipchart.

S TA R T H E R EExplain that one of the mostimportant steps in undertaking acommunity needs assessment isunderstanding the why — whyis your organization undertakingthe effort? What do they want toknow? What are the importantissues that need to be addressed?

Next, read this problem state-ment to the group (or write iton a flipchart):

Steel Mountain Day Care is think-

ing of expanding their program

to accommodate an additional 75

children. They also are thinking

of moving the program nine miles

to the west, in a building next to

the interstate. Their focus also would

de-emphasize literacy and homework

in favor of a theater emphasis.

Ask the group to list some issuesthat the Steel Mountain Day Caremay have which involve the com-munity (write their responses on aflipchart with markers). What dothey need the community to helpthem figure out?

Point out that by first conducting aneeds assessment, the Steel MountainDay Care could probably avoid mak-ing several expensive mistakes.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Ask the group to suggest a list ofissues they, as after-school sites, mayhave that they wish to involve thecommunity in (write these on aflipchart). For example, they may listoperating hours or program focus.After they have generated a list,share Overhead 6 with the group.Use some of the identified issues asexamples to review the overhead.

Next ask:

1 Can you give an example of usinga community needs assessment inyour program? What were theresults?

2 How would a needs assessmenthelp define the solution? What areits strengths? Any limitations thatyou can define?

3 Does it help to align identifiedneeds with the actions your programtakes? Why (or why not)?

F I N A L A C TExplain that Extension staff canhelp structure and implement aneeds assessment. You also maywish to demonstrate how specifi-cally your area/region can aidthem in this process.


Community Needs Assessments


OBJECTIVE

To learn more about com-munity needs assessmentsand how they are used.

TIME

One hour.

MATERIALS

Community NeedsAssessment Overhead(page 58); flipchart andmarkers.


1Use a committee to plan and conduct the needs assessment.The committee should contain staffers, parents, older youth, andmembers of the community who have a stake in the issues.

2List the issues that need to be addressed.

3Identify who needs to be surveyed. Is it parents,teachers, neighbors, or others?

4Decide what information you need to collect. Is it the currentenrollment in the school district or other existing information?Or must you use a survey to get the information?

5Select a random sample of who needs to be surveyed, since itprobably isn’t feasible to survey everyone.

6Design your questionnaire and pretest it for errors or confusion.

7Collect the information.

8Analyze the results. What do they say about the issue?

9Report the results of the survey and how your organization usedit to make decisions.


Community Needs Assessment


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59

Chapter

5

W O R K I N G W I T H P A R E N T SA N D T H E C O M M U N I T Y


PA R E N TA LI N V O LV E M E N T *After-school sites do not operatein a vacuum. They must cultivategood relationships with parents andother community members. Youcan help after-school program staffincrease their ability to build theserelationships.

One of the hallmarks of a success-ful after-school program is a wel-come, open attitude toward parents.In such programs, staff work activelyto build strong relationships withparents. Staff solicit input fromparents and are sensitive to familyvalues when developing their cur-riculum. Above all, they approachthe task as a partnership that ulti-mately best benefits the child.

Parents can choose to becomeinvolved at different levels with theafter-school program. At the lowestlevel, parents simply receive infor-mation. Newsletters, notes, andmessages on a bulletin board keepparents minimally involved andknowledgeable about the activitiesof their children. However, this isa one-way mechanism; it does notallow for feedback from parentsto staff.

At a higher level, parents can bevalued as providers of information.They may provide insights abouttheir child to staff, outline goals,or suggest ways to handle problemsthat may arise. All of their input,however, revolves around their child.

At a third level, parents are wel-comed as learners. They may attendseminars sponsored by the after-school site or read literature generat-ed by the program. These sourcescontain information needed by theparents, for example, coping withadolescence or school performance.

At an even higher level still, parentsare seen as teachers. They maychoose to teach their own childrenat home, extending any lessonslearned during the day, or may actu-ally visit the after-school setting andwork with their child. They alsomay help other children learn, forexample, by hosting children at awork site or sharing a hobby.

At a final level, parents work withthe after-school site as decisionmakers. They play an active role inthe day-to-day life of the after-school program. This level requiresa substantial commitment fromthe parents.

Most parents will start at the lowestlevel of involvement. With supportfrom the after-school site, however,they will advance through levelsuntil they find their niche.

Chapter 5 60 W O R K I N G W I T H P A R E N T S A N D T H E C O M M U N I T Y

Chapter Background


Levels of Parental Involvement:1 Receive information.

2 Provide information.

3 Are active learners.

4 Become teachers.

5 Become decision makers.

* Adapted from the School-Age Child Care Training Manual. CooperativeExtension Service, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Approach

the task as a

partnership

that ultimately

best benefits

the child.


FA M I LY A C T I V I T YN I G H T STo improve communication betweenafter-school program staff and fami-lies, many sites schedule specialevents. Family Activity Nights canbe as informal as an open house oras scheduled as a workshop. Theymay include an educational compo-nent for parents and children, too.In all communities, Family ActivityNights serve to let children, par-ents/caregivers, and staff interact ina relaxed and positive atmosphere.

WORKING WITH THECOMMUNITY AT LARGEWhile after-school program staffstrive to maintain good relationshipswith parents, they also shouldunderstand where they fit within thecommunity. How is their after-school site perceived? What are itsstrengths and weaknesses? And howcan it better connect to the commu-nity at large, including neighbors,schools, social service agencies, otherafter-school sites, businesses, andother organizations?

While a community needs assess-ment (see Chapter Four) can helpanswer some of these questions,another approach can help childrenbenefit, too. After-school sites canstrive to build a sense of commu-nity with the children at their sites.They also can provide childrenwith opportunities to link to thecommunity at large.


Chapter Background


Children in after-school care usually have their care-

givers in the workforce much of the day. Many children

have parents who are divorced, remarried, or single,

which challenges children to cope and adapt to some-

times stressful transitions. After-school program staff

need to understand how family dynamics affect a

child’s behavior. When program staff make a genuine

effort to get to know families, children benefit, since

they feel that everyone is “pulling together” for them.





PARENTAL To share successful methods Flipchart and markers; masking tape. 30 minutes

INVOLVEMENT for involving parents in Make Parental Involvement Overheads

programs. 7 and 8 (pages 64 and 65). Optional: Make

photocopies of Survey Handout (page 66).

FAMILY ACTIVITY To give parents, caregivers, Photocopies of Family Activity Night 45 minutes

NIGHTS children, and staff opportuni- Planning Handout (page 68); flipchart and

ties to interact and learn in markers or chalkboard and chalk; construc-

informal ways. tion paper, scissors, glitter glue, markers,

posterboards, and other art supplies.

WORKING WITH To understand how to begin Flipchart and markers or chalkboard and 45 minutes

THE COMMUNITY to build a sense of community chalk; photocopies Community Outreach

AT LARGE at sites. Event Handout (page 70).

Training MatrixThis is a suggested training sequence for this chapter and for the topic of working with parents and the

community. You can offer all the activities or pick and choose to meet your training needs. NOTE: To teach

more in-depth about a particular topic, such as working with the community, you may need to supplement

the materials found in this chapter with other Cooperative Extension System curricula.


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, participants betterunderstand ways to involve parentsin programming and share ways theyhave fostered parent involvement intheir programs.

S TA R T H E R EIntroduce the topic of parentalinvolvement using Overhead 7.Next, ask participants to discuss lev-els of parental involvement at theirsites. Ask them to rate the level ofparental involvement, with “5”being maximum involvement and“1” corresponding to none at all.(Participants can raise their handsas you call out the numbers.) Ask:

1 Why do you think participationis so high (low)?

2 Do you think parents understandthe benefits of their involvement totheir children? Why or why not?

3 Which levels (from Overhead 7)of parental involvement are most ofyour parents comfortable with?

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Use Overhead 8 to guide a lectureabout increasing parental involve-ment. Next, ask participants to shareexamples of how they’ve involvedparents in the past. Take notes on aflipchart using markers and tear offsheets as they are filled; hang thesearound the room. You can organizethis discussion by asking how par-ents were used as recipients of infor-mation, providers of information,learners, teachers, and finally, deci-sion makers.

Now ask: Rate, on the same scalewe used earlier (1 to 5), howinvolved you would like parents tobe at your site. How can you movefrom the current situation to thedesired situation? Brainstorm someideas with the group, writing themdown on the flipchart sheets.

F I N A L A C TReview the large body of infor-mation generated by the group byreferring to the flipchart pages.Congratulate the group for success-fully sharing techniques to helpinform and involve parents!

You also may wish to hand outthe Survey Handout to participants.They can use this form at thebeginning of the year to surveyparents about communicationand participation.


Parental Involvement*


OBJECTIVE

To share successful methodsfor involving parents in pro-grams.

TIME

30 minutes.

MATERIALS

Flipchart and markers;masking tape. Make ParentalInvolvement Overheads7 and 8 (pages 64 and 65).Optional: Make photo-copies of Survey Handout(page 66).

* Adapted from the School-Age Child Care Training Manual. CooperativeExtension Service, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Here are some questions to help frame a

discussion about parental involvement under

What’s Next?:

1 Do you find parents appreciate your attempts

to keep them informed?

2 Have you ever given children activities or

things they can do at home with parents?

Have these been successful?

3 How do you best let parents know that

your program has needs? What do you find

to be the reaction?

4 Do you find that some parents are natural

leaders? How do you encourage those who

don’t step up right away to take on more

interesting roles?

5 How do you best help a parent gain

parenting/teaching/leading skills?


Benefits of Parental Involvement1

Strengthens the parent’s ability to care for the child.

2

Results in positive outcomes for the child.

3

Reduces problems in the after-school setting.


Parental Involvement


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Levels of Parental Involvement1

Parents as recipients.

2Parents as providers of information.

3Parents as learners.

4Parents as teachers.

5Parents as decision makers.





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How to Increase Parental InvolvementBE SUPPORTIVE!1Understand and accept the family.2Be professional.3Understand parent-child relationship.4Give praise to parents.

KEEP THE PARENT IN THE CHILD’S LIFE!1Understand what it is that parents want or need to know.2Respect differing value systems.3Solicit parent input and keep parents informed of upcoming activities.4Provide feedback to parents.

PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS TO BECOME INVOLVED!1Give them things to do at home together.2Let parents know what the program needs.3Give parents chances to take on leadership roles.

EDUCATE PARENTS!1Help them understand their child’s behavior.2Teach them skills.


Survey*How do you want us to communicate with you? We can provide better experiences for your

child if we are both working together to help your child receive the best care and instruction

possible. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey and return it to us, so we know the

form of communication parents prefer!

❍ Send a note home with my child when something goes RIGHT.

❍ Send a note home with my child when something goes WRONG.

❍ Talk to me when I come to pick up my child.

❍ Set up a regular, short parent conference.

❍ Call me at home/work (circle one) if something is wrong.

❍ Call me at home/work (circle one) if something is right.

❍ Call me at home/work (circle one) with a regular report.

❍ Send me a newsletter with program highlights.

❍ Plan activity nights for parents, children, and staff.

❍ Plan educational workshops for parents about children.

❍ Keep a bulletin board posted at your site with program highlights and notes.

❍ Ask me to volunteer once every week/month/year (circle one). Or, write different

amount of times to volunteer per month here: ____________________.

❍ Ask me to be on a committee or board.

❍ Ask me to help teach the children about a special hobby or interest I have

(write the hobby/interest here): ________________________________________________.

❍ Ask me to do a volunteer job that I can do at home.

❍ Ask me how I’d like to be involved.

Your name (optional): ____________________________________________________________

Please return this survey by _________________________ to _________________________.




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School-Age Child Care Staff, A Handbook for Workshop Leaders. Cornell Cooperative Extension.


O V E R V I E WIn this activity, participants breakinto teams to plan Family ActivityNights. Before you begin, puttogether an art table that has con-struction paper, scissors, glitter glue,markers, posterboards, and other artsupplies. You also may wish to writethe information found under What’sNext? (core strengths) on a chalk-board or flipchart.

S TA R T H E R EBegin by discussing the idea ofinvolving parents and other commu-nity members by holding FamilyActivity Nights. Such events canbe as informal as an open houseor as scheduled as a workshop! Inall communities, Family ActivityNights serve to let children, parents/caregivers, community members,and staff interact in a relaxed andpositive atmosphere.

Ask sites if they’ve ever held suchoutreach events. What were theoutcomes? What were the strengthsof the events? The things thatneeded improving?

Review the following “corestrengths” information withthe group:

To build strong communitypartnerships for learning, it’srecommended that:

1 Families read together.

2 Parents and caregivers monitorout-of-school activities.

3 Parents talk with children andteens.

4 After-school sites make after-school visits easier.

5 Sites promote family learning.

6 Sites encourage parent leadership.

Point out that Family ActivityNights can help promote all of thesecore strengths.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Break the group into teams of aboutthree or four people each. Giveteams a copy of the Family ActivityNight Planning Handout. Explainthat teams will plan the activitynights by filling out the planningsheets. Ask them to keep the previ-ous “core strength” information inmind while planning their events.For example, they may wish to plana family reading night, or haveparent boards plan the events.

Also explain that some of the bestFamily Activity Nights happen withthe collaboration of children at thesite. Ask one member of each teamto “become” a seven-year-old childand creatively offer up any ideashe/she may have.

After teams are done planningthe night according to the theme,they will move to the art table anddesign a large poster to advertisetheir event!

F I N A L A C TGive teams a chance to share theirplanning ideas and posters. Discusshow the events can be implementedat each site, and what the outcomesor improvements might be.


Family Activity Nights


OBJECTIVE

To give parents, caregivers,children, and staff opportu-nities to interact and learnin informal ways.

T IME

45 minutes.

MATERIALS

Photocopies of FamilyActivity Night PlanningHandout (page 68); flipchartand markers or chalkboardand chalk; constructionpaper, scissors, glitter glue,markers, posterboards, andother art supplies.

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Family Activity Night Planning

Plan a celebration! Our theme is:

1 What is the best time of day to offer this activity? Immediately after school? On Friday nights? Write the dayand time here:

2 What do we want to happen at this night? What are our goals — to help families meet other families andstaff, or learn something? Write goals here:

3 How are we going to help families get to know each other and the staff? Write ideas here:

4 What is our main activity of the night?

5 Are we going to serve food? How will it be prepared — will we have families help make or bring the food?

6 If we are going to have an educational event, how will we do this? Will we show a video? Bring in a guestspeaker? Lead the group in an activity? Write ideas here:

7 How will we wrap up the evening?

8 How will we measure its success?


Family Activity Nights



O V E R V I E WIn this activity, teams review and orbrainstorm some ideas to involve thechildren at their sites with the com-munity, and then plan an event thatwould accomplish this.

S TA R T H E R E *Explain that a sense of communityplays an important part in develop-ing a child’s self-esteem. Childrenneed to know who they are and howthey fit into the world around them.They need to become aware of oth-ers and the community in whichthey live.

Explain that infants care onlyabout their own physical needs.Preschool children, too, remain veryself-centered. However, school-agechildren are becoming better ableto reach out to others. They needopportunities to develop givingrelationships and to understandthe world around them.

Next, suggest the following activitiesto help children feel part of the larg-er community, or ask participants tobrainstorm a list and fill in:

1 Invite people from the communityto come to your after-school site andtalk about what they do.

2 Take field trips to places inthe community.

3 Take part in community activities.

4 Make service to the community a part of your program.

5 Collect food for hungry people.

6 Hold a special program for teach-ers in the community.

7 Entertain senior citizens.

W H AT ’ S N E X T ?Break the group into teams of twoto three participants each. Ask themto choose one of the ideas from thelist and make a CommunityOutreach Event plan to implementat their site, using the CommunityOutreach Event Handout. Give teamstime to plan their events.

F I N A L A C TAfter they have finished, let teamsshare ideas. Remind them it’s impor-tant to get the children’s feedback ontheir plans, and, in fact, childrenshould be involved from the earliestpoint. Ask teams if they think theyhave viable plans, and how theywould implement them.


Working With theCommunity at Large


OBJECTIVE

To understand how tobegin to build a sense ofcommunity at sites.

T IME

45 minutes.

MATERIALS

Flipchart and markers orchalkboard and chalk;photocopies CommunityOutreach Event Handout(page 70).

* Reprinted in part with permission from the NationalNetwork for Child Care – NNCC. Eller, C.A. (1991). Buildinga sense of community. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), School-ageconnections, 1(1), pp. 1-2. Urbana-Champaign, IL:University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

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Community Outreach Event

Our idea:

How we’re going to do this:

Where it will happen:

Who’s involved?

When will we do it?

What will children learn?

How will community members benefit?

Other comments:



Working With theCommunity at Large


NOTE:

ALL

Community

Outreach

Event plans

should be

reworked with

input from

youth before

they are

implemented!


71


Chapter

6

S H A R E Y O U R 4 - H A F T E R S C H O O L P R O G R A M R E S U L T S


Chapter 6 72 S H A R E Y O U R 4 - H A F T E R S C H O O L P R O G R A M R E S U LT S


* This chapter was written by Toni DeWeese, ECI NationalData Coordinator.

• Do you have outstand-

ing programs you want

others to know about?

• Are you pressured

to report results of your

programs?

• Do you feel as if you

have no time for reporting

the outcomes of your

programs?

• Have you been in a

situation where you need-

ed to report program

results immediately?

• Would you like to

contribute to a National

effort?

Then 4-H Afterschool

has a few solutions!!

4-H Afterschool programs will haveseveral opportunities and systemsavailable for reporting programresults and being recognized forquality efforts. They include:

1 The Extension CARES Initiative(ECI) Evaluation and ReportingSystem

2 4-H Afterschool Program Profiles(a.k.a. Benchmark Information)

3 State Plan of Work reportingsystem

4 ES-237

5 4-H and Family and ConsumerScience “Programs of Excellence”Collection

W H AT I S T H E E C I ?The Extension Cares Initiative(ECI) is a national initiative of theCooperative Extension System thataims to increase the quality, availabil-ity, accessibility, affordability, andsustainability of child care, school-age and teen out-of-school programs.Program goals and objectives can befound at the reeusda.gov/extensioncares web site.

WHAT IS THE ECIEVALUATION ANDREPORTING SYSTEM?The ECI evaluation and reportingsystem is a web-based system forreporting information from early careand education, school-age care andteen programs. This is the primarysystem 4-H Afterschool programswill use. It generates local reports andprovides data that can be aggregatedfor state and national use.

There are three ways in which youcan report results of your effortswith 4-H Afterschool projects intothe ECI system.

PART 1: Simply tell us whattrainings/programs you are doing.With the report you will get fromthis data, you can answer evaluationquestions such as: Who am I reach-ing with my program?; What rangeof topics have I offered throughtraining?; How many training hourshave I offered my participants?

Join Up…and Share Your Results*

Why should you use theECI system?• It’s on the Internet, so no special software

is required.

• Data entry is fast and easy, and the systemperforms all the analysis for you!

• Provides instant professional reportsof your results!




PART 2: Use ECI ClientSatisfaction evaluations to evaluatethe training/program you’ve done.There are four versions of clientsatisfaction surveys: Provider/Staff,Extension, Families, and Commu-nity, each depending on the targetaudience of the program. Each evalu-ation contains basic questions ondemographics of that population,plus four simple questions about theprogram. You can either send evalua-tions for scanning or enter evaluationdata into the online system. With thereport you will get from this data,you can determine multiple charac-teristics of your audience, as well asanswer questions such as: How doparticipants rate the quality of thetraining?; Am I reaching my targetaudience?; How do my programscompare to the national average?

PART 3: Report specific activitiesor outcomes you’ve been workingtoward. For a list of the questionsasked in the semi-annual report, referto the website at: www.eci.msstate.edu. While the semi-annual reportcan be conducted alone, we highlyencourage it to be used in conjunc-tion with reporting programs andusing client satisfaction evaluationsto maximize the power of this systemand the reports you get back.

NOW, HOW DO YOU START?

1 Obtain an ECI User ID and pass-word for logging into the system.Visit our website for a list of stateECI coordinators, then contactyour coordinator for a User ID.

2 Once you have a User ID, youcan login to the system to startreporting.

3 You also need to download thereporting and evaluation systemtraining manual. This manual givesyou step-by-step instructions on howto report your data in the system. Italso tells you complete instructionson how to use client satisfaction eval-uations. To download the manual,visit our website at: www.eci.ext.msstate.edu.

Our website has just about every-thing you need to know about theevaluation and reporting systemso you can start reporting rightaway! If you have questions aboutthe evaluation and reporting system,please go to the www.eci.ext.msstate.edu web site.

The ECI evaluation and reportingsystem is one of the few that allowsthe aggregation of data across thecountry. Summary data will helpmarket our excellent work and posi-tion Cooperative Extension Systemfor resources in the future. JOINUP and become part of the nationaleffort! You’ll be glad you did!

Join Up…and Share Your ResultsOther than the ECI evaluationand reporting system, how canI participate in…

4 - H A F T E R S C H O O LP R O G R A M P R O F I L E S( A K A B E N C H M A R KI N F O R M AT I O N ) ?4-H Afterschool Programs will beasked to respond to an on-line sur-vey during the fall of each year. Thisgives the 4-H Afterschool LeadershipTeam valuable information that pro-files programs, lets us know who isinvolved in afterschool programs,and provides information which canbe used to market the nation-wideefforts of the Cooperative ExtensionSystem. Some of the questions inthis quick survey are similar to theones asked in the “Semi-AnnualReport” through the ECI system.The “profiles” offer quick snapshotsof what is happening across thecountry, while the semi-annualreport collects and analyzes the infor-mation in more detail. To previewthe Profile questions, visit our web-site at: www.eci.ext.msstate.edu.

With the

report you

will get from

this data,

you can

determine

multiple

characteristics

of your

audience.




S TAT E P L A N O F W O R K( P O W ) R E P O R T I N GS Y S T E M ?A set of outcome indicators thatmeasure impact in early care andeducation, school-age care, and teenout-of-school time programs, hasbeen developed and will be inte-grated into the national Plan ofWork system that states submit tothe Cooperative State Research,Education, and Extension Service(CSREES) in order to receive federalfunds. These outcomes and indica-tors were developed by a nationalcommittee of Family and ConsumerScience faculty and the School-AgeCare, Teen Out-of-School Time,and Evaluation Committees of ECI.

Watch for this opportunity in thenext POW reporting cycle. Copiesof the indicators can be found on theECI website at: www.reeusda.gov/extensioncares.

E S - 2 3 7 A N N U A LR E P O R T I N G F O R 4 - H ?There are two categories in theES-237 Annual 4-H Report, startingwith the reports due November 1,2004, that will capture 4-H After-school efforts. Under the “4-HClub” category, states will be ableto report youth members in: com-munity 4-H clubs, school 4-H clubs,afterschool 4-H clubs, and military4-H clubs. It is a new option to beable to report 4-H clubs in these dif-ferent categories. Previous reportsonly asked for 4-H clubs and manyinterpreted this to mean communityclubs only. This category assumesthere is a 4-H club structure presentin the afterschool environment.

There is another category in whichstates can report “youth participatingin School-Age Child Care programs.”States can report youth reachedthrough all afterschool efforts (needsassessments, curriculum enhance-ment, staff training, communitydevelopment, etc.) here. A 4-H clubstructure does not have to be partof the afterschool experience.

4 - H P R O G R A M S O FE X C E L L E N C E ?For a number of years the National4-H Headquarters staff collected “4-H Programs of Excellence” fromthe states and compiled them intoa web-based resource of informa-tion. These were narrative reportsthat could document results.Opportunities such as this maybe available in the future. 4-HAfterschool programs are encour-aged to provide program informa-tion for these types of requests.

Join Up…and Share Your Results


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1 Capizzano, J., Tout, K., and Adams,G. (2000). Child care patterns of school-age children with employed mothers.Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute.Retrieved from http://newfederalism.urban.org/html/op41/occa41.html.

2 Larner, M. (2000). Why should wecare about after-school care? In N.Walker and M. Barratt (Eds.), Childcare and education (Michigan FamilyImpact Seminars Briefing Report). EastLansing: Michigan State University,Institute for Children, Youth & Families.Retrieved from http://www.icyf.msu.edu/publicats/briefng1/briefng1.pdf.

3 Roth, J., Brooks-Gunn, J., Murray, L.,and Foster, W. (1998). Promotinghealthy adolescents: Synthesis ofyouth development program evalua-tions. Journal of Research onAdolescence, 8(4), 423-459.

4 Gootman, J. (2000). After-schoolprograms to promote child and ado-lescent development. Washington,D.C.: National Academy of Science.

5 Galambos, N. L., and Maggs, J. L.(1991). Out-of-school care of youngadolescents and self-reported behav-ior. Developmental Psychology, 27(4),644-655.

6 Steinberg, L. (1986). Latchkey chil-dren and susceptibility to peer pres-sure: An ecological analysis. Develop-mental Psychology, 22, 433-439.

7 Anderson-Butcher, D., and Fink, J.(2001). The importance of a sense ofbelonging to youth service agencies:A risk and protective factor analysis.Manuscript submitted for publication.

8 Holland, A., and Andre, T. (1987).Participation in extracurricular activi-ties in secondary school: What isknown, what needs to be known?Review of Educational Research, 57,437-460.

9 Larson, R. (1994). Youth organiza-tions, hobbies, and sports as develop-mental contexts. In R. K. Silbereisenand E. Todt (Eds.), Adolescence incontext: The interplay of family,school, peers, and work in adjustment(pp. 46-65). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

10 Mahoney, J. L., and Cairns, R. B.(1997). Do extracurricular activitiesprotect against early school dropout?Developmental Psychology, 33(2),241-253.

11 Posner, J. K., and Vandell, D. L.(1994). Low-income children’s after-school care: Are there beneficialeffects of after-school programs?Child Development, 65, 440-456.

12 Riley, D., Steinberg, J., Todd, C.,Junge, S., and McClain, I. (1994).Preventing problem behaviors andraising academic performance in thenation’s youth: The impacts of 64school-age child care programs in 15states supported by the CooperativeExtension Service Youth at Risk Initia-tive. Madison: University of Wisconsin.Retrieved from http://www.nncc.org/SACC/wi.sacc.html.

13 U.S. Department of Education andU.S. Department of Justice. (2000).Working for children and families: Safeand smart after-school programs.Washington, D.C.: Author. RetrievedFebruary 2001, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/SafeSmart/.

14 Riley, D., Steinberg, J., Todd, C.,Junge, S., and McClain, I. (1994).Preventing problem behaviors andraising academic performance in thenation’s youth: The impacts of 64school-age child care programs in 15states supported by the CooperativeExtension Service Youth at Risk Initia-tive. Madison: University of Wisconsin.Retrieved from http://www.nncc.org/SACC/wi.sacc.html.

15 Posner, J. K., and Vandell, D. L.(1994). Low-income children’s after-school care: Are there beneficialeffects of after-school programs?Child Development, 65, 440-456.

16 Gootman, J. (2000). After-schoolprograms to promote child and ado-lescent development. Washington,D.C.: National Academy of Science.

17 Larner, M. B., Zippiroli, L., andBehrman, R. E. (1999). When school isout: Analysis and recommendations.The Future of Children, 9(2), 4-20.Retrieved from http://www.future-ofchildren.org/information2826/infor-mation_show.htm?doc_id=71875.

18 Miller, B. M. (2001). The promiseof after-school programs. EducationalLeadership, 58(7). Retrieved fromhttp://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0104/miller.html.

19 Special Education News. SpecificDisabilities. Available at www.specialednews.com/disabilities/disabilities.html. Accessed 07/2002.

20 Science Classrooms for Studentswith Special Needs. Eric Digest,February 1998. Available at www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed433185.html. Accessed 07/2002.

21 IDEA’s Definition of Disabilities.Eric Digest E560. Available at www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed429396.html. Accessed 07/2002.

22 Special Education News. SpecificDisabilities. Available at www.specialednews.com/disabilities/disabilities.html. Accessed 07/2002.

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JCPenney Afterschool Fund


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