Progress 09/01/08 to 02/28/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Within the duration of the ISEC Home Pest Management Habitat for Humanity project, a total of 257 Habitat for Humanity new homeowners participated in the ISEC Home Pest Management Training as part of their mandatory training hours before becoming eligible for their homes. These individuals were reached through 18 educational sessions from July 2008 to February 2010. It is estimated that at least 215 families received the information to be used in their homes. These educational trainings occurred within three of the most populous metroplexes in Texas: Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. Due to differences in the training aspects of each cities Habitat for Humanity, sessions varied by number: San Antonio (11), Dallas (5), and Austin (2). At the start of the project, Habitat for Humanity education coordinators were contacted and relationships were established in order to incorporate the home pest management trainings in the Habitat for Humanity trainings. All individuals moving into new homes through Habitat for Humanity were reached through this program. The principal investigators in this project also participated in the 2008 IPM Symposium, sharing the results and techniques of the program. An invitation was also extended during the National Extension Conference of 2009, in Milwaukee; however, a family emergency prevented the presentation. An abstract was published in the conference program along with information about the ISEC Home Pest Management Habitat for Humanity program, and the PowerPoint presentation was posted online. During educational programs, participants received a 1 hour presentation called 'ISEC.' This program is an acronym for four basic steps to managing pests: Identification, Sanitation, Exclusion, and Control. These steps are aligned with the basic concepts of IPM in an urban environment, encouraging the use of no-chemical control methods such as sanitation and exclusion. This program also encourages the homeowner to be proactive instead of reacting to a pest problem. All participants received an ISEC kit at the conclusion of the program. Kits included tools necessary for preventing pest problems such as: duct tape, sticky traps, fly paper, clothespins, caulk, window screen repair kits, and steel wool. Participants were also administered both a pre and post tests and a 4-6 week retrospective post test. PARTICIPANTS: The individuals initiating and completing this project were Integrated Pest Management Program Specialists: Molly Keck (San Antonio), Kimberly Schofield (Dallas), and Elizabeth Brown (Austin). These individuals provide IPM educational programs to their respective counties and surrounding areas. They are entomologists, and specialize in Integrated Pest Management of urban pests. The partner organization during this project was Habitat for Humanity in San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit housing organization that builds simple, decent and affordable houses without interest or profit to those in need. They work with very low-income families whose total income is generally 25% - 60% of the area median income. Families spend a minimum of 300 hours investing in "sweat equity" which includes building their home and neighbors and educational programs. In partnering with Habitat for Humanity, the ISEC Home Pest Management Program became part of the mandatory training requirements. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project was Habitat for Humanity new homeowners. These are considered very low-income families who total income is generally 25%-60% of the area median income. This makes this audience ideal for the ISEC Home Pest Management Program because they are not usually able to afford professional pest management treatments, and rely heavily on store-bought pesticides and home remedies. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The outcomes of this program are very positive which is encouraging to the principal investigators. Results show an overall increase in knowledge gained, positive changes in behavior, and an overall reduction of pesticide use within the home. Three different types of surveys were administered: pre and post tests, customer satisfaction, and 4-6 week retrospective post evaluation. The type of evaluation administered was chosen depending on the type of Habitat for Humanity training and availability to administer multiple evaluations. We had a 60% return/completion rate for customer satisfaction surveys. The results indicated 95.6% found the program very valuable, 7.3% found the program to be somewhat valuable, 87.5% were completely satisfied with the program, and 11.7% were mostly satisfied with the program. These results indicate to the principal investigators that the ISEC Home Pest Management Program was well received by the clientele, giving us confidence that the program does not need major modifications and is appropriate for our audience. The pre and post evaluation gauged changes in knowledge. The completion rate of the pre and post test was 73.3%. The overall increase in knowledge was 20.1%. The type of knowledge gained in this evaluation included information about IPM, sanitation, exclusion, non-chemical control tactics, and proper disposal of pesticides. A positive increase in knowledge gained indicates that the program was successful in providing information that can be retained by the clientele. We believe the most substantial outcomes are found in the 4-6 week retrospective post evaluation. This evaluation was mailed to participants approximately one month after participating in the ISEC Home Pest Management Program and measures changes in behavior. The return rate for this evaluation was 37%. Of those surveyed, 80% have changed their behavior to inspect and repair sites where pests can enter (practicing sanitation and exclusion principles); 74% now store dried foods in pest proof containers (sanitation and exclusion); 53% prune trees and shrubs away from the house (exclusion); 58% dispose of leftovers properly (sanitation); 55% do not leave dirty dishes in the sink (sanitation). In addition, participants were asked if they reduced their overall pesticide use in the home as a result of the program. An amazing 78.6% indicated they have reduced their pesticide use by an average of 71.3%. This is important since it indicates that the principles of IPM are being used, and human, environmental, and ecological health is being improved.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Within the duration of the ISEC Home Pest Management Habitat for Humanity project, a total of 238 Habitat for Humanity new homeowners participated in the ISEC Home Pest Management Training as part of their mandatory training hours before becoming eligible for their homes. These individuals were reached through 12 educational sessions from July 2008 to October 2009. It is estimated that at least 200 families received the information to be used in their homes. These educational trainings occurred within three of the most populous metroplexes in Texas: Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. Due to differences in the training aspects of each cities Habitat for Humanity, sessions varied by number: San Antonio (10), Dallas (5), and Austin (2). At the start of the project, Habitat for Humanity education coordinators were contacted and relationships were established in order to incorporate the home pest management trainings in the Habitat for Humanity trainings. All individuals moving into new homes through Habitat for Humanity were reached through this program. The principal investigators in this project also participated in the 2008 IPM Symposium, sharing the results and techniques of the program. An invitation was also extended during the National Extension Conference of 2009, in Milwaukee; however, a family emergency prevented the presentation. An abstract was published in the conference program along with information about the ISEC Home Pest Management Habitat for Humanity program, and the PowerPoint presentation was posted online. During educational programs, participants received a 1 hour presentation called 'ISEC.' This program is an acronym for four basic steps to managing pests: Identification, Sanitation, Exclusion, and Control. These steps are aligned with the basic concepts of IPM in an urban environment, encouraging the use of no-chemical control methods such as sanitation and exclusion. This program also encourages the homeowner to be proactive instead of reacting to a pest problem. All participants received an ISEC kit at the conclusion of the program. Kits included tools necessary for preventing pest problems such as: duct tape, sticky traps, fly paper, clothespins, caulk, window screen repair kits, and steel wool. Participants were also administered both a pre and post tests and a 4-6 week retrospective post test. PARTICIPANTS: Principal investigators/educators: Elizabeth Brown, IPM Program Specialist, Austin Molly Keck, IPM Program Specialist, San Antonio Kimberly Schofield, IPM Program Specialist, Dallas Partner Organizations: Habitat for Humanity of Austin Habitat for Humanity of Dallas Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio Opportunities for training: In San Antonio, a large percentage of Habitat for Humanity new homeowners are Spanish speakers. IPM Program Specialist, Molly Keck, took advantage of Master Volunteers to train translators to provide the Spanish version of the ISEC Home Pest Management Program. Throughout the course of this project, two volunteers were trained. In addition, a county agent was also trained to help provide additional trainings in the future. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project were Habitat for Humanity New Homeowners in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, TX. The overall number of individuals reached within 16 months was 238. This number represented all Habitat for Humanity New Homeowners in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio. The overall demographics of the audience reached was: 86.5% Hispanic, 6.7% Black, 4.8% White, 2.0% Pacific Islander, 80.1% Female. Our audience consists of economically disadvantaged individuals; individuals whose total income is 25-60% of the area median income. This is $16,625-$39,999 for a family of four. These individuals can only afford mortgages within the range of $375-$425 per month. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The outcomes of this program are very positive which is encouraging to the principal investigators. Results show an overall increase in knowledge gained, positive changes in behavior, and an overall reduction of pesticide use within the home. Three different types of surveys were administered: pre and post tests, customer satisfaction, and 4-6 week retrospective post evaluation. The type of evaluation administered was chosen depending on the type of Habitat for Humanity training and availability to administer multiple evaluations. We had a 60% return/completion rate for customer satisfaction surveys. The results indicated 95.6% found the program very valuable, 7.3% found the program to be somewhat valuable, 87.5% were completely satisfied with the program, and 11.7% were mostly satisfied with the program. These results indicate to the principal investigators that the ISEC Home Pest Management Program was well received by the clientele, giving us confidence that the program does not need major modifications and is appropriate for our audience. The pre and post evaluation gauged changes in knowledge. The completion rate of the pre and post test was 73.3%. The overall increase in knowledge was 20.1% (ranging in specific locations from 43.3%-3.4%). The type of knowledge gained in this evaluation included information about IPM, sanitation, exclusion, non-chemical control tactics, and proper disposal of pesticides. A positive increase in knowledge gained indicates that the program was successful in providing information that can be retained by the clientele. We believe the most substantial outcomes are found in the 4-6 week retrospective post evaluation. This evaluation was mailed to participants approximately one month after participating in the ISEC Home Pest Management Program and measures changes in behavior. The return rate for this evaluation was 37%. Of those surveyed, 80% have changed their behavior to inspect and repair sites where pests can enter (practicing sanitation and exclusion principles); 74% now store dried foods in pest proof containers (sanitation and exclusion); 53% prune trees and shrubs away from the house (exclusion); 58% dispose of leftovers properly (sanitation); 55% do not leave dirty dishes in the sink (sanitation). In addition, participants were asked if they reduced their overall pesticide use in the home as a result of the program. An amazing 78.6% indicated they have reduced their pesticide use by an average of 71.3%. This is important since it indicates that the principles of IPM are being used, and human, environmental, and ecological health is being improved.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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