Progress 08/15/14 to 08/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The project focused on homeless or unstably housed teens with an emphasis on developing their critical life skills (e.g. communication and conflict resolution, career readiness). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project continues to foster a number of collaborations within the city of Louisville. Community collaborations include partnerships with the Wayside Collaboration, which taught youth how to access necessities for their first apartment; volunteers who presented workshops on life skill topics during programs for youth, and Kentuckiana Works, which helped the youth to connect with jobs and resources to expand their networks. Staff (program assistants) have attended the Kentucky Prevention Network conference, the CYFAR professional development training/Conference, the American Evaluation Association's Summer Evaluation Institute and the National Youth-at-Risk Conference. All of these experiences were critical in helping CYFAR staff enhance their skills to work with this vulnerable population. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Kentucky Cooperative Extension has several Extension documents and publications that are used to promote programs of impact. This project has been highlighted in Jefferson County's "Report to the People". This report serves as a marketing tool to promote Extension at the local level. The project has also been featured as a "Public Value Statement", another document that helps to brand Extension as an entity that can be utilized by a much broader audience, far beyond our traditional reach. The project has also been featured in university wide social media (UKNow - a daily email blast that goes out to all students, faculty and staff, highlighting people and programs). We have sent these materials to local stakeholders, and to elected officials serving at the state and national level. For instance, these publications are distributed to Kentucky legislators during visits on Capitol Hill (in Washington) at the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Participants completed a common measures pre-survey (workforce preparation) which resulted in revealing their need to acquire more skills to be career ready. Over the course of the grant period, 483 life skills lessons were provided to nearly 1,300 program participants between the 2 grants sites on topics including budgeting, job readiness, healthy choices, physical education, communication, conflict resolution, teamwork, decision-making, stress and anger management. Over the course of the grant, youth have developed the skills, confidence and desire to return home and are consistently participating in CYFAR programming at the Youth Development Center grant site. As a result of these programs, nearly 70 youth have gained employment directly through the program, more than a dozen have gained housing directly through the program and 18 have either worked toward completion of their GEDs during participation in the program or are currently enrolled in higher education institutions. In fact, one youth who attended the program for over three years recently returned to the Center to inform the staff that he had obtained his high school diploma. Like many others, he has battled mental health challenges and substance abuse, but overcame these adversities to reach his goal of becoming a high school graduate.
Publications
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Progress 08/15/17 to 08/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The participants of this project are all high-risk youth, particularly those with unstable housing. They range in age from early to the late adolescent years Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has fostered a number of collaborations within the city of Louisville. In turn, these community collaborations have helped with life skills development for youth at both grant sites, such as Wayside Collaboration teaching youth how to access necessities for their first apartment; representatives from collaborators presenting on life skills topics during programs for youth and Kentuckiana Works helping the youth to connect with jobs and resources to expand their networks. Staff (program assistants) have attended the Kentucky Prevention Network conference, the CYFAR professional development training/Conference, the American Evaluation Association's Summer Evaluation Institute and the National Youth-at-Risk Conference. All of these experiences have aided CYFAR staff in honing their skills to become better Extension professionals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Kentucky Cooperative Extension has several Extension documents and publications that are used to promote programs of impact. This project has been highlighted in Jefferson County's "Report to the People". This report serves as a marketing tool to promote Extension at the local level. The project has also been featured as a "Public Value Statement", another document that helps to brand Extension as an entity that can be utilized by a much broader audience, far beyond our traditional reach. We have sent these materials to local stakeholders, and to elected officials serving at the state and national level. For instance, these publications are distributed to Kentucky legislators during visits on Capitol Hill (in Washington) at the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Additional programs that meet the needs of youth; provide activities that are age appropriate and of interest to youth; continue to provide staff with the resources and trainings they need to work more effectively with this vulnerable population
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Participants completed a common measures pre-survey (workforce preparation) which resulted in revealing their need to acquire more skills to be career ready. During this reporting period, 397 life skills lessons were provided to more than 1,200 program participants between the 2 grants sites on topics including budgeting, job readiness, healthy choices, physical education, communication, conflict resolution, teamwork, decision making, stress and anger management. Many youth that have participated in programs at the Shelter House site have successfully returned home and now participate in CYFAR programming at the Youth Development Center grant site. As a result of these programs, more than 66 youth have gained employment directly through the program, 13 have gained housing directly through the program, 11 have worked toward completion of their GEDs during participation in the program, 7 program youth are currently enrolled in higher education institutions, 8 youth received mental health assistance as a result of participating in the program, and 3 youth were helped to get out of sex work during participation in the program. Usage of the Youth Development Center has increased from an average of 62 per month to over 300 per month, showing that the youth participants are finding the programs useful and are sharing information about the program with other homeless youth and getting them to come.
Publications
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Progress 08/15/16 to 08/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Homeless and unstably housed youth in Jefferson County, KY Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?CYFAR Workshop; Love Notes, NAEHCY, Urban Extension Conference, NEA4HA How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment Magazine that is widely distributed. Presentations at Youth-at-Risk Conference What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Will continue providing and evaluatinglife skills training to the homeless and unstably housed youth.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Short Term Results: 1. Increase youth awareness of ways to attain/enhance critical life skills: 179 participants; 397 life skills lessions were offered on budgeting, job readiness, healthy choices, physical education, communication, computer skills, etc.2. Increase community awareness of the needs of homeless/unstably housed youth: 23 participants; businesses and community resources are willing to help when asked and given opportunity. 3. Increase youth aspirations to become self-sufficient: 179 participants; all 179 state they have increased aspirations to become self-sufficient and feel like they belong to something as a result of participating in CYFAR program. Long Term Results: 1. Increased number of youth participants demonstrating an application of life skills: 179 participants; When homeless youth are given the same opportunities as other youth, 100% are successful at applying life skills.2. Target youth exhibiting self-sufficiency as demonstrated through varied means of person autonomy: 179 participants; all 179 participants stated they have increased aspirations to become self-sufficient as a result of the program. 66 gained employment; 13 gained housing; 11 worked toward GED; 8 received mental health assistance; 3 got of our sex work. 3. Increase in community collaborations and partnerships that offer youth support systems and life skills resources. 23 participants; When asked 100% of community businesses are willing to help with the program.
Publications
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Progress 08/15/15 to 08/14/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Homeless and unstably housed youth Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?CYFAR workshop in Washington, D.C. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue programming to meet the individual and collective needs of the unstablily housed youth. Nurture and expand collaborations with other youth serving organizations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Short Term Results: Result:1) Increase youth awareness of ways to attain/enhance critical life skills 538youth participated. Through observations; focus groups; surveys; and interviews using content analysis to identify themes the following was determined;A total of 114 life skills lessons were offered during the reporting period on topics including budgeting, job readiness, healthy choices, physical education, and communications. These life skills lessons will help increase youth awareness of critical life skills needed in their lives and strategies for attaining these skills. Result:2) Increase community awareness of the needs of homeless/unstably housed youth 538 youth participated. Through focus group; secondary data; survey using content analysis to identify themes the following was determined: The primary findings from focus groups with program youth revealed that the youth want help getting jobs, help with housing, help accessing other services, and stated that they would like to feel like they belong to something and did not just get services at places.Implications: The findings from focus groups were used to begin developing programming that emphasizes job readiness, access to resources, and bonding with peers to share similar experiences, lessons learned, and ideas that have worked. It is hoped that focusing programming on the topics that youth in the focus groups stated they most needed will maximize the utility and effectiveness of this program. Result:3) Increase youth aspirations to become self-sufficient There were 538 youth participants. Through observation; activity logs; survey using content analysis to identify themes, comparative analysis the following was determined: Three participating youth have gained housing for themselves. Ten participating youth gained employment. Two participating youth have begun working on their GED. Implications: The youth who participate in this program will have greater opportunities to learn about and have access to routes for self-sufficiency, such as help with job readiness and getting a job, help with gaining housing, how to access necessities for a first apartment that typically they would not have been able to afford, computer skills, computer access for completion of GEDs and more. Long Term Results: Result: 1) Increased number of youth participants demonstrating an application of specified life skill. The number of participants was 538. Using surveys and interviews and content analysis, no results are availableat this time. Result:2) Target youth exhibiting self-sufficiency as demonstrated through varied means of personal autonomy Number of participants was 538. Using interview; focus group; observation and content analysis, no results are available at this time. Result:3) Increase in community collaborations and partnerships that offer youth support systems and life skills resources Number of participants was 538. Using observation from staff and partners and content analysis and observations the following was determined: In the first 6 months, Kentucky State University, Kentuckiana Works, Wayside Christian Mission, True UP, Skuvault, Frazier Museum, C.H.A.N.G.E., and KET have all worked as collaborators in the program with their employees serving as teachers and leaders. These collaborations have led to the utilization of numerous life skills for the youth in both programs. The Wayside collaboration taught the youth at the YDC how to access necessities for a first apartment that typically they would not have been able to afford. The KET, Skuvault, and True UP were utilized to bring in experts to facilitate life skills on a variety of topics. Kentuckiana Works helped youth to connect with jobs and opportunities to expand their networks. The continuance of these collaborations and the development of others are the key to this program working in the future.Implications: Collaboration will be a KEY goal of this program to offer youth support systems and life skills resources throughout the grant and beyond. Collaborating with community partners ensures that the participants are exposed to a variety of jobs, people, and backgrounds. In addition, we have kept the Louisville Metro Council updated on our work at the YMCA Safe Place and hope to integrate other thought leaders into the program in the future.
Publications
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Progress 08/15/14 to 08/14/15
Outputs
Target Audience: Homeless/unstably housedyouth ages 12-22. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Newly hired professional has attended CYFAR orientation and UK Extension orientation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Will follow grant proposal including1. train professional hired 2. work with YMCA/Extension to develop an appropriate schedule of work
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Meetings among collaborators (YMCA, Jefferson County Extension, and PI/co-PIs) has been successful. CYFAR Coach site visit was productive. Professional to conduct life skill training has been hired.
Publications
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