Source: PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
PENN STATE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY PROJECT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
3D GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1004986
Grant No.
2014-41520-22202
Cumulative Award Amt.
$648,750.00
Proposal No.
2014-03952
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2014
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2019
Grant Year
2018
Program Code
[MC]- Youth at Risk
Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
408 Old Main
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802-1505
Performing Department
Agricultural Economics, Sociol
Non Technical Summary
The PA Sustainable Community Project goal is to foster the positive growth and development of middle-school youth by strengthening families, building skills, and reducing youth problem behaviors (e.g., substance use, violence, and other problems). The National CYFAR Outcome being addressed is Teen. One aspect of this project involves the bolstering parent-adolescent relationship because of its importance as a mechanism to improve youth's lives. In order to meet this goal, the evidence-based partnership model, PROSPER (PROSPER: PROmoting School-community university Partnerships to Encourage Resilience) will be employed in Fayette County, specifically working with Uniontown and Laurel Highlands school districts. PROSPER links three existing infrastructure systems to enhance the resiliency of youth and their families - the land-grant university, the Cooperative Extension System, and the public school system. Through these new linkages, PROSPER is designed to strengthen the expertise and broaden the resources of community teams to implement coordinated school and family-focused prevention programs that enhance resiliency and decrease problem behaviors. The community teams within the PROSPER model are led by Extension educator and comprised of representatives from the school, community service agencies, parents, and youth. PROSPER community partnership teams implement one evidence-based family program for youth in fifth and sixth grade and a complementary evidence-based school program in grade seven.The PROSPER model is more than the combination of two programs, it innovativeness occurs in the ongoing technical assistance provided to teams and in the significant role of community team plays. This model has resulted in significant increases implementation quality and long-term sustainability when compared to traditional program implementation by agency.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
80260203020100%
Knowledge Area
802 - Human Development and Family Well-Being;

Subject Of Investigation
6020 - The family and its members;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
The proposed project involves the implementation of an evidence-based partnership model, PROSPER (PROSPER Project: PROmoting School-community university Partnerships to Encourage Resilience). The goal of PROSPER is strengthening families, building youth skills, and reducing youth problem behaviors (e.g., substance use, violence, and other conduct problems). From this goal, the desired long-term results are that youth in PROSPER will grow-up healthy and be productive active citizens. PROSPER model and its programs are run by community teams made up of representatives from Penn State Cooperative Extension, school district personnel, representatives from community service agencies, parents, youth, and other community members.
Project Methods
PROSPER programs are run by community teams (relatively small in size) made up of representatives from Penn State Cooperative Extension, school district personnel, representatives from community service agencies, parents, youth, and other community members. An Extension educator (family and consumer science or 4-H youth development) leads, with the assistance of a school co-leader, the PROSPER team. The team leader oversees the project activities to assure that programs are well-received within schools and communities, and implemented with the highest quality to assure maximum positive impact.

Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is parents of teens (ages 10-14) as well as the teens themselves in Union and Fayette School Districts. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?-Participation in Bimonthly PROSPER learing communities. -Participation in the CYFAR Professional Development Event -Participation in the monthly CYFAR Professional Development webinars. -Participation in the PROSPER yearly all meeting -Participation in the state's Extension Opioid Taskforce How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the all four years were share with the PROSPER teams in Fayette and Union School Districts, the PA PROSPER team, and the Union and Fayette School Districts School Boards. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The PROSPER communities in Fayette and Union School Districts are being sustained.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The major accomplishments include: --Establishment of the Fayette and Union School Distict PROSPER teams. --SFP facilitator trianing completed for 10 facilitators --Three SFP groups being conducted in Fayette School District. This is a total of 14 sessions. --Two SFP group being conducted in Union School District. This is a total of 7 sessions.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The target audience includes families and youth from Fayette County. The two major areas of program center around Uniontown and Laurel Highlands School Districts. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In order for the SFP:10-14 program and the LST program to be conducted. faciltators attended a training. In total more than 15 professionals have been trained to deliver the program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been delivered through an annual presentation to the two school boards and the county commissioners. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are currently working on securing sustainability funding from the United way and other community-based foundations.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Through the CYFAR grant, Penn State Extension has implemented the Strengthening Families Program 10-14 (SFP) and the Life Skills Training program (LST) in Fayette County. In 2017-2018 the Laurel Highlands district implemented LST in grades 6 and 7 with over 450 youth, and they plan to expand this program to 8th grade in the Fall of 2018. The Uniontown district has had discussions with the PROSPER team about adopting LST, but they have not yet decided to do so. Uniontown YMCA. Three seven-week sessions of SFP were hosted at the YMCA last program year, serving 18 youth and their caregivers. The benefit of this location is that after the families have completed each SFP session, they have the opportunity to use the YMCA facilities for an hour. This structure provides family time for the parents and youth to practice the communication skills and techniques that they just learned. Whether it's swimming in the pool, playing racquetball, or walking on the track, the families have the quality time to continue the discussion of SFP principles and how they can apply them to their family. Due to the presence of SFP in Fayette County, a collaboration with Communities That Care of Fayette County (CTC) has also developed. With the support of evidence-based programs, CTC has helped bring awareness to the community and promote SFP as a vital program that can positively influence risk and protective factors in our community.

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

      Outputs
      Target Audience:The location of the PROSPER program is in Fayette County, PA (Uniontown and Laurel Highlands School Districts), the two community sites were selected based on: (1) the readiness of the educator in terms of their experience and their willingness to commit; (2) a positive relationship with the school and Extension existed; (3) the very Southern part of the state which is a place that does not have a PROPSER site; and (4) the community needs far and away met the criteria of the CYFAR. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The team lead and prevention coordinator attended the CYFAR Professional Development Event. In addition these two individual have monthly call with their CYFAR PDTA Coach. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The teams receive their evaluations yearly What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to grow programming and work toward sustainability

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? According to recent study findings, PROSPER is working! The results revealed immediate, sustained, and significant differences between PROSPER and non-PROSPER communities in young people's initiation and use of tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana and illicit drugs, including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine (Spoth et al., 2007). In addition, youth in PROSPER communities reported higher levels of protective factors (e.g., family cohesiveness, positive parent-child communication, and positive parental limit-setting (Redmond et al., 2009). Youth in PROSPER communities showing significantly lower rates overall and reduced growth over time in problem behaviors (e.g., theft, vandalism and fighting) compared with youth in non-PROSPER communities. Families involved in PROSPER keep coming back as the attendance rate for the family-based program averages 17% of all the eligible families in communities compared to 1%-6% who attended similar prevention programs in other communities. Basically, PROSPER in demonstrating long term-results of improving the social and emotional well-being of youth.

      Publications


        Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16

        Outputs
        Target Audience:The audience is parent and youth in Fayette county Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have monthly learning communities about PROSPER and implementation solution-focused problem solving How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes, we have a one page outcome highlight paper for our community members, schools, and other stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to grow the reach of the program. Host three sustainability events.

        Impacts
        What was accomplished under these goals? We have completed 6 SFP10-14 programs with more than 60 families

        Publications


          Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15

          Outputs
          Target Audience:The target audience is parents of teens (ages 10-14) as well as the teens themselves in Union and Fayette School Districts. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?-SFP facilitator trianing completed for 10 facilitators. -Bimonthly PROSPER learing community. -CYFAR Professional Development workshop -CYFAR Monthly Professional Development webinars. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the first year were share with the PROSPER team in Fayette and Union School Districts, the PA PROSPER team, and the Union and Fayette School Districts School Boards. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We expect three to four SFP groups to be run in each school districts.

          Impacts
          What was accomplished under these goals? The major accomplishments include: --Establishment of the Fayette and Union School Distict PROSPER teams. --SFP facilitator trianing completed for 10 facilitators --Two SFP groups being conducted in Fayette School District. This is a total of 14 sessions. --One SFP group being conducted in Union School District. This is a total of 7 sessions.

          Publications