Progress 10/01/15 to 02/11/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences: New York State has experienced loss of population in recent decades, however the minority population in rural areas has increased, especially the Hispanic/Latino population. A healthy, productive integration of Hispanic immigrant families and their children into rural communities will facilitate their full participation into the social, economic and cultural life of those communities. Our practical objective is to provide insights to help community organizations to foster their integration. We relied on local Extension programming, and we implemented several 4-H engagement programs to identify best practices and test the viability of such programs among immigrant families. We targeted outreach to settled Hispanic/Latino immigrant families residing in rural communities. Our work encompasses Wayne and Orange Counties. The families are mostly of Mexican origin. The Hispanic/Latino population is working in low skilled jobs, often seasonal agricultural employment. We partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) in Wayne and Orange County, and agencies like Migrant Summer Education, The Alamo Migrant Center and other organizations that work and serve the immigrant population. Changes/Problems:We needed to add an extra year, at no cost, to complete the data collection. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Students participating as leaders of the programs learned skills to be able to work with diverse groups. They learned how to plan, implement and evaluate programs for children in different age groups, and help the children to put in practice leadership skills. Students were exposed to data collection. At the start of the program, we ran a focus group with parents in one of the sites and asked if they would like to meet to discuss about 4-H programs. From the twelve people that signed up, only 4 came to the meeting. All the mothers have school age children and two have kids in high school. One proudly informed that her son was accepted in a university and getting ready to go. Mothers finished primary (6 years) or secondary education (9 years) in Mexico and some had an additional one year of training. All could read and write and had some conversational English skills. They have been in the United States between 6 and 15 years. All were very pleased with the schools and their children have some participation in after schools activities if the school provided transportation. When asked about local programs, particularly programs provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension, they were typically not aware of the programs. Sometimes their churches offer nutrition and other informational programs. When asked about 4-H programs, two were familiar because a friend's child attended one in the summer, but they were not sure about the program because her son said "only the white kids go." This comment was corroborated by other participants and none could explain what a 4-H program was or how it works. Participants received fliers with information about 4-H in Spanish and general information was discussed. When asked about their interest in participating, all were interested. When they were asked about potential participation as leaders and given the requirements (fill forms, assist to meetings, present a police report of no previous unlawful behavior), all the women declined to volunteer. Reasons they gave included that the forms were too difficult to fill, they were reluctant to give so much information, problems with transportation, long hours at work, and those without "papers" would not request the police report on themselves. However, they would support their children's participation if the programs took place in safe and trusted sites, i.e., their schools and their church. The schools were favored because they offer transportation in all after-school programs. We continued to inform mothers during the pilot 4-H programs in the three counties and asked about their willingness to volunteer in the programs. Responses were very similar, thus, when planning new 4-H programs we would have to be aware that parents would not play a role as leaders of the programs and that the main barrier for the participation of children is transportation. In sum, immigrant parents' direct participation in the 4-H programs was limited. Some expressed interest, but several barriers were identified. Modest English skills, the forms to fill out and meetings to attend were very difficult to overcome. Long hours of work leaves limited time to carry activities with the children. When mothers were staying home, the lack of transportation and limited English was the main barrier for them. Finally, the mixed legal status of these families, where the children are born in the U.S and at least one parent do not have documentation to work and live in the country makes it impossible to participate as a 4-H leader. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?How the results have been disseminated to communities of interest? Guidelines for agencies would be web-based for dissemination. Presentation of results at conferences. Promotion of new 4-H programs to mentor high school students who are first generation in their families living in rural areas to apply to college. Throughout the pilot 4-H programs in rural communities, we found that both long term residents and the newcomers have the common interest of getting to know each other's culture. This echoes the request of the group of mothers about learning about healthy dishes of the American food beyond burgers and pizza. As soon their children enter pre-school, their favorite food was the American foods. Community members and new residents recognized that there are few opportunities for gatherings among the adult population, "children meet in the schools and sports, and they get to know each other." The promotion of common places for adult social gatherings would help the integration of the immigrant population, and ensure a vital economy in rural towns. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Previous programs taught us that children and parents would be open to joining 4-H, once they became familiar with the local extension programs, trusted the sites, and found staff who could explain programs in Spanish. We identified trusted sites that would ensure their participation, with easy access since many do not have transportation available. We found 8 sites already working with some immigrant populations, open to working with us, with bilingual staff, and able to provide transportation or were located within walking access. At the events, the presence of a Spanish speaking person was required for adults, but not for programs aimed at children already attending school in their communities. Three workshops with adults about topics such as nutrition, food safety, and computer use were successful. Mothers attended 80 percent of the sessions (4-6 meetings) and were eager to participate and learn to "better themselves" and "help their children." They also wanted to learn about the American culture and healthy American food. However, they were not initially familiar with extension programming. Children's participation was almost 90%, which was possible because the pilots were at the sites where children were attending other activities (schools, recreational venues, and churches). Staff was supportive and were invited to provide Cornell interns with feedback. We took every opportunity to talk with parents present in some of the programs, and they were pleased with the participation of the children and pleased with the topics. Also, they appreciated the fliers with information in Spanish. Our next goal was to put into practice 4-H programs and find best practices for engaging the immigrant families. The following is the list of 4-H programs implemented 2016-2018, mostly during summer with 4-6 session each. Children's age was 6 years old to 16 years old. In total, we implemented twelve 4-H programs and reached a total of 209 participants. Twelve undergraduate students worked in the implementation and reports. Local organizations and extension offices were helpful in opening their doors, offering additional training for the interns and facilitating transportation. In general families and children became more familiar with the Cornell Cooperative Extension staff and 4-H programs. Extension offices report a small increment of families participating and more clubs have Hispanic/Latino children. It is important to note that individuals and local organization in rural towns are willing to work with the new residents in their communities, but one main barrier is language. Reports methods of reaching out to the Hispanic population were through schools, the YMCA, word of mouth, flyers, direct contact with community leaders and guidance counselors. Many of the counties were willing to reach out to and work with the Hispanic community, although there were several barriers. Most counties argued that in small communities in rural areas the number of Hispanics is very small (less than 3%). This population has the characteristic of being geographically dispersed making it difficult to have enough resources to carry efficient outreach. In addition counties reported little knowledge and familiarity with the Hispanic culture and low-to-no resources to hire a bilingual staff. Low literacy and limited English in this population made more difficult their outreach and inclusion efforts to the adult Hispanic population. The problem of transportation was also apparent among the staff, since they were aware that transportation would be required for the children to attend the 4-H programs, and the CCE offices could not offer it. However, they pointed out, that English was not a problem with the children. In order to compare the willingness and barriers to offering programming for this population we conducted a web-based survey four years later (spring 2019). The short questionnaire was sent to educators and directors (N=72) and had a response rate of 35%. Staff from 24 counties completed the questionnaires. Results of the survey showed that the number of Hispanic/Latino adults increased in several new programs. Training and education in agricultural programs had the largest number of participants, followed by nutrition and parenting programs. Participation of children also increased and they attended diverse 4-H programs (community clubs, school enrichment, after school programming, special interest programs, and overnight and day camping). The most successful recruitment mechanisms were networking with local schools and local agencies. Some counties mentioned that churches were reached out to but they have few Hispanic/ Latino parishioners. In previous research we also found that few churches reported few Hispanic/Latino families, with the exception of two churches in Wayne County where 50 to 100 families regularly attended services (mass in Spanish). Many times churches limit their involvement to charitable activities, such as donations of clothing, operation of food pantries and soup kitchens. That is, churches, for the outreach of the Hispanic Latino families is limited. Factors limiting working Hispanic/Latino children in 4-H programs were similar to the barriers listed in previous survey, including: lack of bilingual staff, insufficient resources to provide transportation, and a small geographically dispersed Hispanic/Latino population. The undocumented immigrant status of some of the family members also limits their participation. Eighty-four percent of all the counties in the survey reported attempts to find resources to successfully include more children in their 4-H programs. Ninety four percent were currently active with recruitment efforts. We extended our inquiry to staff personnel in the extension offices with an in-person interview. The main question asked about the challenges they perceived in the inclusion of more Hispanic/Latino youth to their programs, and a second one asked about the recommended measures they would like to implement to improve their participation and retention. Staff recognize that they need to develop material specific for the Latino population and disseminate this information in Spanish to their parents. They recognize they need to examine their outreach practices and find out what is missing. Some suggested the use of social media. Staff celebrated the new diversity training in the workshops for educators. They report that the discussion of cultural and other characteristics of diverse groups is needed: "We need to remove resource barriers for minority groups." Other staff found that technology is an important tool to make resources available to this population. There is a recognition that 4-H is going through changes as a result of transformations in society; e.g. both parents working, kids have no time, they are overscheduled, overcommitted, and public schools are also overwhelmed with requirements and activities. In general, some extension offices recognize that there is less interest in programs like 4-H by both parents and children because of all the changes in the everyday lives. Other staff recognizes that recruitment and retention depends on the numbers of Hispanic/Latinos in the town and local schools, and in Upstate New York. Some towns have the advantage of a larger population, and have implemented more 4-H with Hispanic/Latino children participating. Sites should be accessible or transportation should be provided for programs to succeed: "transportation is why schools are best to have a program." The need for more bilingual staff was a recurrent topic among the staff: "we do not have a bilingual 4-H staff, which we need to be able to communicate with the parents to win their trust and explain what we are doing with their kids." Staff also recognized that information about 4-H is needed on all fronts: schools, organizations working with Hispanics, churches, etc.
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Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:We continue outreach to settled Hispanic/Latino immigrant families residing in rural communities. Our work encompasses Wayne and Orange Counties. The families are mostly of Mexican origin. The Hispanic/Latino population is working in low skilled jobs, often seasonal agricultural employment. We partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) in Wayne and Orange County, and agencies like Migrant Summer Education, The Alamo Migrant Center and other organizations that work and serve the immigrant population. Changes/Problems:Additional data collection will take place in the no-cost one year extension. A second survey of 4-H staff will be done statewide. In-depth interviews will be conducted with selected 4-H staff. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We consider CCE programming to be a valuable source to support and provide training to student interns running the 4-H clubs. Interns greatly benefitted from the expertise of the 4-H staff. CCE has offices in many small and medium sized towns in every county in New York, and is the foremost venue to access this Hispanic/Latino immigrant population. Two factors were key to the success in the implementation of programs in rural counties, 1) programs are local and 2) Extension is an institution that ensures continuity in programming. Extension offices already have an inclusive environment in their programs such as the 4-H clubs for children and youth and widespread relationships with local organizations in the counties. These contacts allowed us to reach other organizations who had recently developed programs for Hispanic/Latino kids and youth and promote 4-H clubs. The clubs based in schools and organizations like the Armory in Newburgh, Orange County, NY provided an important venue that nurtured skills and exposed children to opportunities in other CCE programs and provided new social connections. Immigrant families became acquainted with CCE services and programs for parents. CCE in that county reports that more Hispanic children have started to join nutrition and other programs. Following these findings and successful 4-H programs with kids 8-12 years old and youth 13-16 years old, we started the planning of a 4-H program to support the application to college. Immigrant parents working in agriculture in rural areas have low literacy and are unaware of the process, mechanisms, and resources for their children to continue studies after finishing high school. Many of these parents have children already finishing high school, and as first in their families to continue their studies face many challenges. The presence of Hispanic/Latino kids and youth in all the school districts is apparent. Orange County reports that the proportion of Hispanic/Latino students K-12 in the county is 27.5% (16,498), making them the largest minority group. Wayne County has doubled the number of Hispanic/Latino students in the last 5 years, this group accounts for 8.2% (1,101) of the total student K-12 population (New York State Education Department, 2020). The success of the eleven 4-H pilot programs provided us with the information to apply best practices for outreach and retention of participants. We initiated a 4-H program that would link the Extension office, the local high school and the community college, and would provide the opportunity to learn mentoring and leadership skills. The program will be offered locally and will recruit mentors and students and will rely on available resources in the community to make it sustainable. The 4-H program, First in College, will test materials, activities and information regarding the application to college. Any interested community can access the material in their extension office and start a new program and tailor it to their audience. As a 4-H program it will be part of the local Extension office, the program can be replicated in diverse rural and semirural communities. First in College 4-H program will be fully tested during the no-cost extension of this grant. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Significant results: Successful outreach occurred with immigrant families. Families were informed and exposed to ongoing Extension programs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Final reports from Cornell student interns were sent to the extension offices in the counties where the pilot programs took place. The First in College 4-H materials will be available in every Extension office in the State. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We continue our study of settled Hispanic/Latino immigrant families residing in rural communities with the intention to open venues for their full integration in their communities. Almost every town in rural New York now has Hispanic/Latino families making a considerable economic contributions. During the last decade, census data shows between 50% to 100% growth of the immigrant population in many communities. Immigrant families have low English skills and low educational attainment, and may families have mixed immigrant statuses (i.e. documented and undocumented members) and consequently keep a low profile. Their participation requires efforts that are culturally appropriate and flexible in program scheduling and implementation. The purpose of this project is to examine the best practices to link Hispanic/Latino children and families to ongoing or new 4-H programs. Because 4-H programs are present almost in every school and community in rural areas, they are an excellent medium to facilitate the inclusion and participation of immigrant families in the social and cultural fabric in rural America. This project continues the efforts of the prior USDA-funded study "Immigrant Integration in New Destinations."
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major goals of the project Our practical research goals are to provide insights about how to link Hispanic/Latino children of immigrant families to ongoing 4-H programming in CCE and to increase their engagement with additional sectors of the community. We worked in the planning, development and testing of 4-H pilot programs to generate guidelines for best practices in the outreach and successful incorporation of children and youth of immigrant families to local programs. Local 4-H programing in Extension offices and other local organizations facilitate the integration of immigrant children. Support provided by Extension offices helped access local resources and agencies. Outreach: We focus in local elementary and high schools in two counties. The pilot 4-H programs we were able to make the resources in the CCE offices more widely known in rural communities. Churches, agencies and local schools' staff provided safe and trusted sites for the 4-H programs participation. Extension staff provided support and resources for the pilot 4-H programs. We found that Hispanic/Latino families usually did not know about Extension programing available to them. This reflects their isolated living conditions in towns with few contacts with other community members besides their co-ethnics. The pilot 4-H programs in Wayne and Orange resulted in the participation of Hispanic/Latino children who joined clubs in the following fall. The pilot programs generated interest among the immigrant Hispanic/Latino families, and both parents and children became more familiar with the notion that the 4-H programs in their schools where also open to them. The pilot 4-H programs took place in two counties with a total of 92 student participants. In addition, 9 students participated in the 4-H First in College project, which provided a total of 201 participants. Table 1. Summary: 4-H clubs, sites and number of participants, ages 8-16 years old 4-H Clubs. Orange, Wayne County 4-H Clubs in 2017 - 2018 NUMBER OF 4-H PROGRAMS SITE Number of participants 1. "Sports, Rockets and you" Fall 2016/ Spring 2017 The Armory, Newburg, NY. Orange County 19 2. "Kids for College Express" Two-day workshop Sodus High School. NY 3 3. "Media literacy" 4 sessions. Two groups Warwick Elementary School. Warwick, NY 25 4. STEM. 4 sessions. Two groups Warwick Elementary School. Warwick, NY 25 5. "Radio Podcast" 4 sessions Sodus Elementary School 20 6. "First in College" Ithaca High School and Newfield High School 9 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS Total Undergraduate Students: 9 Total undergraduate in the design of First in College: 6 101 All Cornell student interns working in this project wrote a report for every program carried out. The report includes steps taken for outreach, planning, and activities during each session and evaluations. The aim is to provide adaptable guidelines for future interns and organizations interested in working with immigrant Hispanic/Latino families. Reports are available in PDF format. In addition 6 students worked in the planning, development and testing of First in College 4-H.
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:We continued our study to successfully conduct outreach to settled Hispanic immigrant families residing in rural communities to open venues for their integration to local programming in rural counties. Almost every town in rural New York now has Hispanic families who are making a considerable economic contribution to the communities. Census data from 2000 to 2010 shows approximately a 50 to 100 percent growth in the Hispanic population living in rural communities. Schools report a growing number of Hispanic children registering every year. The growing presence of immigrants make efforts for integration increasingly important. Hispanic populations often work in low skill jobs, especially related to seasonal agriculture. Hispanic immigrants in rural areas are a hard-to-reach population, facing barriers such as transportation, limited English-language skills, and reduced parental involvement in their children activities. Although many Hispanic children are U.S. born, parents may lack documentation to work and live in the U.S. The challenge is how to provide information and facilitate venues for immigrant families who may have mixed immigration statuses (i.e. documented and undocumented) and consequently keep a low profile. Participation of Hispanic immigrant families requires efforts that are culturally appropriate and flexible in scheduling and implementation. Our aim is to examine the best practices to link Hispanic children and families to ongoing or new 4-H clubs. Families that participated this year were mostly of Mexican origin and about 20 percent of the children had parents from Haiti, Jamaica, Ecuador and Honduras. During our second year, our 4-H clubs took place on three counties: Sullivan, Wayne and Orange. During the summer, we established four 4-H Clubs in two communities, Sodus (Wayne County), and Pine Island (Orange County). We worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Wayne and Orange County and other agencies that are making efforts to serve these newcomers. In Wayne County, we worked with the Sodus High School with a group of teens participating in an after school program, Kids for College, and with the Summer Migrant Education Program. Two clubs operated in Wayne County. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orange County helped us to contact the Migrant Education Program in Goshen at the Alamo Farmworkers Community Center, and supported the planning and implementation of the 4-H clubs. The Migrant Education Program allowed us to work with two groups of children attending the summer program in Pine Island. The aim of the 4-H Clubs was to work with immigrant families to facilitate their social and cultural incorporation in rural communities. This project continues the effort of the prior study "Immigrant Integration in New Destinations." Changes/Problems:We postponed the gathering of qualitative into the third year of the project so we could focus on the parents' role in 4-H in the upcoming year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Student interns got a hands-on research experience and acquired cultural competence skills. They also learned the complexities of developing and presenting educational programs to children. 4-H Clubs Fall 2016 Sullivan County: a year-round 4-H club with about 8 kids. Two parents registered as leaders. Orange County, Newburgh: Two 4-H clubs with a total of 31 kids 8-10 years old. Several parents are engaged and committed to the 12 session 4-H Club. Summer 2017 Orange County, Pine Island: Two 4-H clubs 1) "STEM" Club: Total number of participants: 25, age 4TH to 6TH grade 2) Media Literacy Club. Total number of participants: 25, age 5th and 6th grade Wayne County, Sodus: Two 4-H Clubs. 3) Hands on: Broadcasting exercise: the making of a podcast. Total number of participants: 19. 4) Kids for College Workshop: Total number of participants: 3 Significant results: Successful outreach with immigrant families; total number of participants to 4-H clubs: 111. Successful establishment of links with staff from local agencies. Full engagement with Extension offices in the three counties. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Final reports for this year's projects were sent to the CCE participating counties. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue to identify the best practices to make 4-H clubs for Hispanic children attractive to motivate kids to join and attend and sustainable so the 4-H groups continue.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In our previous research, we found that immigrants report that churches and schools are the most trusted institutions. Some church premises have been opened to provide educational workshops to both parents and children. With our past years' programs we learned that two conditions should be met for a successful program for immigrant families: first that the site is trusted by the families, and second that program content is tailored to cultural characteristics and needs of the targeted group. The summer of 2016 was productive, with 5 4-H clubs successfully implemented. Following work at the Armory in Newburgh, NY during the fall, a follow-up effort at CCE-Orange was able to start two 4-H clubs with 8-9 year old and 10-12 year old groups of kids. CCE-Sullivan, after several out-reach efforts with parents living in the area, was able to start a 4-H Club at the local Catholic Church in Liberty, NY with approximately 8 kids 8-10 years old. Parents were signed on as leaders and worked along with CCE staff. The club ended in December 2016 when two parents informed us they were moving to another area. This is an example of the challenges we found in our attempts with CCE offices to start clubs targeting immigrant families. Several factors hindered families' participation: transportation, parent's long working hours, inability to participate in after school activities, low English skills, and few co-ethnics in the area through whom they could learn about local opportunities or share 4-H tasks. Overall, parents were most interested in having "American" opportunities for their children. The club at the Armory in Newburgh, NY continued until the spring. Again we were unable to establish a club in the summer because we could not ensure the presence of a parent for the sessions nor a staff member or intern. The site where the 4-H Club would take place did not allow an 8 week club. Early fall (2017), a meeting with parents and kids again opened the possibility to continue the club in the spring (2018). We had a total of 4 students working this summer implementing 4-H Clubs. This year we worked directly with schools with the hope to extend the presence of 4-H clubs during the academic year. The support from the schools was very positive. Principals and teachers allowed to use the premises during the summer, facilitated transportation, and teachers worked in their programs during the summer, all of whom were very supportive and helpful to the interns. Wayne County. Sodus High School students participated last year at the Cornell Career Conference where 6 of their classmates attended. The group was open to continue working towards preparing students to attend college. The interns developed a "Kit for College" where information to apply to college is systematically presented. Using this kit, students can follow the steps individually or in group with a leader. The interns played the role of leader since they already applied and successfully enter college. Two interns were Hispanic from working families who were able to be accepted at Cornell. Their stories reinforced to the high school students that it is feasible to attend a college or a large university if good grades and early understanding of the application process is understood. The kit was tested during this workshop and is currently in the process of further review. The second effort took place in Sodus Elementary school, where hands on sessions and teacher support created a positive experience. Orange County. In the Elementary School in Pine Island, NY two 4-H clubs were implemented. In both sites, working in the local schools made it possible for children to attend. Linking the clubs with ongoing summer programs in schools was also a viable step since schools are trusted by the parents and some of the challenges these families have are resolved, like transportation to the site. Staff from other organizations started to show interest in 4-H Clubs and to work along with the local CCE offices. Specific objectives met: 1) Facilitated integration of children of immigrant families through local 4-H programing; outreach in 8 local agencies/ organizations 2) Made the resources of the 4-H programs and CCE offices more widely known; 4 contacts with staff of schools, and additional contact with parents. 3) Generated interest by conducting summer and fall 4-H Clubs in rural communities; Total number of participants 111
Publications
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience is Hispanic youth, their families, and their communities in three counties in New York State: Wayne, Sullivan, and Orange. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We consider programming from CCE, which has offices in many small and medium towns in every county in New York, is the foremost venue to access this Hispanic immigrant population. Extension offices already have an inclusive environment in their programs such as the 4-H clubs for children and youth. 4-H Clubs provide an important venue that nurtures skills and exposes children to opportunities, new knowledge, and new social connections. Our past efforts established an opening for the promotion and testing of 4-H Clubs among children of immigrant families. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1) Facilitated integration of children of immigrant families through local 4-H programing; outreach in 6 local agencies/ organizations 2) Made the resources of the 4-H programs and CCE offices more widely known to the community, including immigrants; made 8 contacts with staff of churches and agencies and parents. 3) Generated interest by conducting summer and fall 4-H Clubs in rural communities. Total number of participants: 131. Significant results: Successful outreach with immigrant families; total number of participants in 4-H clubs: 131. Successful establishment of links with staff from local agencies. Full engagement with Extension offices in the three counties. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1) Identification of best practices of organizations and institutions to continue the implementation of 4-H clubs in other communities. Objective 2) Systematic evaluation of summer clubs and ongoing 4-H to provide evidence-based information for future clubs with Hispanic children. Objective 3) Drafting of guidelines and recommendations with Extension partners to inform other counties about the promotion and implementation of 4-H Clubs. Prepare for electronic dissemination. We continue our outreach to settled Hispanic immigrant families residing in rural communities. Our work encompasses Wayne, Sullivan and Orange Counties. Our target is children and parents from immigrant families residing in communities in Upstate New York. The families are mostly of Mexican origin. The Hispanic population is working in low skill jobs, often related to seasonal agriculture-related occupations. We work with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Wayne, Sullivan and Orange County and other agencies that are making efforts to serve these community newcomers. In Wayne County, we work with a Catholic church in Marion, a Summer Migrant Education Program, and with a second group of teens in the Sodus High School participating at the Kids for College Program under the leadership of Dr. Ghertner. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orange County helped us to contact The Armory and the Recreational Summer Park program in Newburgh, NY. Additional contacts were initiated for future 4-H clubs with the Mustard Seed Migrant Ministry day care and summer programs at the Alamo (a Farmworkers Community Center in Goshen, NY). These organizations and institutions are working with immigrant families to facilitate their social and cultural incorporation in rural communities. This project continues our effort of the study "Immigrant Integration in New Destinations."
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major activities completed under these goals: Summer 2016 Orange. Newburgh Two 4-H clubs "You are the Athlete." Total number of participants: 36 1. 7TH & 8TH graders at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center. 2. Two groups, kids in 4TH to 6TH grades at the Newburgh Parks and Recreation League. Wayne: Sodus and Marion One 4-H club "The Environment." Total number of participants: 50 3. "Our Planet is Our Home 4-H" at the Church of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Marion, NY with kids between 8-12 years old. 4. We worked under the "environment" theme with farmworker's kids in 2nd and 4th grades through the Sodus Migrant Education Summer Program. 5. Cornell University: 4-H Career Explorations Conference. Six students from Sodus High School "Kids for College program" were registered to participate in the three day conference at Cornell University. Fall 2016 Sullivan County: one 4-H club year with a Total number of 8 kids. Two parents have registered as leaders. Orange County. Newburgh. Two 4-H clubs with kids 8-10 years old. Total number of participants: 31. Several parents are engaged and committed to the 12 session 4-H Club.
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