Progress 09/01/18 to 09/30/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The PROSPER (PRomoting School-university-community Partnerships to Enhance Resilience) began in Pennsylvania in 2001 as a large, federally funded dissemination project. The goal of PROSPER is to promote healthy development and to avoid long- term health and behavioral problems in rural youth through the use of universal, evidence-based interventions. These programs are locally managed by the Penn State University Extension System, which provides expertise in positive youth development. PROSPER has demonstrated impacts on the well-being of rural youth. Pennsylvania is currently in the grip of an opioid epidemic, ranking 4th in the nation in opioid deaths in 2016. The proposed project will allow expansion of PROSPER into new rural communities in Pennsylvania. Following the conclusion of federal funding in 2005, six of the original PROSPER communities assumed local responsibility for sustaining their PROSPER programs, and resources were located to expand PROSPER to additional communities throughout the state. PROSPER utilizes a community partnership model that engages schools, community stakeholders, CES leadership, and university-based prevention scientists in implementing universal, evidence-based interventions in rural communities in Pennsylvania. Programs are delivered to students and their families in grades 5-8. PROSPER provides ongoing technical assistance to teams to assure ongoing high quality of program delivery. The PROSPER evaluation involved a rigorous trial that followed participants through aged 19 and compared long-term rates of substance use, problem behavior, family strengths, and positive youth development in communities that did and did not receive PROSPER programming. Findings were significant for all outcomes measured.The target audience for this program included youth and their parents and caregivers, living in communities and school districts participating in PROSPER. Changes/Problems:We experienced significant problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, schools were completely closed for varying periods of time, and even when in-person instruction resumed, schools were unprepared to offer extracurricular programs such as SFP:10-14. Even when school activities had returned to some semblance of normal, during the 2021-22 school year, recruitment of families into the family based program was lower than pre-pandemic levels. We developed a virtual adaptation of this program during the pandemic, but uptake was limited, with many families indicating that they were already overburdened with on-line instruction and that they would attend SFP:10-14 when it was offered in person again. The school based programs had more consistent reach and implementation, but these were also delivered remotely during much of the project period, and concerns regarding student engagement and learning were significant for these programs just as they were for students' academic subjects. It was our intention to track community-level impacts using the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) which was administered in the Fall of 2019 (which we considered our baseline period) and again in the Fall of 2021. However, we were unable to draw meaningful conclusions from the PAYS for a number of reasons. First, because our ability to deliver prevention programs during COVID was severely limited, we did not expect much in the way of detectable impacts. Second, when we examined PAYS trends at both the state and the community level, it became apparent that COVID-19 had significantly impacted youth behavior, feelings, and attitudes to a significant degree, making the 2021 data unique and not directly comparable to 2019. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The PROSPER team leader, Ms. Christina Pulman, underwent a 6-hour training in the PROSPER model and the fundamentals of managing the coalition and delivering the evidence based programs, as well as basic information about evidence based practices and implementation science. Additionally, she attended monthly group meetings with the statewide PROSPER team, which provided opportunities for sharing across teams and collective problem-solving. During the project period, Wayne County PROSPER staff participated in two three day, in person trainings for the SFP:10-14 program, totaling 19.5 hours per training. Four staff attended the first meeting and 8 attended the second. During the project period, PROSPER hosted two three-hour virtual statewide meetings that provided professional development training on topics identified by the communities. These were open to the public and were attended by over 100 people each year. Topics included youth mental health challenges and the Mental Health First Aid program and school-based mental health programs (Cognitive Behavior Intervention and Trauma in Schools, the BLUES program for depression in adolescents), risks to youth from online sources (i.e., social media) and interventions designed to promote digital citizenship and youth safety online (Social Media Test Drive), and web-based positive parenting program THRIVE, available through the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the project period, the Western Wayne PROSPER team had 22 team meetings, Wayne Highlands held 24 team meetings, and Wallenpaupack held 6 meetings. Because PROSPER team membership includes representatives from multiple community sectors, the project updates and results were primarily disseminated by PROSPER team members through their parent organizations, which included school districts, drug and alcohol prevention and treatment agencies, faith-based groups, human service organizations, and local law enforcement, as well as Penn State Extension. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Implement the SFP:10-14 program with middle school youth and families in 3 Wayne County communities: 2019-2020 - 67 youth and 84 adults comprising 56 families attended at least one session. Many did not get to finish the program due to COVID-19 and school shut-downs. 2020-2021 - Due to COVID, only 1 family completed the program. All schools were closed during most of this period. 2021-2022 - 23 youth and 33 adults comprising 20 families attended, as schools resumed somewhat normal operations. A virtual version of SFP:10-14 was offered to communities in Northeastern PA during the 2020-2021 school year and again in the Spring of 2022. 22 youth and 30 adults from 22 families attended during 2020-21, and 7 youth and 8 adults from 6 families attended during the Spring of 2022. Pre/Post program survey data were collected from 84 participating parents and 62 youth to assess program impact. Table 1 shows the proportion of self-reported improvement in each targeted domain from pre to post intervention. These data indicate that both parents and youth reported improvements in important protective factors from pre to post-SFP 10-14 participation. 70% of participating parents and nearly 65% of participating youth reported improvements in family closeness and cooperation following participation in SFP 10-14. Both parents and youth reported improvements in their own skills (youth reported improved refusal skills and stress coping; parents reported improved limit setting and clear standards for behavior). Implement the school-based program with middle school students in 3 Wayne County communities: All of the participating communities delivered a school based program, either the Botvin Life Skills Training program or Too Good For Drugs to youth in grades 6 and 7. In some cases, during the Spring and Fall of 2020 and the Spring of 2021, teachers delivered these classes virtually. 2019-2020 - 865 l 2020-2021 - 853 2021-2022 - 1,367 Figure 1. Improved outcomes for SFP:10-14 participants. (figure may be found at the following secure link) https://dropbox.com/s/xqp8hhrt2nx6s6m/USDA%20NIFA%202022%20Final%20Report%20Welsh%20Figure1.pdf?dl=0
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this program includes youth and their parents and caregivers, living in communities and school districts participating in PROSPER. Changes/Problems:The two changes in this reporting period relate to meeting and program delivery issues that arose at the pandemic's onset and steps taken to keep the project on track; and the resignation of the program coordinator/installation of an interim coordinator. Pandemic: As described elsewhere in this report, the pandemic has required us to be nimble and dynamic in developing innovative methods of continuing our work. The development and implementation of these innovations have been important to continuing our work in these rural communities. Personnel: The new team leader, Christina Pulman, was hired in 2020 to replace the previous team leader and was responsible for all community-based PROSPER activities in Wayne County. She has been assisted by Christy Tomascik, her PROSPER Prevention Coordinator. Project director and PROSPER field coordinator Dr. Janet Welsh and lead evaluator Sarah Chilenski also contributed to the project in this budget period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three types of training and professional development are being provided through this project: 1) initial training and orientation of new PROSPER team leaders, using revised materials; 2) continuing professional development provided to the team leaders and prevention coordinators, in the form of monthly group team meetings and regular contact between team leaders and PCs; and 3)training provided by the intervention developers to on-the-ground program implementers (teachers of the school based program and SFP:10-14 facilitators). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In spring 2021, PROSPER hosted a day-long zoom meeting for PROSPER team members, community members, and other interested service providers, which was attended by approximately 90 people from all over Pennsylvania. The meeting included presentations by content matter experts on the following topics, chosen by PROSPER team members: Keeping Youth Safe Online Digital Citizenship Mental Health First Aid School based Mental Health Initiatives: The BLUES and CBITS programs Results are being disseminated to communities of interest in several ways. The three Wayne County schools have a combined sharing page that all members can access to obtain flyers, fact sheets, activities, and events related to PROSPER. With the continued pandemic, the PROSPER team continues to follow a plan for virtual PROSPER team meetings with each community. The team leader participated in several in-person events and activities throughout the year with COVID safety measures in place. The Pennsylvania state PROSPER team continues to work with the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) to develop a comprehensive community-based communications plan around prevention initiatives, known as PAStart. This initiative is providing materials to all communities that emphasize the importance of risk and protective factors for adolescent substance misuse and other health behaviors, and direct families toward evidence-based prevention programming. During spring 2021, the PROSPER team conducted several implementations of the online SFP:10-14 program. Because teachers were forced to deliver the school-based program in a variety of formats during the 2020-2021 school year (in-person, online, and hybrid), we also collected data from teachers regarding implementation challenges and student engagement in the programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our next reporting period will involve activities undertaken during our no-cost extension (09/01/2021-08/31/2022). Our plans include continuing to: (1) offer twice-yearly SFP 10-14 programs at three school districts and monitoring their implementation for fidelity; and (2) implement and monitor TGFD fidelity in all three districts. Currently, all of our school districts are back to fully in-person learning, so we anticipate a return to "business as usual" for PROSPER. We also will (3) offer a PROSPER update to all three school district boards; and (4) hold one or two joint Wayne County PROSPER team meetings to promote networking and coordinate sustainability efforts. Penn State also will complete project data collection and analysis, support communities in the final stages of their sustainability planning, assist them in working to maintain PROSPER as they adjust to the unknowns that currently attend the COVID-19 crisis, and work on the final report for this project, and (5) analyze data from the 2021 PAYS administration, which assessed the impact of COVID on youth and families. Also, to disseminate prevention concepts and strategies and to promote sustainability, we plan to engage in the following activities during the 2021-2022 school year: Provide training to all PROSPER team leaders and team members in the Social Development Strategy, to increase community understanding of the role of risk and protective factors in healthy youth development Provide all PROSPER team with resources and technical assistance to develop and implement a communication plan, to share strategically with local stakeholders and decision makers regarding the value of evidence based universal prevention in promoting healthy youth development.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We continue to report accomplishments relating to the development of PROSPER infrastructure and implementation of Strengthening Families Program: 10-14 (SFP: 10-14) and school-based programming in the targeted PROSPER communities. While the pandemic has not prevented us from continuing our collaborations and efforts in our communities, we've had to be nimble and dynamic in developing innovative methods of continuing our work. The development and implementation of these innovations have been important to continuing our work in these rural communities. Our continuing effectiveness in our target communities is due to our field team members. Team leader Christina Pulman was hired in January of 2021 and has been working in Wayne County communities in Pennsylvania, assisted by experienced Prevention Coordinators Karen Thomas and Chrissy Tomascik. During the past grant period (September 2020-September 2021), the following activities were conducted. The Forest City school district PROSPER team, which was formerly supported by this initiative, was transferred to another, more stable local funding source through the Susquehanna County Children and Youth Services (CYS) Bureau. This was the result of years of grass-roots level sustainability planning efforts by the PROSPER leadership in Pennsylvania, which promotes PROSPER's outcomes to local stakeholders and decision-makers. It is considered the best possible outcome for PROSPER teams and programs, given the stability of CYS funding at the local level. This allowed another rural Wayne County school district, Wallenpaupack Area, to join this project. Previously, Wallenpaupack Area had been running programs on its own, but was not receiving technical assistance or evaluation support. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on community services and school programming, SFP:10-14 was not offered in person during this grant period. However, PROSPER teams spent this time developing and testing an online version of SFP:10-14 that was offered statewide and in various communities. Ms. Pulman was trained in the online adaptation of SFP:10-14, so this is now an option for PA families who are either unable or prefer not to attend programs in person. The Life Skills Training Program (LST) was offered in several school districts: Wayne Highlands (partial implementation) - grade 6, approximately 70 students. Western Wayne - grades 6,100 students. Wallenpaupack - no LST implementation All three Wayne County school districts changed to a school-based curriculum and in Fall 2021 began implementing Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) as their middle school prevention program. Given the strong evidence base for TGFD, this change was approved by PROSPER. PAYS data from all 3 districts are summarized here. All of the Wayne County PROSPER teams participated in the Fall 2019 and Fall 2021 PAYS administration. PAYS is an anonymous survey of attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors of students in grades 6,8,10 and 12. It is administered every other year, and nearly 80% of Pennsylvania school districts participate. The PAYS report compares survey responses from students in the target county with both statewide aggregated data and, wherever available, with national-level data on the same construct. The Fall 2021 PAYS results will not be available until January 2022. However, some of the 2019 findings are summarized below: For most things measured, students in Wayne County reported higher levels of risk and lower levels of protective factors in 2019 when compared to state and national norms for similar-aged students. For most grade levels, this included: Higher levels of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco use Higher levels of vaping Higher levels of drunkenness and driving while impaired Greater frequency of bullying at school Some selected data from the Wayne County 2019 PAYS report are included in the figures below: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sauhl8m2pet7wua/PSU%20WelshNIFA%20Annual%20Report%20Figures%20Nov2021.pdf?dl=0
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this program includes youth and their parents and caregivers, living in communities and school districts participating in PROSPER. Changes/Problems:The two changes in this reporting period relate to meeting and program delivery issues that arose at the pandemic's onset and steps taken to keep the project on track; and the resignation of the program coordinator/installation of an interim coordinator. Pandemic: As described elsewhere in this report, the pandemic has required us to be nimble and dynamic in developing innovative methods of continuing our work. The development and implementation of these innovations have been important to continuing our work in these rural communities. Personnel: As described elsewhere in this report, team leader Ann-Marie Loiseau had been working in Wayne County communities in Pennsylvania, assisted by experienced Prevention Coordinator Karen Thomas. Ms. Loiseau resigned in early July 2020 so Karen Thomas, an Extension educator and PROSPER team leader from Lackawanna County, assumed her responsibilities and will continue working with the project communities until a replacement is hired. The position has been posted and applications are being received. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three types of training and professional development are being provided through this project: parent/child engagement in the evidence-based program in which they're participating (SFP: 10-14); continuing professional development and training by project staff as they work with communities, school districts, parents, and students in the programs being implemented in this project, and as they engage with the project PI and project team at Penn State; and training provided by on-the-ground project staff to program (SFP: 10-14, LST) facilitators in each community. To date, two facilitator trainings for SFP: 10-14 have been held, involving 22 people who attended one or both of these trainings (9, Wayne Highlands; 5, Forest City; and 8 others, including an Extension educator). These 2-day trainings provide staff with the skills and knowledge required to implement SFP:10-14 with parents and youth. In the last grant period, 21 PROSPER meetings have been held across the 3 school districts, involving 32 people who attended one or more of these meetings. These meetings generally occur monthly; the purpose is to plan implementation of the PROSPER programs and to review progress with various aspects of implementation (e.g., facilitator training and family recruitment). PROSPER prevention coordinators attend these meetings and provide guidance and technical assistance to stakeholders. A joint meeting of Forest City, Wayne Highlands, Western Wayne, and Wallenpaupack team members was held in November 2019, involving 15 people. The goals of this meeting were to review progress with program implementation across the county and to trouble-shoot any difficulties. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are being disseminated to communities of interest in several ways. Pre-pandemic, we shared information through home organizations and community partners; and at monthly PROSPER team meetings held in communities. Post-pandemic and the state social distancing mandates established in mid-March and continuing to the end point of this report (September 2020), these meetings were postponed and then resumed after the PROSPER team established and began to follow a plan for virtual team meetings. Pre-pandemic, a presentation was held on PROSPER research outcomes and NEPA sites at the annual State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) breakfast; a PROSPER overview was offered, including research results, to the Forest City Business Alliance; a presentation on PROSPER as an evidence-based model and programs being implemented within the 3 Wayne County Schools - LST as well as SFP 10-14 for families after school was offered at the Wayne County Centennial Celebration of the Wayne County Extension and 4-H program, and at the Wayne County Extension meeting; a presentation on PROSPER and PROSPER team progress was made to a Wayne County commissioner and Wayne County department heads; a presentation on PROSPER was made at two WIN/LINK meetings, where evidence-based programs and research outcomes for Wayne County sites were discussed; a presentation on PROSPER research outcomes, and evidence-based program and protective and risk factor information was provided to Forest City and Wayne Highlands PROSPER team members; 2 radio interviews about PROSPER research outcomes was provided via the Health Works radio program; a presentation and PROSPER update for the Western Wayne School board, and a PROSPER overview for 4 Forest City Regional School board members (including the board president) followed by them observing a SFP 10-14 session. The Pennsylvania state PROSPER team, including Ms. Thomas, continues to work with the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) to develop a comprehensive community-based communications plan around prevention initiatives, known as PAStart. This initiative is providing materials to all communities that emphasize the importance of risk and protective factors for adolescent substance misuse and other health behaviors, and direct families toward evidence-based prevention programming. With funding from our prior RHSE grant, our team has developed a new, community-oriented PROSPER website that provides information about programming and additional, online resources for families and communities. This has allowed us to link to additional resources, such as the PAStart materials, the BeTWEEN family support series developed by Penn State Extension, and information about virtual programming opportunities available across Pennsylvania. Throughout the summer of 2020, our team has worked closely with the program developers of SFP:10-14 and LST to adapt these interventions for online delivery if necessary, and we have conducted a pilot implementation of the adapted SFP:10-14 program. This has substantially increased our capacity to meet the needs of PROSPER communities and school districts. At this point in our project, we are increasing our efforts to assist partner communities in ensuring the sustainability of these programs and engagement in PROSPER in school districts and with families. Recent examples of our effectiveness toward this goal is a presentation on PROSPER research outcomes to Susquehanna County commissioners has led to county funding for a PROSPER Extension educator and program support funding--this funding will include support for Forest City PROSPER programs once the NIFA grant concludes. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our next reporting period will involve activities undertaken during our no-cost extension (09/01/2020-08/31/2021). Our plans include continuing to: (1) offer twice-yearly SFP 10-14 programs at three school districts and monitoring their implementation for fidelity; and (2) implement and monitor LST fidelity in all three districts. This may require online delivery of all prevention programs, depending on where our school districts stand with in-person vs. remote instruction. We also will (3) offer a PROSPER update to all three school district boards; and (4) hold one or two joint Wayne County PROSPER team meetings to promote networking and coordinate sustainability efforts. Penn State also will complete project data collection and analysis, support communities in the final stages of their sustainability planning, assist them in working to maintain PROSPER as they adjust to the unknowns that currently attend the COVID-19 crisis, and work on the final report for this project. During this pandemic, we have been required to adapt our interventions, team operations, and communication strategies in order to meet the demands of this public health crisis. A number of products have already been developed and disseminated, and we anticipate further progress with this in 2020-2021.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We continue to report accomplishments relating to the development of PROSPER infrastructure and implementation of Strengthening Families Program: 10-14 (SFP: 10-14) and Life Skills Training (LST) in the targeted PROSPER communities. While the pandemic has not prevented us from continuing our collaborations and efforts in our communities, we've had to be nimble and dynamic in developing innovative methods of continuing our work. The development and implementation of these innovations have been important to continuing our work in these rural communities. Our continuing effectiveness in our target communities is due to our field team members. Team leader Ann-Marie Loiseau had been working in Wayne County communities in Pennsylvania, assisted by experienced Prevention Coordinator Karen Thomas. Ms. Loiseau resigned in early July 2020 so Karen Thomas, an experienced Extension educator and PROSPER team leader from Lackawanna County, has assumed her responsibilities, including: working with teams in each of the PROSPER communities, overseeing the work of SFP:10-14 facilitators, and assisting the school districts with the implementation and monitoring of LST until a replacement is hired. In addition to her work at the local level, Ms. Thomas also attends monthly PROSPER state team meetings, where state-level issues regarding PROSPER are discussed. Six SFP 10-14 sessions were conducted at the three sites (2 each site). The fall 2019 session was completed; however, the winter 2020 sessions were interrupted due to the COVID 19 shutdown. Forty-five (45) families participated in SFP: 10-14, as indicated below (reported by grade level): Forest City - Ten families successfully completed SFP: 10-14 attending 4 out of 7 sessions. Thirteen families attended at least one session (grade 5, 8 youth; grade 6, 5 youth; grade 7, 1 youth; grade 10, 1 youth [special needs]); Wayne Highlands - Ten families successfully completed SFP: 10-14 attending 4 out of 7 sessions. Seventeen families attended at least one session (grade 4, 1 youth; grade 5, 6 youth; grade 6, 14 youth; grade 7, 3 youth); and Western Wayne - Nine families successfully completed SFP: 10-14 attending 4 out of 7 sessions. Fifteen families attended at least one session (grade 5, 7 youth; grade 6, 8 youth; grade 7, 2 youth). Seven hundred (700) students participated in LST, as follows (reported by grade level): Forest City / grades 4-8 (approximately 275 students)--grade 4, 55; grade 5, 54; grade 6, 49; grade 7, 54; grade 8, 62. Wayne Highlands / grade 6, approximately 150 students. Western Wayne / grades 5-6, approximately 275 students. With regard to our plan to compare PROSPER and PAYS data, the latter were last collected and reported in 2017; the next data collection began in fall 2019, with reporting occurring in 2020. We will compare and report on the comparison between PROSPER and PAYS data as part of our no-cost extension.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this program included youth and their parents and caregivers, living in communities and school districts participating in PROSPER. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three types of training and professional development have been provided through this project: parent/child engagement in the evidence-based program in which they're participating (SFP: 10-14); continuing professional development and training by project staff as they work with communities, school districts, parents, and students in the programs being implemented in this project, and as they engage with the project PI and project team at Penn State; and training provided by on-the-ground project staff to program (SFP: 10-14, LST) facilitators in each community. To date, two facilitator trainings for SFP: 10-14 have been held, involving 22 people who attended one or both of these trainings (9, Wayne Highlands; 5, Forest City; and 8 others, including an Extension educator). These 2-day trainings provide staff with the skills and knowledge required to implement SFP:10-14 with parents and youth. To date, fifteen (15) PROSPER meetings have been held, involving 32 people who attended one or more of these meetings: 4 in Forest City, with 12 in attendance; 3 in Wayne Highlands, with 11 in attendance; and 7 in Western Wayne, with 9 in attendance. These meetings generally occur monthly; the purpose is to plan implementation of the PROSPER programs and to review progress with various aspects of implementation (e.g., facilitator training and family recruitment). PROSPER prevention coordinators attend these meetings and provide guidance and technical assistance to stakeholders. A joint meeting of Forest City, Wayne Highlands, Western Wayne, and Waullenpaupack facilitators was held in November 2019, involving 15 people. The goals of this meeting were to review progress with program implementation across the county and to trouble-shoot any difficulties. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are being disseminated to communities of interest in several ways, including information-sharing through home organizations and community partners; and at monthly PROSPER team meetings held in communities. For example, a presentation was held on PROSPER research outcomes and NEPA sites at the annual State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) breakfast; a PROSPER overview was offered, including research results, to the Forest City Business Alliance; a presentation on PROSPER as an evidence-based model and programs being implemented within the 3 Wayne County Schools - LST as well as SFP for families after school was offered at the Wayne County 100th Year Centennial Celebration of the Wayne County Extension and 4H program, and at the Wayne County Extension meeting; a presentation on PROSPER and PROSPER team progress was made to a Wayne County commissioner and Wayne County department heads; a presentation on PROSPER was made at two WIN/LINK meetings, where evidence-based programs and research outcomes for Wayne County sites were discussed; a presentation on PROSPER research outcomes, and evidence-based program and protective and risk factor information was provided to Forest City and Wayne Highlands PROSPER team members; and a radio interview about PROSPER research outcomes was provided via the Health Works radio program. The Pennsylvania state PROSPER team, including Ms. Loiseau, has worked with the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) to develop a comprehensive community-based communications plan around prevention initiatives, known as PAStart. This initiative provides materials to all communities that emphasize the importance of risk and protective factors for adolescent substance misuse and other health behaviors, and direct families toward evidence-based prevention programming. Finally, a presentation on PROSPER research outcomes to Susquehanna County commissioners has led to county funding for a PROSPER Extension educator and program support funding--this funding will include support for Forest City PROSPER programs once the NIFA grant concludes. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our plans for the next reporting period include: (1) offering six SFP 10-14 programs at three school districts, and monitoring their implementation for fidelity; (2) implementing and monitoring LST fidelity in all three districts; (3) providing a PROSPER update to all three school district boards; (4) holding one or two joint Wayne County PROSPER team meetings to promote networking and coordinate sustainability efforts, and (5) continuing our collaboration with CPA around effective substance misuse prevention messaging and communication.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
At the end of this project period, we are reporting several accomplishments relating to the development of PROSPER infrastructure and implementation of Strengthening Families Program: 10-14 (SFP: 10-14) and Life Skills Training (LST) in the targeted PROSPER communities. First, a team leader was hired and trained to oversee PROSPER coalitions in three school districts. This person (Ann-Marie Loiseau) has been assisted by an experienced Prevention Coordinator. Ms. Loiseau's responsibilities in this grant period have included: forming teams in each of the PROSPER communities, overseeing the hiring and training of SFP:10-14 facilitators, and assisting the school districts with the implementation of LST. In addition to her work at the local level, she and her Prevention Coordinator also attend monthly PROSPER state team meetings, where state-level issues regarding PROSPER are discussed. Twenty-six (26) families participated in SFP: 10-14; seven hundred (700) students participated in LST. Twenty-six (26) families participated in SFP: 10-14, as follows (reported by grade level): Forest City / 7 families graduated from SFP: 10-14 (7 families attended at least one session)--(grade 5, 4 youth; grade 6, 3 youth; grade 7, 1 youth; grade 10, 1 youth [special needs]); Wayne Highlands / 10 families graduated from SFP: 10-14 (10 families attended at least one session)--(grade 5, 2 youth; grade 6, 11 youth); and Western Wayne / 9 families graduated from SFP: 10-14 (11 families attended at least one session)--grade 5, 4 youth; grade 6, 6 youth; grade 7, 1 youth. Seven hundred (700) students participated in LST, as follows (reported by grade level): Forest City / grades 4-8 (approximately 275 students)--grade 4, 55; grade 5, 54; grade 6, 49; grade 7, 54; grade 8, 62. Wayne Highlands / grade 6, approximately 150 students. Western Wayne / grades 5-6, approximately 275 students. With regard to our plan to compare PROSPER and PAYS data, the latter were last collected and reported in 2017; the next data collection began in fall 2019, with reporting occurring in 2020. We will compare and report on the comparison between PROSPER and PAYS data in our next project report.
Publications
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