Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Juntos has historically served marginalized populations, predominantly Latinx students, from rural areas, with immigrant parents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Juntos' approach to serving these youth is to recognize them for being on the verge of academic success and refuse to label them "at-risk of dropping out". Juntos empowers students to achieve their academic potential and helps connect students and families with resources and knowledge to support their academic journey. North Carolina served youth and families from Sampson, Catawba, and Pender counties, and in Idaho, youth and families from Jerome County were served. Many of our families are migrant farmworkers or work in meat-packing plant workers. The program has also welcomed a small population of Black and Asian youth into their Juntos 4-H clubs. Changes/Problems:At the beginning of the school year North Carolina started with New Hanover, Catawba, and Sampson counties. Still, due to the coordinator from New Hanover Schools graduating from college and getting little support from the school, we had to close the Juntos Program. Catawba took on NH numbers and expanded their program massively. This rise in enrolled students and the good work in Catawba County Extension allowed for Extension to request funds for a full-time Juntos Coordinator, which passed by the county budget. The school will also support the program by providing funds for a bilingual liaison. Recently, both New Hanover and Pender County Schools have expressed interest in Juntos returning to serve their communities again. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training activities are those in which individuals with advanced professional skills and experience assist others in attaining greater proficiency. Training activities may include, for example, courses or one-on-one work with a mentor. Professional development activities result in increased knowledge or skill in one's area of expertise and may include workshops, conferences, seminars, study groups, and individual study. Include participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars not listed under major activities. If the research is not intended to provide training and professional development opportunities or there is nothing significant to report during this reporting period, click the "nothing to report" box. North Carolina: Juntos leadership provides two days of training in the summer for all county-level staff implementing the program throughout the school year. This training sets the goals and objectives for the year while the staff can focus on sustainability efforts, plan for 4-H club projects, and plan out their school year calendar. In January, a one-day staff training is held, which brings all staff together to discuss the fall semester impact, and staff receives 4-H curriculum training and kits. Throughout the year, the assistant director meets monthly with the Juntos coordinators to provide updates and a space for them to connect and share ideas. Additionally, the assistant director meets with each county coordinator individually one time per month to review that county's programming and goals as well as to offer coaching for any situations that have occurred. Those monthly meetings also provide opportunities for short 30-minute professional development, with guest speakers to talk on key topics that are important for those working with our demographic. For instance, this year, we featured an Admissions Counselor from NC State to talk to our coordinators about the admissions process and how they need to be preparing students years in advance for the rigorous application process. In March of 2022, Juntos professionals attended the National Juntos Convening, which was held at Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Oregon. This event held professional development opportunities for Juntos staff to hear more about sustainability, building partnerships, and the 4-H Thriving Model, amongst many other topics. This event had 65 Juntos youth from across the US in one space in person for the first time. ID: Juntos professionals completed the annual University of Idaho Employee Training with topics including Creating a Respectful Community, Diversity and Inclusion, and Stewardship of Resources along with attending the 2023 CYFAR Professional Development Event. NC & Idaho: Both States meet every month to discuss best practices, the progress of program implementation, and NC provides resources or tools to support county staff with programming. Both states also attended the 2023 CYFAR Conference and Juntos Senior Director moderated a session featuring a panel of Juntos Professionals from across the United States.Both states also provided staff and youth the opportunity to to travel to Oregon State University for the National Juntos Convening. Youth received leadership and soft-skill development training with cultural responsive practices. Staff were able to receiving training and provide their expertise and ideas to create vision around a National Juntos Consortium model. ? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?NC: Juntos leadership has connected and presented at various state-level K-12 and higher education systems and organizations. This invitation has allowed the program to be seen as a best practice and successful program, making a real impact locally and around the state. Due to the continued impact of graduating 100% of our Juntos Seniors and seeing most of our students attending community college, these leaders saw the success our students and their families can bring to a school and community. Our annual report will continue to be shared with our stakeholders. Idaho: Juntos leadership in Idaho regularly update county commissioners and the University of Idaho Extension county advisory board on the positive impacts that Juntos is having on the community through engagement with Latinx youth and families supported by the program. The advisory boards consist of local community partners, 4-H volunteers, county commissioners, and State of Idaho Representatives. Impact statements are shared through the University of Idaho Extension website and distributed to community partners. Juntos leadership is represented on the local high school technical advisory committee as a way to stay informed about technical programs for students and to give back to the school for the support given to the in-school Juntos program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In North Carolina this year, local Juntos sites hosted 4-H Club meetings that occur after school, Family nights in the school, and held success coaching sessions with their youth. We also graduated 100% of our high school seniors. In Catawba, Juntos NC hosted 38 family events and a total of 72 events combining student and family events over the 2022-23 school year. In Sampson, Juntos NC hosted 11 family events and a total of 68 events combining student and family events over the 2022-23 school year. Idaho: In Jerome County, Juntos served fifty-three 8th-12th grade students as a for-credit elective class offered during the regular school day with bi-weekly 4-H club meetings. That is a total of about 180 school days where the local Juntos coordinator can engage with students during school hours. A total of 5 family events were hosted during the 2021-22 school year. Sixteen of the seventeen Juntos seniors graduated with the Jerome High School graduating class of 2022. One graduate earned an associate degree from The College of Southern Idaho two weeks before receiving a high school diploma. With support from her family and Juntos, this student took advantage of the dual credit system here in Idaho and will continue to an Idaho university. The Juntos Program Coordinator continues assisting Juntos graduates from the past two years with their educational goals to continue with post-secondary education. In North Carolina, sustainability has been reached in Catawba and Sampson counties where the Juntos program has been incorporated into budgets. In the case of Catawba County, our coordinator is now being paid for by the local Extension county budget at a full-time capacity. In Sampson County, our coordinator was incorporated into the community college budget to function at 50% Juntos capacity in conjunction with acting as a College Access Coach for Male Minority students. This combination will make it so that our population is well served with the Juntos Program in both counties. REM Capstone Study: A Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) Study was completed in partnership with UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Students and parents in Catawba County were interviewed to determine successes, challenges, and solutions to Juntos programming at the county level. Five Juntos students from four NC counties (1 from a CYFAR-supported site) were selected to attend the National 4-H Conference in Washington DC in 2022. During the experience, students determined that they would love to lead a workshop at NC 4-H Congress in July in hopes of spreading awareness of the variety of 4-H programs that exist statewide, Juntos 4-H being one of them. ID: Two Jerome County Juntos students joined nine other Idaho 4-H youth selected to attend the National 4-H Ignite Teen Summit on March 8-13, 2023, in Washington DC. Through a community greenhouse project, Idaho 4-H youth learned how to help out a community, learned that different 4-H programs offer different projects like pottery and sign language, and, best of all, built friendships and gained connections with 4-H members from Idaho and across the United States. Two Jerome County Juntos Alumni attended the National 4-H Convening. They took on leadership roles during the sessions and mentored younger Juntos students. It was a fantastic event for them to visit Oregon State University and support the future of Juntos.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
https://news.dasa.ncsu.edu/nc-state-juntos-partners-with-nc-at-for-stem-day/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/189hHyNLhnok9Td2-8Ff1dCc3UHI-wgFK/view
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
https://news.dasa.ncsu.edu/plant-sciences-initiative-dasa-pathways-programs-co-host-outreach-day/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/183RlpguWyyBQVgYCe61x5LkUOrV5Jvr0/view
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
https://news.dasa.ncsu.edu/juntos-celebrates-quinceanera-at-national-convening/
https://opencampus.oregonstate.edu/national_juntos
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/4h/about/news/matters-2023-7
|
Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Juntos has historically served marginalized populations, predominantly Latinx students, from rural areas, with immigrant parents from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds. Juntos' approach to serving these youth is to recognize them for being on the verge of academic success and refuse to label them "at-risk of dropping out". Juntos empowers students to achieve their academic potential and helps connect students and families with resources and knowledge to support their academic journey. North Carolina served youth and families from Sampson, Catawba, and Pender counties, and in Idaho, youth and families from Jerome County were served. Many of our families are migrant farmworkers or work in meat-packing plant workers. The program has also welcomed a small population of Black and Asian youth into their Juntos 4-H clubs. Changes/Problems:North Carolina Juntos moved its program from Hobbton Middle and High School to Sampson Early College during the 2020-2021 school year. This change allows us to stay in the same county and continue to grow our sustainability within this community and its school system. We held interviews and hired a new Juntos coordinator who will be placed at Sampson Early College in the Spring of 2021, and a few family events and club meetings were held before school ended for the summer. In Catawba, we also went through a staffing change and held interviews in the August of 2021, and hired a new coordinator to serve both the middle and high school. Due to a late start, no programming was held until October in Catawba. That coordinator also decided to pursue another position and resigned from Juntos in June of 2021. We will hold interviews in the summer of 2021 for the coordinator position. Juntos is a program that is sought after by many school districts who are willing to support the sustainability of the program and play a role in leading the success of local programming. We are strongly considering moving the program from Pender county to New Hanover county due to the lack of leadership support at Pender High School. The current principal at Williston Middle in New Hanover was a previous supporter and principal at the school in Pender. Sampson County has two school districts and the one not served by Juntos has been implementing two components of the program with no funding. Leadership within the superintendent's office has proven that they could benefit from some sustainability funds. We will continue to serve the students in Clinton High and Sampson Middle due to the time allotted to conduct Juntos programming to the family liaison at Clinton High School. This is a great example of sustainability taking place as the school system provides some personal time to go towards the Juntos programming timeframe. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?North Carolina: Juntos leadership provides three days of training in the summer for all county-level staff implementing the program throughout the school year. This training sets the goals and objectives for the year while the staff can focus on sustainability efforts, plan for 4-H club projects, and plan out their school year calendar. In February, a one-day staff training is held, which brings all staff together to discuss the fall semester impact, staff receives 4-H curriculum training and kits. Throughout the year, the assistant director meets monthly with the Juntos coordinators to provide updates and a space for them to connect and share ideas. Additionally, the assistant director meets with each county coordinator individually one time per month to review that county's programming and goals as well as to offer coaching for any situations that have occurred. Juntos National Convening: On Sept. 23 and 24, nearly 130 participants joined Juntos during their first national convening. All 13 Juntos state land grant universities were represented and shared their journey with the Juntos Program. During the national convening, university leaders, educators, funders, Juntos alumni, and advocates shared their experiences with the program, why it matters, and why Juntos is here to stay. The theme of the first national Juntos convening was clear from the beginning: to empower Latinx youth and provide Latinx families with 20/20 vision throughout their quite often blurry journey navigating the higher education system in the U.S. In the Fall of 2021 we will hold a national Juntos webinar for Juntos staff working with Latinx youth in partnership with El Futuro to offer mental health training. Idaho: In the fall of 2020, Juntos professionals attended the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals Annual Meeting which was held in person for Idaho participants and virtually for national participants. A poster on Juntos-Engaging Latinx Youth was also presented. On October 19-20, 2020, Juntos professionals attended the Statewide 4-H In-Service for Idaho 4-H Professionals. QPR Suicide Prevention training was completed to assist staff in responding to someone in a mental health crisis with an emphasis on youth in our programs experiencing difficulties with the changes to schedules, social interactions, and school and family dynamics. Juntos professionals completed the annual University of Idaho Employee Training with topics including Creating a Respectful Community, Diversity and Inclusion, and Stewardship of Resources along with attending the CYFAR Professional Development Event and the Juntos National Convening with an Idaho Juntos student representing Idaho youth. NC & Idaho: Both States meet every month to discuss best practices, and the progress of program implementation, and NC provides resources or tools to support county staff with programming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?NC: Juntos leadership has been able to connect and present at various state-level K-12 and higher education systems and organizations as well as national extension and migrant education conferences. This invitation has allowed the program to be seen as a best practice and successful program making a real impact locally and around the state. Due to the continued impact of graduating 100% of our Juntos Seniors and seeing the majority of our students attending community college, these leaders saw the success our Juntos students and their families can bring to a school and community. Our annual report will continue to be shared with our stakeholders. We also provide an annual report on the previous year of programming to all community partners and have it translated into Spanish so that it can be shared with our participants as well. Idaho: Juntos leadership in Idaho regularly update county commissioners and the University of Idaho Extension county advisory board on the positive impacts that Juntos is having on the community through engagement with Latinx youth and families supported by the program. The advisory boards consist of local community partners, 4-H volunteers, county commissioners, and State of Idaho Representatives. Impact statements are shared through the University of Idaho Extension website and distributed to community partners. Juntos leadership is represented on the local high school technical advisory committee as a way to stay informed about technical programs for students and to give back to the school for the support given to the in-school Juntos program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As the nation continued to face a pandemic and social challenges, Juntos met a great need in the K-12 system. Statewide educational leaders are looking to Juntos to bring a better understanding of how to serve our Latinx student population. Having to adjust to a virtual programming schedule has created an opportunity to have a larger reach and support schools in areas they do not have the capacity at this time. During the fall and spring semesters of 2020-2021, we hosted 4 statewide virtual family nights where all Latinx families attending the school were invited to participate and gain knowledge and resources. We also hosted the 6-week High school workshop series virtually in the Spring of 2021. County coordinators shared bilingual resources with administrators to share with their Spanish-speaking families. We are still committed to meeting our goals as we now work creatively to support students and families during the pandemic. 1) Increase Latinx academic success by improving student attendance and grades in school - Juntos proved to provide motivation during the beginning of the pandemic and we will strive to continue our virtual success coaching and club meetings until schools are open to meeting in person. 2) Increase the sense of belonging among Latinx students and families in their schools and communities; We held 4 Juntos Statewide virtual family nights and 4 statewide virtual 4-H club meetings to bring Juntos students and parents together. Additionally, we continued holding virtual tutoring for our Juntos students throughout the school year through college students. We plan to hold 2 of these virtual meetings per year to continue to bring our families and students together across North Carolina. 3) Increase family engagement that leads to Latinx students' educational success; Juntos coordinators continued to be a bridge of communication between the schools and our Latinx families during this pandemic year. We adapted and piloted our 6 week High school curriculum workshop sessions virtually for the first time in the Spring of 2021. We invited not only our Juntos families but also opened this opportunity to non-Juntos families by sharing this with leadership in the school systems we are partnered with. We also partnered with the NCSU College advising corps to bring translated resources to our families about the FAFSA and PowerSchool processes. Additionally, many of our counties found alternative ways to meet or inform families of changing policies within the schools. Pender county Juntos partnered with Feast Down East to provide groceries and academic resources to the families once a month during the 2020-2021 school year. 4) Increase teens' use of technology for workforce skills necessary for the 21st-century digital economy; We continued to work with schools to ensure all students had access to technology during the online school period. We have partnered with Goodnights Scholars to provide STEM club lessons where current college students guide a lesson with our Juntos students during 4-H clubs. Additionally, we are planning to hold a STEM Family day in the Spring of 2022 at A&T University in Greensboro in partnership with Dr. Misty Terry. 5) Increase the percentage of Latinx students graduating and attending higher education; We will strive to continue our 100% of senior graduation rates and connect seniors with the resources and connections to tertiary schools. Coordinators will work to build better relationships with local community colleges where the majority of our students have been attending for the past five years. Sampson Early College is based at Sampson Community college and will benefit from a partnership with the leadership to support students with their college-level classes as well as their high school courses. 6) Increase the Juntos Program's long-term sustainability Juntos leadership will complete a sustainability guide that will support the work of local programs as they strive to bring sustainability for the program for the last two years of funding. This year our assistant director will be working with CYFAR sites in starting their Partner Advisory Committee which will bring advocates, educators, and community partners together to discuss resources to support the program after the funding ends. We move forward knowing we will need to be innovative while also ensuring we stay committed to our goals and ensure this project reaches success.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The recent evaluation of the Juntos Program (e.g., focus groups, pre- and post- surveys, and students' school report card data) has demonstrated that all five of these goals are being accomplished. Participating teens are more prepared for college and have gained the skills needed to go to college (Behnke & Kelly, 2011). For example, 86% of students felt Juntos helped them take responsibility for their grades and school performance and 88% of students felt confident they would go to college. All twenty-three 12th graders in the program graduated from high school on time, with 72% of graduating students enrolling in 2-year or 4-year college/university. Additionally, student surveys show strong growth in their self-esteem, independence, leadership, and school attendance. Parent surveys show parents are more involved in their teen's education and have learned to advocate for their children. The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics chose Juntos as a 2015 signature program. This program model has been implemented and revised over the last 12 years based on formative evaluation, current research literature, and our experience with thousands of Juntos teens and families in 67 communities across 13 states. Juntos provides services rooted in evidence-based strategies and practices to address the assessed needs of (1) Closing the gap between Latinx students and White students, (2) Increasing on-time high school graduation rates for Latinx students, (3) Increasing the percentage of Latinx students enrolling in AP courses, and, (4) Increasing college enrollment and degree completion for Latinx students. We will be able to expand our model to new counties that presently do not have access to services specifically designed to provide academic support to Latinx students and their families. Need Related Data: While the Latinx achievement gap is declining nationally, North Carolina & Idaho continue to experience persistent gaps and suffers from a lack of opportunities for Latinx students. For example, white students in North Carolina are 2.6 times more likely to enroll in AP classes, compared with 1.8 in the nation. The counties where we continue to work in all face growth within the Latinx community and are still at risk of failing to succeed academically. In North Carolina this year, local Juntos sites hosted 102 events for youth and families during the 2020-21 year. This includes 41 4-H Club meetings that occur after school, 34 Family nights in the school, and 19 other events inside and outside of school. Other events ranged from FAFSA workshops, and STEM career exploration field trips to community service opportunities and regional 4-H summits. We also graduated 100% of our high school seniors. In Catawba, Juntos NC hosted 10 family events and a total of 16 events combining student and family events over the 2020-21 school year. In Pender, Juntos NC hosted 15 family events and a total of 42 events combining student and family events over the 2020-21 school year. In Sampson, Juntos NC hosted 9 family events and a total of 36 events combining student and family events over the 2020-21 school year. Idaho: In Jerome County, Juntos has been able to secure a one-credit Juntos class where students can meet each school day as Juntos 4-H Club. That is a total of about 180 school days where the local Juntos coordinator is able to engage with students during school hours. A total of 6 family events were hosted during the 2020-21 school years, and three external field trips. The impacts/objectives of programming within years two-five of funding are forming at a rapid pace. Two of our objectives are to see parental engagement with youth education and school grow and to engage in their youth's academic success within the five years of programming. We continue to show an impact in this area. For example, 100% of parents felt the program helped motivate their students to pursue higher education, and 100% of parents felt the program helped their students stay in school and graduate from high school. Through 4-H Clubs objectives, Juntos students are continuing to develop their leadership skills and life skills, youth have had public speaking opportunities, networking with county commissioners, college students, professors, and professionals. They are integrating into their local communities by leading local soccer tournaments and painting their school during a weekend project. STEM has been a topic of interest within our clubs and through an interest survey, Juntos youth selected Engineering (2nd most popular career) and Ag Science (4th most popular career). 80% of students reported learning more about careers in STEM in the 2020-2021 school year. Success Coaching and mentoring have proven to show impact, and we have been able to meet our objectives, which include increasing youth school attendance and grades and increasing self-advocacy in the classroom and school. 86% of students felt Juntos helped them take responsibility for their grades and school performance and 84% feel they can advocate for themselves at school and in the classroom. Lastly, our summer programming has been able to normalize higher education options among juntos youth with year-long field trips and our summer week at the land-grant university. From our summer programming, 93% of students felt very confident in developing a plan and defining steps to accomplish their academic and career goals. Our annual evaluation showed that 96% of students felt confident they would graduate high school and more than two-thirds felt prepared for college. As the Juntos Program faces programmatic changes due to the pandemic, we strive to be a resource to our local educational systems as they scramble to provide quality education to all students. Juntos will be the source and resource for educators. We will continue to engage our families virtually and provide opportunities for other Latinx families to benefit from our resources.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
https://news.dasa.ncsu.edu/nc-state-juntos-partners-with-nc-at-for-stem-day/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/316467016/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13z6VylNFa7FCxWgks2nGPiGM8XK_0jrq/view?ts=620164d0
|
Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Juntos has historically served marginalized populations, predominantly Latinx students, from rural areas, with immigrant parents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Juntos' approach to serving these youth is to recognize them for being on the verge of academic success and refuse to label them "at-risk of dropping out". Juntos empowers students to achieve their academic potential and helps connect students and families with resources and knowledge to support their academic journey. North Carolina served youth and families from Sampson, Catawba, and Pender counties, and in Idaho, youth and families from Jerome County were served. Many of our families are migrant farmworkers or work as meat-packing plant workers. The program has also welcomed a small population of Black and Asian youth into their Juntos 4-H clubs. Changes/Problems:North Carolina Juntos will be starting in a new school site within the same county identified in the grant. The change will be moving programming from Hobbton Middle and High School to Sampson County Early College. This change allows us to stay in the same county and continue to grow our sustainability within this community and their school system. The move comes after a lack of sustainability efforts by school leaders but interest from the local community college to provide resources to the early college high school if Juntos was started in that site. After meeting with all Juntos county partners, everyone agreed it would make sense to move school sites to ensure better sustainability success. The hiringof a new coordinatortookplacespring of 2021. Juntos is a program that is sought after by variousschool districts that are willing to support the sustainability of the program and play a role in leading the success of local programming. Sampson County has two school districts and the one not served by Juntos has been implementing two components of the program with no funding. Leadership within the superintendent's office has proven that they could benefit from some sustainability funds. We will continue to serve the students in Clinton High and Sampson Middle due to the time allotted to conduct Juntos programming to the family liaison at Clinton High School. This is a great example of sustainability taking place as the school system provides some personal time to go towards the Juntos programming timeframe. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?North Carolina: Juntos leadership provides three days of training in the summer for all county-level staff implementing the program throughout the school year. This training sets the goals and objectives for the year while the staff can focus on sustainability efforts, plan for 4-H club projects, and plan out their school year calendar. In February, a one-day staff training is held, which brings all staff together to discuss the fall semester impact, staff receives 4-H curriculum training and kits. In the fall of 2019, during the statewide Extension conference, there was a Juntos 4-H conference session, all 4-H agents/educators who support the program came together to discuss successes, challenges, and sustainability of the program. This meeting unified the group and allowed for strategic planning to take place around best practices to use for the future growth of the program. The sites with CYFAR funds were able to support non-funding sites with strategies and experience to support the growth of the Juntos 4-H. Juntos National Convening: On Sept. 23 and 24, nearly 130 participants joined Juntos during their first national convening. All 13 Juntos state land grant universities were represented and shared their journey with the Juntos Program. During the national convening, university leaders, educators, funders, Juntos alumni, and advocates shared their experiences with the program, why it matters, and why Juntos is here to stay. The theme of the first national Juntos convening was clear from the beginning: to empower Latinx youth and provide Latinx families with 20/20 vision throughout their quite often blurry journey navigating the higher education system in the U.S. Idaho: In the fall of 2020, Juntos professionals attended the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals Annual Meeting which was held in person for Idaho participants and virtually for national participants. A poster on Juntos-Engaging Latinx Youth was also presented. On October 19-20, 2020, Juntos professionals attended the Statewide 4-H In-Service for Idaho 4-H Professionals. QPR Suicide Prevention training was completed to assist staff in responding to someone in a mental health crisis with an emphasis on youth in our programs experiencing difficulties with the changes to schedules, social interactions, and school and family dynamics. Juntos professionals completed the annual the University of Idaho Employee Training with topics including Creating a Respectful Community, Diversity and Inclusion, and Stewardship of Resources along with attending the CYFAR Professional Development Event and the Juntos National Convening with an Idaho Juntos student representing Idaho youth. NC & Idaho: Both States meet every month to discuss best practices, the progress of program implementation, and NC provides resources or tools to support county staff with programming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?NC: Juntos leadership has been able to connect and present at various state-level K-12 and higher education systems and organizations. This invitation has allowed the program to be seen as a best practice and successful program making a real impact locally and around the state. Due to the continued impact of graduating 100% of our Juntos Seniors and seeing the majority of our students attending community college, these leaders saw the success our Juntos students and their families can bring to a school and community. Our annual report will continue to be shared with our stakeholders. Idaho: Juntos leadership in Idaho regularly update county commissioners and the University of Idaho Extension county advisory board on the positive impacts that Juntos is having on the community through engagement with Latinx youth and families supported by the program. The advisory boards consist of local community partners, 4-H volunteers, county commissioners, and State of Idaho Representatives. Impact statements are shared through the University of Idaho Extension website and distributed to community partners. Juntos leadership is represented on the local high school technical advisory committee as a way to stay informed about technical programs for students and to give back to the school for the support given to the in-school Juntos program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As the nation faces a pandemic and social challenges, Juntos continues to meet a great need in the K-12 system. Statewide educational leaders are looking to Juntos to bring a better understanding of how to serve our Latinx student population. Having to adjust to a virtual programming schedule has created an opportunity to have a larger reach and support schools in areas they do not have the capacity at this time. In the fall and spring semesters of 2020-2021, we will host 4 statewide virtual family nights where all Latinx families attending the school will be invited to participate and gain knowledge and resources. We will plan to host the 6-week High school workshop series virtually as well in the Spring of 2021. County coordinators will share bilingual resources with administrators to share with their Spanish-speaking families. We are still committed to meeting our goals as we now work creatively to support students and families during the pandemic. 1) Increase Latinx academic success by improving student attendance and grades in school - Juntos proved to provide motivation during the beginning of the pandemic and we will strive to continue our virtual success coaching and club meetings until schools are open to meeting in person. 2) Increase the sense of belonging among Latinx students and families in their schools and communities; Through statewide and local virtual club meetings and family nights Juntos will bring families together and give them opportunities to share how they are doing and what they need to support the student's academic success during this time. The family nights will cover topics such as internet safety for parents. 3) Increase family engagement that leads to Latinx students' educational success; The success of a virtual family night was an encouraging new venture for staff who feared a lack of participation and engagement. We have had steady attendance with our virtual family nights so far. Juntos in both states was able to be the bridge between the school system and Juntos families as the crisis left schools scrambling. 4) Increase teens use of technology for workforce skills necessary for the 21st-century digital economy; Again we are working with schools to ensure all students have access to technology during the online school period. During Juntos 4-H Clubs, students will be able to connect with our A&T University partner who will be leading them through a STEM project for the year focused on Engineering Design Challenge - Rube Goldberg Machines. We will also partner with our college work-study students to provide virtual tutoring sessions to our struggling students. 5) Increase the percentage of Latinx students graduating and attending higher education; We will strive to continue our 100% of senior graduation rates and connect seniors with the resources and connections to tertiary schools. Coordinators will work to build better relationships with local community colleges where the majority of our students have been attending for the past five years. 6) Increase the Juntos Program's long-term sustainability Juntos leadership will complete a sustainability guide that will support the work of local programs as they strive to bring sustainability for the program for the last two years of funding. This year our assistant director will be working with CYFAR sites in starting their Partner Advisory Committee which will bring advocates, educators, and community partners together to discuss resources to support the program after the funding ends. We move forward knowing we will need to be innovative while also ensuring we stay committed to our goals and ensure this project reaches success.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Juntos provides services rooted in evidence-based strategies and practices to address the assessed needs of (1) Closing the gap between Latinx students and White students, (2) Increasing on-time high school graduation rates for Latinx students, (3) Increasing the percentage of Latinx students enrolling in AP courses, and, (4) Increasing college enrollment and degree completion for Latinx students. We will be able to expand our model to new counties that presently do not have access to services specifically designed to provide academic support to Latinx students and their families. Need Related Data: While the The Latinoachievement gap is declining nationally, North Carolina & Idaho continue to experience persistent gaps and suffers from a lack of opportunities for Latinx students. For example, white students in North Carolina are 2.6 times more likely to enroll in AP classes, compared with 1.8 in the nation. The counties where we continue to work in all face growth within the Latinocommunities and are still at risk of failing to succeed academically. In North Carolina this year, local Juntos sites hosted 93 events for youth and families during the 2019-20 year. This includes 58 4-H Club meetings that occur after school, 35 Family nights in the school, and 30 other events inside and outside of school. Other events ranged from FAFSA workshops, and STEM career exploration field trips to community service opportunities and regional 4-H summits. We also graduated 100% of our high school seniors. In Catawba, Juntos NC hosted 7 family events and a total of 27 events combining student and family events over the 2019-20 school year. In Pender, Juntos NC hosted 8 family events and a total of 26 events combining student and family events over the 2019-20 school year. In Sampson, Juntos NC hosted seven family events and a total of 14 events combining student and family events over the 2019- 20 school year. Idaho: In Jerome County, Juntos has been able to secure a one-credit Juntos class where students can meet each school day as Juntos 4-H Club. That is a total of about 180 school days where the local Juntos coordinator is able to engage with students during school hours. A total of 6 family events were hosted during the 2019-20 school years, and three external field trips. The impacts/objectives of programming within year two-five of funding are forming at a rapid pace. Two of our objectives is to see parental engagement with youth education and school grow, and engage in their youth's academic success within the five years of programming. We continue to show an impact in this area. For example, 98% of parents who participate in the pre and post-survey reported that Juntos helped them support their child's academic success and learn to advocate for their child's education. Through 4-H Clubs objectives Juntos students are continuing to develop their leadership skills and life skills, youth have had public speaking opportunities, networking with county commissioners, college students, professors, professionals. They are integrating into their local communities by leading local soccer tournaments and painting their school during a weekend project. STEM has been a hot topic within our clubs and through an interest in serving Juntos youth selected Engineering (2nd most popular career) and Ag Science (4th most popular career). 88% of students reported learning more about careers in STEM in the 2019-2020 school year. Success Coaching and mentoring have proven to show impact, and we have been able to meet our objectives, which include increasing youth school attendance and grades and increasing self-advocacy in the classroom and school. 92% of students reported that Juntos helped them take responsibility for their grades, and 80% feel confident to be themselves when they are in school. Lastly, our summer programming has been able to normalize higher education options among juntos youth with year-long field trips and our summer week at the land-grant university. Our annual evaluation showed that 93% of juntos students feel more prepared to go to college or trade school, and 88% state Juntos helped them plan for their future. As the Juntos Program faces programmatic changes due to the pandemic, we strive to be a resource to our local educational systems as they scramble to provide quality education to all students. Juntos will be the source and resource to educators. We will continueto engage our families virtually and provide opportunities for other Latinx families to benefit from our resources.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
https://www.ednc.org/juntos-offers-20-20-vision-to-latinx-families-educational-journey/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Episode 14: The Juntos Program
https://news.ncsu.edu/2020/08/juntos-connects-with-students-through-virtual-academy/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
https://raleigh.quepasanoticias.com/noticias/ciudad/local/juntos-realizo-su-academia-de-verano-de-manera-virtual
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Juntos has historically served marginalized populations, predominantly Latinx students, from rural areas, with immigrant parents from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds. Juntos' approach to serving these youth is to recognize them for being on the verge of academic success and refuse to label them "at-risk of dropping out". Juntos empowers students to achieve their academic potential and helps connect students and families with resources and knowledge to support their academic journey. North Carolina served youth and families from Sampson, Catawba, and Pender counties, and in Idaho, youth and families from Jerome County were served. Many of our families are migrant farmworkers or work in meat-packing plant workers. The program has also welcomed a small population of Black and Asian youth into their Juntos 4-H clubs. Changes/Problems:North Carolina will need to consider moving the programming in Hobbton Middle and High School (Sampson County) to a new site due to a lack of high school and superintendent engagement. Juntos is a program that is sought after by many school districts who are willing to support the sustainability of the program and play a role in leading the success of local programming. We are strongly considering moving the program to a county that already has the partners in place to lead a strong program. Sampson County has two school districts and the one not served by Juntos has been implementing two components of the program with no funding. Leadership within the superintendent's office has proven that they could benefit from some sustainability funds. This could be a possible site along with another that has strong school leadership. We will discuss this issue with our CYFAR manager to come up with a sound solution for this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?North Carolina: Juntos leadership provides three days of training in the summer for all county-level staff implementing the program throughout the school year. This training sets the goals and objectives for the year while the staff can focus on sustainability efforts, plan for 4-H club projects, and plan out their school year calendar. In February, a one-day staff training is held, which brings all staff together to discuss the fall semester impact, staff receives 4-H curriculum training and kits. In the fall of 2018 and 2019, during the statewide Extension conference, Juntos leadership provided an information session (2018) for 4-H educators and other extension professionals to learn about the impact the Juntos 4-H Program was having around the state. This information session led to a Juntos 4-H conference session in 2019, all 4-H agents/educators who support the program came together to discuss successes, challenges, and sustainability of the program. This meeting unified the group and allowed for strategic planning to take place around best practices to use for the future growth of the program. The sites with CYFAR funds were able to support non-funding sites with strategies and experience to support the growth of the Juntos 4-H. Juntos leadership presented at the statewide Migrant Education conference. The presentation focused on implementing the Juntos program, best practices, and the program's success in a site where migrant ed provided sustainability for the program through staffing. This presentation allowed for a conversation on future sustainability for the program with Migrant Ed as a partner. Idaho: A three-day NCSU Juntos 4-H curriculum training was provided November 12-14 in Twin Falls, Idaho. This training covered the four components of Juntos Idaho programming: 1) Teen/parent weekly workshops, 2) Teen directed 4-H clubs and community activities, 3) One-on-one success coaching and mentoring, and 4) Campus visits to introduce requirements for careers. Program evaluation, including CYFAR Common Measures Core Competencies, Program Quality, Demographics, Participation Level, Juntos parent and youth surveys, Workforce Preparation, and 4-H Common Measures of College/Career Readiness was shared. The 28 participants included Blaine County I Have a Dream Foundation, CSI Blaine and Jerome County Community Campus, Twin Falls, Gooding, Canyon, Jerome, and Payette county Extension personnel. ICHA, CSI faculty, Twin Falls, and Jerome school district personnel, as well as Idaho, Oregon, and Washington 4-H extension faculty participated. A site visit to the Jerome High School Juntos 4-H program included presentations given by high school Juntos 4-H students. A sustainability panel discussion on "Why Juntos" was well attended and well received. The six-member panelist included: Juan Saldana - ICHA Community Resource Development Specialist Landon Marlor - Jerome Middle School Principal Melissa Rice - Jerome High School Administration Kim Green - Jerome High School Counselor Rachel Arenz - CSI Professor, Spanish/Bilingual Education/ICHA Regional Representative Cesar Perez- College of Southern Idaho Director, Jerome and Gooding Centers & Hispanic Community NC & Idaho: Both States met every month to discuss best practices, the progress of program implementation, and NC providedresources/tools to support county staff with programming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Juntos leadership has been able to connect and present at various state-level K-12 and higher education systems and organizations. This invitation has allowed the program to be seen as a best practice and successful program making a real impact locally and around the state. The presentation at an EducationNC (EdNC) Board event led to a superintendent requesting the program consider his school system as a future site and a Community College President to commit to financially supporting a full-time Juntos Coordinator. Due to the continued impact of graduating 100% of our Juntos Seniors and seeing the majority of our students attending community college, these leaders saw the success our Juntos students and their families can bring to a school and community. Two program parents of Juntos teens were empowered through their involvement in family nights, field trips, and other family activities to present their experiences during a face-to-face National Juntos 4-H training held in Twin Falls, Idaho in November 2019. A site visit to the Jerome High School Juntos 4-H program included presentations given by high school Juntos 4-H students. A sustainability panel discussion on "Why Juntos" was well attended and well received. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As the nation faces a pandemic and social challenges, Juntos continues to meet a great need in the K-12 system. Statewide educational leaders are looking to Juntos to bring a better understanding of how to serve our Latinx student population. Having to adjust to a virtual programming schedule has created an opportunity to have a larger reach and support schools in areas they do not have the capacity at this time. In the fall semester, we will host two statewide virtual family nights were all Latinx families attending the school will be invited to participate and gain knowledge and resources. County coordinators will share bilingual resources with administrators to share with their Spanish speaking families. Lastly, North Carolina will need to consider moving the programming in Hobbton Middle and High School to a new site due to lack of school and superintendent engagement. Juntos is a program that is sought after by many school districts who are willing to support with sustainability and play a role in leading the success of local programming. We will discuss this issue wit our CYFAR manager to come up with a sound solution for this project. We are still committed to meeting our goals as we now work creatively to support students and families during the pandemic. 1) Increase Latinx academic success by improving student attendance and grades in school - Juntos proved to provide motivation during the beginning of the pandemic and we will strive to continue our virtual success coaching and club meetings until schools are open to meeting in person. 2) Increase the sense of belonging among Latinx students and families in their schools and communities; Through statewide and local virtual club meetings and family night Juntos will bring families together and give them opportunities to share how they are doing and what they need to support the student's academic success during this time. The family nights will cover topics such as internet safety for parents. 3) Increase family engagement that leads to Latinx students' educational success; The success of a virtual family night was an encouraging new venture for staff we feared a lack of participation and engagement. Although the virtual turn out could have been better, the parents who did participate were engaged and enjoyed being connected parents from all over the state of North Carolina. Juntos in both states was able to be the bridge between the school system and Juntos families as the crisis left schools scrambling. 4) Increase teens use of technology for workforce skills necessary for the 21st-century digital economy; Thanks to the CYFAR grant Juntos was able to purchase 25 Chromebooks that will be provided to families that lack technology the opportunity to still engage with Juntos and use for school proposes. Again we are working with schools to ensure all students have access to technology during the online school period. During Juntos 4-H Clubs, students will be able to connect with our A&T University partner who will be leading them through a STEM project for the year focused on Engineering Design Challenge - Rube Goldberg Machines. 5) Increase the percentage of Latinx students graduating and attending higher education; We will strive to continue our 100% of senior graduation rates and connect seniors with the resources and connections to tertiary schools. Coordinators will work to build better relationships with local community colleges where the majority of our students have been attending for the past five years. 6) Increase the Juntos Program's long-term sustainability Juntos leadership will complete a sustainability guide that will support the work of local programs as they strive to bring sustainability for the program for the last two years of funding. This year our sustainability coordinator will be working with CYFAR sites in starting their Juntos Advisory Committee (JAC) which will bring advocates, educators, and community partners together to discuss resources to support the program after the funding ends. We move forward knowing we will need to be innovative while also ensuring we stay committed to our goals and ensure this project reach success.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Juntos provides services rooted in evidence-based strategies and practices to address the assessed needs of (1) Closing the gap between Latinx students and White students, (2) Increasing on-time high school graduation rates for Latinx students, (3) Increasing the percentage of Latinx students enrolling in AP courses, and, (4) Increasing college enrollment and degree completion for Latinx students. We will be able to expand our model to new counties that presently do not have access to services specifically designed to provide academic support to Latinx students and their families. Need Related Data: While the Latinx achievement gap is declining nationally, North Carolina & Idaho continue to experience persistent gaps and suffers from a lack of opportunities for Latinx students. For example, white students in North Carolina are 2.6 times more likely to enroll in AP classes, compared with 1.8 in the nation. The counties where we continue to work in all face growth within the Latinx community and are still at risk of failing to succeed academically. In North Carolina this year, local Juntos sites hosted 182 events for youth and families during the 2018-19 year. This includes 105 4-H Club meetings that occur after school, 42 Family nights in the school, and 35 other events inside and outside of school. Other events ranged from FAFSA workshops, and STEM career exploration field trips to community service opportunities and regional 4-H summits. We also graduated 100% of our high school seniors. In Catawba, Juntos NC hosted seven family events and a total of 23 events combining student and family events over the 2018-19 school. In Pender, Juntos NC hosted four family events and a total of 26 events combining student and family events over the 2018-19 school year. In Sampson, Juntos NC hosted seven family events and a total of 14 events combining student and family events over the 2018-19 school year. Idaho: In Jerome County, Juntos has been able to secure a one-credit Juntos class where students can meet each school day as Juntos 4-H Club. That is a total of about 180 school days where the local Juntos coordinator is able to engage with students during school hours. A total of 6 family events were hosted during the 2018-19 school years, and three external field trips. The impacts/objectives of programming within year two-five of funding are forming at a rapid pace. Two of our objectives is to see parental engagement with youth education and school grow, and engage in their youth's academic success within the five years of programming. We continue to show an impact in this area. For example, 98% of parents who participate in the pre and post-survey reported that Juntos helped them support their child's academic success and learn to advocate for their child's education. Through 4-H Clubs objectives Juntos students are continuing to develop their leadership skills and life skills, youth have had public speaking opportunities, networking with county commissioners, college students, professors, professionals. They are integrating into their local communities by leading local soccer tournaments and painting their school during a weekend project. STEM has been a hot topic within our clubs and through an interest serving Juntos youth selected Engineering (2nd most popular career) and Ag Science (4th most popular career). 74% of students reported learning more about STEM in the 2018-2019 school year. Success Coaching and mentoring have proven to show impact, and we have been able to meet our objectives, which include increasing youth school attendance and grades and increasing self-advocacy in the classroom and school. 87% of students reported that Juntos helped them take responsibility for their grades, 66% report it helped them improve their school attendance, and 80% feel confident to be themselves when they are in school. Lastly, our summer programming has been able to normalize higher education options among juntos youth with year-long field trips and our summer week at the land-grant university. Our annual evaluation showed that 79% of juntos students feel more prepared to go to college or trade school, and 88% state Juntos helped them plan for their future. As the Juntos Program faces programmatic changes due to the pandemic, we strive to be a resource to our local educational systems as they scramble to provide quality education to all students. Juntos will be the source and resources to educators. We will continue to engage our families virtually and provide opportunities for other Latinx families to benefit from our resources.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Evaluation of Juntos 4-H: A Wraparound Program Helping Latinx High Schoolers Succeed
The Journal of Extension April 2020
https://www.joe.org/joe/2020april/
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Out of the fields: In a North Carolina county where few Latino parents have diplomas, their kids are aiming for college
From Education NC(EdNC)
https://www.ednc.org/out-of-the-fields-in-a-north-carolina-county-where-few-latino-parents-have-diplomas-their-kids-are-aiming-for-college/
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Juntos Program serves majority of Latino students and their parents/guardians. Students include 8th to 12 graders. Three counties in North Carolina and one county in Idaho. Changes/Problems:Due to the success of sustainability efforts in year one, state leadership will be able to hire a sustainability specialist in year 2 of funding which is a year earlier than anticipated. Another change is the program's transition to the Division ofAcademic and Student Affairs (DASA). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The program started with Staff training and retreat in August. Idaho staff traveled to North Carolina to receive the three-day training. Staff join monthly calls where a specific resource topic is discussed and staff can report on updates and support needed. In February, Staff and youth leaders received STEM Curriculum and leadershiptraining. Site monitoring visits are conducted each semester focused on how to support individual sites.Staff will be attending the CYFAR Event in June for professional development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A report was provided to all community partners to show program impact. See the report on our website research page What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To finish this programming year, post surveys will be conducted, Family night celebrations will take place in each site, and Juntos academy will take place in July. Year two activities will include, recruit a new cohort of students in all sites, all sites will success coach students, family workshops and family nights will be conducted from beginning to end of the school year. Leadership will start to develop a sustainability guide based on the success of a current site's effort to build sustainability within their local community.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Juntos started off the year with staff training on August 1st and August 2nd with a special focus on building capacity and sustainability at the county level. All new staff received training on program curriculum and implementation. Each county coordinator met with school administrations to discuss and plan the Juntos programming calendar. All counties stated the program year with a welcome family night event where students and parents received an orientation on programming calendar and registered as program participants. Parents and students also complete pre-surveys. The fall semester included bi-monthly families nights, by-weekly Juntos 4-H clubs. Two county implementation success coaching session during this first year of planning and were able to test new program database which will help capture program data in the future years of this grant. One county was about to establish a community advisory group focused on program sustainability This site will be a model for the other three sites in the coming year. Idaho staff was about to create a poster on program impact and present at a local conference. The spring semester included family nights, 4-H clubs, a leadership retreat for youth and staff, and will need with the end of year celebrations. Currently, leadership is planning for the one-week Juntos academy at NC State University which will take place July 9-13, Idaho will also be providing their Juntos youth opportunities to visit their land-grant University.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Behnke, A. O., Bodenhamer, A., McDonald, T., & Robledo, M. (2019). The Impact of the Juntos Program: A Qualitative Evaluation. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 41(1), 6384. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986318820486
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