Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Somali American youth and families need programs that celebrate their strengths and build social inclusion, while creating opportunities for parents and youth to promote their educational pathways. Specifically, youth and parents need opportunities to address what community members have identified as "the cultural gap" between U.S. teens and their Somali-born parents. In response, the MN 4-H CYFAR team designed a joint family and youth program model that has three key elements: 1) Ka Joog 4-H STEAM Connects Clubs that ignite youth interest in learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, and create opportunities for youth to imagine and plan for their educational futures; 2) Parent/guardian sessions through Partnering for School Success to gain resources that help them connect with their children and support their education, and; 3) Parent and youth shared programming activities to share learning with one another, co-create educational plans, and have shared educational experiences. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Regular project team meetings with technical support 2022 CYFAR Professional Development Event CYFAR PDTA (Professional Development and Techical Assistance) webinars and networking sessions How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Progress reports have been shared through regulary schedule program team meetings. Updates also shared verbally with parents and adults volunteers in programming sessions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project team will continuing moving forward with it implementation, evaluation and sustainability plans.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Program Implementation There are two thriving youth programs in Moorhead and Minneapolis. Moorhead meets twice a week and the Cedar team meets weekly. Both engage in hands-on-engineering activities and are guided by a youth leader, who is Somali, lives in the community, and has been trained as a 4-H screened volunteer--acquired new facilitations skills and resources to implement the program. Throughout the program, young people reflect on their futures in higher education and engage in future-planning activities with their peers. In June, the Cedar Riverside site, along with other first generation 4-Hers participated in the 4-H Campus Immersion program on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. For five days and four nights, youth stayed in the dorms, ate in the cafeteria, engaged in STEM activities with university students, staff, and faculty. 4-H continues to grow its relationship with UMN admission office, who participated in the program, leading sessions and tours for the young people. They engaged in intensive future planning activities, ultimately making a mapped plan for their pathway to postsecondary education. They presented their educational plans to their families and community leaders who attended a showcase lunch on campus at the end of the week--with about 30 family members/adults attending to showcase. The Moorhead site participated in a three day, two night campus immersion program at the University of Minnesota Crookston campus. Thirteen youth attended. Youth engaged in hands-on STEM based learning activities with faculty and staff, engaged in future planning activities, and enjoyed unstructured time at the University rec center, playing sports and having down time. The Vice-Chancellor came and participated for a portion of the program and has a vested interest in growing this partnership and recruiting these young people to enroll at Crookston. Fall kick offs included program planning meetings between 4-H staff and Ka Joog site staff. Cedar hired a new youth worker at the site who is a former youth participant. Programming starting at both sites in October and will continue until Ramadan begins on March 22, 2023. Short-Term Results Youth will identify an interest or skill that makes them excited about learning. 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 22 2. Evaluation Type used: Survey 3. Findings 74% of participants report that they get to choose activities based on their personal interests. They further reports these self-driven activities were important (87%) and interesting (93%). Youth will experience cultural growth and social inclusion. 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 22 2. Evaluation Type used: Survey 3.. Findings 26% of youth said they enjoy their family's culture and family's traditions quite a bit, while 43% of the participants say they enjoy them "a lot". 65% of participants said they belong in school either "quite a bit" or or "a lot". While the remaining youth say they belong "not at all" or "a little bit" Youth will exhibit growth in knowledge and interest around STEAM topics 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 22 2. Evaluation Type used: Survey 3.. Findings 93% or respondents said they found their STEAM club activities interesting. 85% report that in their STEAM Club they have opportunities to develop skills that will be useful later in life (like job skills and skills to care for others). 82% say they value education. Youth will demonstrate growth in critical thinking and decision making skills that form habits 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 22 2. Evaluation Type used: Survey 3.. Findings 63% of participants say they look for information to help me understand the problem either "often" or "always". 73% say they think before making a choice. 69% of participants say they think about all the information I have about the different choices. Parents/guardians will gain support and resources to promote parent-child closeness and education support 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 45 2. Evaluation Type used: Survey & Field Observations 3.. Findings Parents learned about their child's educational plans at the campus immersion showcase and exhibited increased enthusiasm for their children's educational plans (social resources). They also gained access to their children's educational portfolios which documented concrete steps they needed to take to achieve their postsecondary and career goals. Long-Term Results Youth will create a personal plan for post-secondary education and career development 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 40 2. Evaluation Type used: Field observations and artifact collection 3.. Findings Youth demonstrated an increased understanding of what classes they need to take, what people they need to network with, and how they work with an admissions office. They also researched the specific postsecondary training they would need to their desired future STEAM occupation and understood the salaries they might earn. Programming will be sustained by the community members and community organizational partners 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 10 2. Evaluation Type used: Documents 3. When was it given or conducted? 2019-present 4. Analysis Content Analysis 5. Findings A program agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of each team member from the University of Minnesota Extension and Ka Joog continues to be carried. Ka Joog staff are screened 4-H volunteers. 4-H staff attending community meetings to understand the needs and assets of the Somali community. A professional service agreement was created which details the Ka Joog staffing structure and the invoice timeline to the University. 4-H has now entered into partnership agreements with two other Somali youth serving organizations and one county library system to implement the STEAM club model with Somali youth in other parts of the state. 4-H staff in other parts of the state are being trained to support the implementation of this model. Our program agreements outline shared responsibilities and the Somali youth serving organizations are building a staffing structure around supporting 4-H youth programs. 4-H staff build these local programs into their local plan of work. ?
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Background Information on Target Audience Somali American Youth and Families Living in Minneapolis and Moorhead, Minnesota Minnesota has a unique opportunity for cultural programming geared toward reaching an underserved audience--Somali American teens. Minnesota is home to one of the world's largest Somali diaspora populations, with the population at about 57,000 (Yusuf, 2012). Nearly all Minnesota Somalis are either refugees or children of refugees. Minneapolis has the largest Somali population in the state, and adults and youth indicate a sense of belonging there among people with shared Somali identities. However, youth feel isolated from mainstream society. In Moorhead, the Somali community is growing in a densely populated city that is situated in a rural area (4 hours from Minneapolis) in which youth and families experience social isolation and have been recently targeted by terrorist organizations. Somali American teens in Minnesota are seeking protection from anti-Muslim acts and belonging and closeness with their family and Somali community. Their Somali identity invites discrimination by the dominant culture and their American identity promotes family tension. This fragmented sense of identity influences their engagement in education. Youth and family work has long been a venue for creating positive social change. The program model proposed here was co-developed by University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development, and Ka Joog, a Somali American youth-serving organization. Ka Joog means "to resist" in Somali, referring to the importance of resisting negative influences. Extension and Ka Joog organizations have been partnering for over five years and have produced impactful programming that reaches an underserved population in Minnesota - Somali American teens. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Quarterly team meetings covering topics related to program development, evaluation and program implementation. Monthly community site meetings to support communication and program implementation. 2021 CYFAR Professional Development Event How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Program updatesare shared at summer showcase events in which youth, families and community partners are in attendance. Youth also demonstrate their learning at summer showcase events sharing the educational goals and plans. Evaluation results are also shared at quarterly team meetings so that members are able to gauge program and make programmatic adjustments. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The program implementation has been on course. Two youth programs are being delivered in-person in Minneapolis and Moorhead. The Minneapolis program site is more mature and has a strong foundation for growth; it started in Year 1 of the grant cycle. The Moorhead program site started in Year 3 of the grant cycle. Recruitment for both programs has been going well along with program implementation. The parent education program has been adapted with community feedback to be delivered via WhatApp whereby educators are sharing tips for parents to support their child's educational pathway. The parents have responded well to this method of delivery and were involved in developing the idea. The program team is cohensive and strong. The team will continue moving forward with quarterly team meeting and monthly site meetings to support communication and program delivery.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments Program Implementation In a June 2020 team meeting, the team reflected on the accomplishments of the first year of CYFAR programming, the pilot program, and reflected on everyone's well-being amidst the pandemic and racial injustices endemic throughout the state. Then we began to strategize how we could implement programming safely in the upcoming program year. October 2020, we kicked off year 2 of our CYFAR grant. Following the recommendations of our community partners, we made the decision to start virtual programming at each local site as that is what families were saying they felt most comfortable with. Community Integration Our CYFAR team represents members from Ka Joog Minneapolis, Ka Joog Moorhead, representatives from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Crookston and University of Minnesota Extension staff from both 4-H youth development and family development. All programming decisions are made jointly and at the local level. Ka Joog and University of Minnesota staff meet with each other monthly to discuss the project. Technology Integration All team meetings were conducted via zoom. The co-PI and CYFAR project specialists met biweekly over facetime. We used social media to share our work and impact, often "sharing" or retweeting each other's posts. For example, the Moorhead Ka Joog site posted about the start of the new program, Clay County 4-H shared it to their stakeholders, and then the MN 4-H team shares it with their followers and stakeholders. Sustaining The state CYFAR team is making progress in sustainability through sharing program impact and successful practices. In September, Joanna Tzenis presented on a CYFAR PDT roundtable sharing strategies for successful CYFAR grant writing and sharing the ways in which we've pivoted our programming in response to COVID 19. In October 2020, Jennifer Skuza presented at the CYFAR Conference sharing strategies for the "COVID 19 Pivot". Sharing how to deliver effective youth programs in the COVID 19 pandemic.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Background Information on Target Audience Somali American Youth and Families Living in Minneapolis and Moorhead, Minnesota Minnesota has a unique opportunity for cultural programming geared toward reaching an underserved audience--Somali American teens. Minnesota is home to one of the world's largest Somali diaspora populations, with the population at about 57,000 (Yusuf, 2012). Nearly all Minnesota Somalis are either refugees or children of refugees. Minneapolis has the largest Somali population in the state, and adults and youth indicate a sense of belonging there among people with shared Somali identities. However, youth feel isolated from mainstream society. In Moorhead, the Somali community is growing in a densely populated city that is situated in a rural area (4 hours from Minneapolis) in which youth and families experience social isolation and have been recently targeted by terrorist organizations. Somali American teens in Minnesota are seeking protection from anti-Muslim acts and belonging and closeness with their family and Somali community. Their Somali identity invites discrimination by the dominant culture and their American identity promotes family tension. This fragmented sense of identity influences their engagement in education. Youth and family work has long been a venue for creating positive social change. The program model proposed here was co-developed by University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development, and Ka Joog, a Somali American youth-serving organization. Ka Joog means "to resist" in Somali, referring to the importance of resisting negative influences. Extension and Ka Joog organizations have been partnering for over five years and have produced impactful programming that reaches an underserved population in Minnesota - Somali American teens. Changes/Problems:The project team responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by transitioning all team meetings and programming to an online platform in March 2020 until October 2020 and during some winter months when it was too difficult to travel for inperson sessions/meetings. We also had staffing changes within our partner organizations. These changes did not impact our project beyond additional time needed to onboard new team members. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project team attended the 2020 CYFAR Professional Development event. Also, the project leaders held two team meetings that included training on evaluaton, program development and outreach. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been shared at team meetings with community stakeholders. Results have also been shared through conference presentations and papers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Year 1 of the project was the pilot and planning phase. Year 2 was the youth program implementation in Minneapolis and program planning (and community building) in Moorhead, MN. Year 3 (the current project year) will include youth program implementation at both sites and the team willadd aparent educational component to the project. Theteam will meet inOctober 2021to kick off the thirdyear and subgroups will meet regularly throughout the year to maintain momentum. Team memberswill also attend the virtual CYFAR Professional Development Event in June 2022 in order to learn more about program development and sustainability.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments Program Implementation In a June 2020 team meeting, the team reflected on the accomplishments of the first year of CYFAR programming, the pilot program, reflected on everyone's well being amidst the pandemic and racial injustices endemic throughout the state. Then we began to strategize how we could implement programming safely in the upcoming program year. October 2020, we kicked off year 2 of our CYFAR grant. Following the recommendations of our community partners, we made the decision to start virtual programming at each local site as that is what families were saying they felt most comfortable with. Community Integration Our CYFAR team represents members from Ka Joog Minneapolis, Ka Joog Moorhead, representatives from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Crookston and University of Minnesota Extension staff from both 4-H youth development and family development. All programming decisions are made jointly and at the local level. Ka Joog and University of Minnesota staff meet with each other monthly to discuss the project. Technology Integration All team meetings were conducted via zoom. The co-PI and CYFAR project specialists met biweekly over facetime. We used social media to share our work and impact, often "sharing" or retweeting each other's posts. For example, the Moorhead Ka Joog site posted about the start of the new program, Clay County 4-H shared it to their stakeholders, and then the MN 4-H team shares it with their followers and stakeholders. Sustaining The state CYFAR team is making progress in sustainability through sharing program impact and successful practices. In September, Joanna Tzenis presented on a CYFAR PDT roundtable sharing strategies for successful CYFAR grant writing and sharing the ways in which we've pivoted our programming in response to COVID 19. In October 2020, Jennifer Skuza presented at the CYFAR Conference sharing strategies for the "COVID 19 Pivot". Sharing how to deliver effective youth programs in the COVID 19 pandemic. Short-Term Results Youth will identify an interest or skill that makes them excited about learning. 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 13 2. Evaluation Type used: electronic survey delivered through Qualtrics 3. When was it given or conducted? Pre survey- January 2020 and Post survey- September 2020 (post) 4. Analysis Percent of responses. Analyzed with Qualtrics reporting feature. 5. Findings 100% of youth chose activities they wanted to learn more about. Youth also stated they had choices in what activities they did. 6. Implications Our youth development philosophy encourages engaging youth in learning connected to their interests. Through 4-H projects, youth have the ability to explore more than 50 different project areas. Youth will experience cultural growth and social inclusion. 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 13 2. Evaluation Type used: electronic survey delivered through Qualtrics 3. When was it given or conducted? Pre survey- January 2020 and Post survey- September 2020 (post) 4. Analysis Percent of responses. Analyzed with Qualtrics reporting feature. 5. Findings 100% of youth reported youth in the program are kind to one another. They also stated youth and adults work together in partnership to plan activities. Youth reported feeling accepted in the program and adults get to know youth in the program. 6. Implications importance ofbelonging to a group, purpose and program. Youth will demonstrate growth in critical thinking and decision making skills that form habits that can lead to educational and career success. 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 13 2. Evaluation Type used: electronic survey delivered through Qualtrics 3. When was it given or conducted? Pre survey- January 2020 and Post survey- September 2020 (post) 4. Analysis Percent of responses. Analyzed with Qualtrics reporting feature. 5. Findings 100% of youth demonstrated problem solving and goal setting skills. Youth learned to look at the steps needed to achieve goals, break goals down into manageable steps, and take in feedback as they worked on goals. 6. Implications Importance of critical thinking skills Long-Term Results ? Youth will create a personal plan for post-secondary education and career development related to STEAM subjects. 1. How many participated in the evaluation? 8 2. Evaluation Type used: Zoom poll post campus immersion 3. When was it given or conducted? Campus immersion information 4. Analysis 5. Findings 7 out of 8 youth learned something new about college. 5 out of 8 youth felt more prepared to meet their aspirations for college. 6. Implications Research shows youth a first step for college success is seeing yourself as a college student (Tzenis, 2018). The virtual campus immersion jumpstarted youths' abilities to start envision themselves as college students and begin to take steps to achieve these aspirations for themselves. "The campus immersion program matters because it gets you to think about what you want to do in the future and what you want to be." --CYFAR youth, 17, Hennepin County
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Skuza, J.A. (2020). The experience of learning: Early adolescents in organized youth programs. Journal of Human Sciences & Extension Education, 8(3). Retrieved at https://www.jhseonline.com/article/view/1077
In addition to these publications, members of the our CYFAR team also delivered presentations or served on panels sharing content related to our CYFAR project.
Skuza, J. A. (2020). Guest speaker. Build Safe Online Learning Environments for Youth. CYFAR PDTA Center Event.
Skuza, J.A. (2020). Guest speaker. Program Planning Process Designed to Increase Access and Grow Programs. Extension Virtual Summer School Learning Series. 507 participants in a 1-hour webinar
Skuza, J.A. (2020) Panelist. MN 4-H response to the pandemic. 2020 CYFAR Professional Development Event.
Tzenis, J.A. (2020) Panelist. Lessons Learned: Logic Models and Tools for Success. CYFAR PDTA Center Grant Writing Writing (Virtual) Event.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Tzenis, J. (2020). Youth Aspirations: Imagining and Navigating Futures in Higher Education. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota, Extension Center for Youth Development.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Tzenis, J. (2020, July). Minneapolis youth reflect on George Floyd and racism in their 4-H meeting. [Web log post]. Retrievable from https://blog-youth-development-insight.extension.umn.edu/2020/07/minneapolis-youth-reflect-on-george.html
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Tzenis, J. (2020, January). Make your program a pathway to higher education. [Web log post]. Retrievable from https://blog-youth-development-insight.extension.umn.edu/2020/01/make-your-youth-program-pathway-to.html
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Skuza, J. A. (2020). Guest speaker. Build Safe Online Learning Environments for Youth. CYFAR PDTA Center Event.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Skuza, J.A. (2020) Panelist. MN 4-H response to the pandemic. 2020 CYFAR Professional Development Event.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Tzenis, J.A. (2020) Panelist. Lessons Learned: Logic Models and Tools for Success. CYFAR PDTA Center Grant Writing Writing (Virtual) Event.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Background Information on Target Audience Somali American Youth and Families Living in Minneapolis and Moorhead, Minnesota Minnesota has a unique opportunity for cultural programming geared toward reaching an underserved audience--Somali American teens. Minnesota is home to one of the world's largest Somali diaspora populations, with the population at about 57,000 (Yusuf, 2012). Nearly all Minnesota Somalis are either refugees or children of refugees. Minneapolis has the largest Somali population in the state, and adults and youth indicate a sense of belonging there among people with shared Somali identities. However, youth feel isolated from mainstream society. In Moorhead, the Somali community is growing in a densely populated city that is situated in a rural area (4 hours from Minneapolis) in which youth and families experience social isolation and have been recently targeted by terrorist organizations. Somali American teens in Minnesota are seeking protection from anti-Muslim acts and belonging and closeness with their family and Somali community. Their Somali identity invites discrimination by the dominant culture and their American identity promotes family tension. This fragmented sense of identity influences their engagement in education. Youth and family work has long been a venue for creating positive social change. The program model proposed here was co-developed by University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development, and Ka Joog, a Somali American youth-serving organization. Ka Joog means "to resist" in Somali, referring to the importance of resisting negative influences. Extension and Ka Joog organizations have been partnering for over five years and have produced impactful programming that reaches an underserved population in Minnesota - Somali American teens. Changes/Problems: The project team responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by transitioningall team meetings and programming to an online platform in March 2020 until further notice. We also had staffing changes within our partner organizations. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Project team training on evaluation and program development methods. Training also included yoiuth development principles and cultural contexts for target audiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Year 1 of the project was the pilot and planning phase (this current reporting year). Year 2 will be project implementation in Minneapolis and program planning (and community building) in Moorhead, MN. The project team will be October 1, 2020 to kick off the second year and subgroups will meet regularly throughout the year to maintain momentum.The team will also attend the virtual CYFAR Professional Development Event October 13-16, 2020 in order to learn more about program development and sustainability.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Program Implementation The first year of this grant funded project is a planning year. On September 1, 2019, the Minnesota CYFAR team commenced its planning year and worked towards a January 2020 youth program pilot implementation. On October 1, 2019 a team meeting was held at which 4 community members (one of whom was a youth), two University Minnesota partners, and nine Extension staff members. Between 9/1/19-11/30/19, the co-PI held monthly meetings with Ka Joog project specialist, to support program design, the recruitment of youth and families, and buying program supplies and curricula. In November, the CYFAR team collaboratively developed a volunteer training program (implemented 12/19/19). The pilot project continued through the time of reporting (July 2020) and the team navigated transitioningto online programming due to COVID-19. The team also carried our a virtual campus immersion experience in July 2020. Community Integration Community engagement is at the center of the program design process. And, working in partnership with community is a vital part of this model's foundation. We want the team to continually view this project as a fluid entity that molds to the needs and assets of the community. Just as Extension, as a partner, helps other organizations do what they cannot do alone, our partners help us do what we cannot do alone. This is all in the spirit of doing "with" rather than "for" or "to". That way, the needs and assets of the community drive the direction of this program model. In result of this commitment, weekly planning meetings took place at Minneapolis community site. Two additional community members were invited (by the Ka Joog project specialist) to lead the delivery of the Ka Joog 4-H STEAM Clubs. Community leaders led the recruitment of youth and families through one-to-one family meetings and personal invitations. Technology Integration The project team purchased iPads with STEAM apps loaded onto them for the pilot program. The Pre-Surveys were also loaded on the iPads for youth in the Pilot program that began in January 2020. We are using these tools to improve data collection strategies and as a way to leverage technology with the learning environment. The project team also met via Zoom and piloted technologies that could be used in team meetings and program pilots. Sustaining Sustainability is guided by five main factors: 1) having a program agreement in place, 2) strong partnerships with Ka Joog, UMN Twin Cities College Readiness Consortium, UMN Crookston chancellor's office and the sites, 3) strong team that collaborates, 4) core groups of adult volunteer and youth leaders, and 5) project is embedded in MN 4-H Youth Development and Ka Joog. A program agreement was drafted outlining the roles and responsibilities of each team member from the University of Minnesota Extension and Ka Joog. Ka Joog staff became screened 4-H volunteers. 4-H staff attended community meetings in Cedar Riverside (the Minneapolis site) to understand the needs and assets of the Somali community. A professional service agreement was also created which details the Ka Joog staffing structure and the invoice timeline to the University. Team building is regular part of the project's team practice. And, each partner has a unique contribution that they bring to the success of this project. Adult volunteers are screened and trained using the MN 4-H volunteer systems. Team members are actively involved in volunteer and youth recruitment. Lastly, this project is embedded into the MN 4-H Youth Development program and Ka Joog, which allows the project to benefit from the resources and strengths of each organization. The program was scheduled to take place in a community center, was set to be led by adults in the community.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Skuza, J. A. (2019). Teens in the Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study. Journal of Youth Development Special Issue: Perspectives on Immigrant, Refugee, and Border Youth 14 (2). Retrieved at https://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/19-14-02-PA-02
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