Progress 11/01/20 to 04/30/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Work in this project year continued to focus on the first audience identified in the initiation report, i.e., youth in grades K through 12 who took part in: 1) curated "Learning Experiences" that progress through a pathway toward building workforce-ready skills; and 2) interactive games and augmented reality experiences to increase learning engagement and retention. Targeted outreach was focused on underserved youth, including rural youth and youth of color. Outreach was also expanded this year to include Extension professionals, with a special focus on generating greater awareness of, and support for, CLOVER by 4-H among Extension Directors/Administrators, state 4-H program leaders, as well as state and county/parish level professionals. Youth and adult networking and mentorship continue to be delayed due to the development cycle of the online platform, which requires additional features to support these planned efforts and ensure compliance with child safety requirements. Changes/Problems:National 4-H Council encountered several areas of significant challenge and change during this grant period related to technology, process, staffing and the evolving hybrid learning environment. Technology: The design, development and testing of the new, mobile-first 4-H.org and CLOVER by 4-H platforms continued to be iterative in nature. With the launch of CLOVER by 4-H, significant post-launch work occurred to ensure acceptable site performance, site security, analytics were functioning properly, and the user experience and the user interface met consumer needs. The user funnel from the product landing page to sign-up, while good, needed to be improved and is being optimized. Process: Developing, designing and posting research-based learning content within this structure continues to be more time consuming than originally anticipated. Learning content is not lacking, however. Rather, taking what is often in-depth, multi-page and multi-chapter curricula and translating that into a more bite-size, 'grab and go' style content that the CLOVER by 4-H audience prefers has lengthened the process. While the new CLOVER by 4-H activity review rubric and online review process were intended to ensure that all new Extension-supplied activities on the platform are high-quality and reflect the 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development, the peer review process itself has further extended the activity development timeline. Review team members are not always available or able to review assigned activities in a timely fashion. Once a review occurs, it can then take several more weeks for content authors to respond with the recommended updates or edits. National 4-H Council staff met with the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Task Force to refine and revise the review process to shorten this timeline. National 4-H Council has provided the CLOVER by 4-H review rubric to content authors in advance so that they can design their submissions with the review criteria in mind. In addition, National 4-H Council has hired three new instructional designers to assist with content development, which will reduce development delays. The Evolving Environment for Hybrid Learning: As we approach the fourth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, the viability of hybrid and blending learning educational models has not diminished. However, there has been considerable evolution in how that learning is delivered since the launch of the original 4-H at Home platform. At the same time, the Extension system has more fully adopted the 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development (PYD) as the regional network of 4-H PYD champions has expanded and 4-H PYD Academies have advanced the understanding and use of the 4-H Thriving Model in program development and delivery. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Nov 10, 2022: Presented a CLOVER by 4-H update with tips for developing Extension content at the West Virginia Association of Extension 4-H Agents' Virtual Fall Professional Development Day. Audience size: 30 April 27th, 2023: National 4-H Council hosted an informational webinar for state and local 4-H professionals to provide product updates as well as introduce a new content development toolkit to make submitting high quality Extension content to CLOVER easier. Toolkit contents are described in the "Other Products" section of this report. Audience size: 75 Training Resources (see Other Products for links) - Virtual training modules were developed for use by 4-H Youth Development Professionals and other adults working with youth across the nation. The modules introduce the new CLOVER by 4-H e-learning platform and offer approaches for integrating it as a complement to in-person learning experiences. An electronic learning guide was developed for learners to use as they interact with each short-form module. Finally, an electronic facilitator's guide was developed for professionals facilitating the use of the modules as a learning experience for colleagues or volunteers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?National 4-H Council Board of Trustees: Product updates were shared with National 4-H Council's Board at both their December 2022 and March 2023 board meetings. State and local 4-H professionals: On February 7, 2023, National 4-H Council hosted a product update and preview webinar prior to the platform's re-launch to the Extension system to showcase new features and functionality, including the Extension reporting dashboard. Audience size: 107 National 4-H Leadership Meeting (Feb 2023): Presentation and product update to state 4-H program leaders, state 4-H fundraising professionals and USDA/NIFA staff. Audience size: 100. North Central region 4-H Program Leaders (March 2023): A product demonstration was conducted in response to additional questions and interest from the region following the National 4-H Leadership Meeting. Audience size: 10 4-H Program Leaders Working Group: Verbal and written product updates were shared with the group at their November 2022 and January-April 2023 monthly meetings. Audience size: 10 Extension Committee on Organization and Policy's (ECOP) 4-H Leadership Group: Product presentations and updates were shared with the group in December 2022 and April 2023. Audience size: 15. Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (April 2023): Product updates were shared as part of a presentation to state and local 4-H professionals on tools to tell a more powerful 4-H story. Audience size: 40 National 4-H Council has also continued unpaid promotion of CLOVER by 4-H access and available activities via National 4-H Council's digital channels, including 4-H.org, email, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
CLOVER by 4-H is a dynamic resource that was designed to evolve to meet the growing need for virtual and non-virtual educational resources that can be rapidly adopted at home by educators and Extension specialists to ensure the effective formal and non-formal education and youth development of K-12 students. The platform was created to level the playing field and address the widening opportunity gap that was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic by providing universal access to supplemental at-home curricula, learning projects and supplies, and a virtual community of peers and positive adult mentors. CLOVER by 4-H meets an immediate demand for virtual and non-digital positive youth development, workforce preparation and life skills programming among K-12 youth, their caregivers and educators, as well as Extension professionals. During the reporting period, the project was able to meet those needs through the following objectives: Objective 1: Creating an immersive, online platform offering instant access to 4-H's research backed, developmentally appropriate, hands-on K-12 learning. 4-H developed and published 11 educational activities and three multi-experience landing pages on CLOVER by 4-H with another 11 activities and three experience pages pending publication, which were viewed 345,980 times during the grant reporting period. Links to each published activity and landing page are provided in the "Other Products" section of this report. This new content reflects the following AFRI priority areas: Plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health, agriculture systems and technology; and bioenergy, natural resources and the environment. As part of this effort, National 4-H Council awarded $38,821.37 in subgrants to three land-grant universities to enhance existing, or develop new, high-quality, educational experiences. Subgrants were awarded to: Utah State University: Workplace Safety, Purdue University: Outdoor Adventure, and Florida A&M University: Animal and Food Science. Technology vendors completed several key elements of CLOVER by 4-H online platform development for mobile delivery, features, and functionality to continue meeting audience needs: Hi Mum, Said Dad Ltd: has completed the development, content migration and QA phases of the project, launching on 3/1/2023. Following the launch of CLOVER by 4-H, HMSD conducted usability tests among parents and youth to determine the site was easy to use and engaging for both target audiences. Results from those tests are being used to improve the customer experience. eCity Interactive: has completed educational content development for CLOVER by 4-H for all activities published/pending publication this period. eLearning Company: has completed educational content development for CLOVER by 4-H for 6 activities published/pending publication this period. Qualtrics: has completed one ongoing Stated/Derived Key Drivers survey and analysis for CLOVER by 4-H that measures customer satisfaction by directly asking respondents about how important factors are and measuring the derived importance of which factors matter the most to platform users. Results from the survey and analysis have informed product requirements, features and functionality prioritization for the CLOVER by 4-H platform. In addition to the Stated/Derived Key Drivers surveys and analyses, Qualtrics has been integrated with the new CLOVER by 4-H platform to provide customer feedback in real time, allowing for continuous platform upgrades that meet consumer requirements and needs. The University of Minnesota Center for Research and Outreach and the Department of Youth Development completed an evaluation of 4-H at Home curricula. The evaluation of 4-H at Home was designed to answer key questions identified by National 4-H Council to gauge the effectiveness of the educational materials with the target audience and to understand connections with positive youth development (PYD) and the 4-H Thriving Model. To better understand who used 4-H at Home content, usage data was analyzed from 4-H at Home and Google Analytics. A qualitative curriculum analysis was conducted to see how the curriculum pieces reflected positive youth development (PYD) indicators and 4-H Thriving Model indicators. Results showed 4-H at Home reached an impressive number of people across the country and world. Over 850,000 users of 4-H at Home accessed content over four years, with over 1 million pageviews. 4-H at Home Activity Guides were downloaded by users in every state in the U.S, and drew in urban as well as rural users. Most webpage interactions led to further topically-related material, rather than drawing users in to explore many different topical areas. The qualitative curriculum analysis however, revealed significant gaps between the curriculum and the criteria outlined in the CLOVER by 4-H Activity Vetting Rubric. A single activity included all four components of Developmental Context with just 30 including two or more, and only 11 activities had three or more indicators of Youth Thriving. These gaps are not unexpected. They are ones that National 4-H Council team anticipated the qualitative analysis would uncover given that the 4-H at Home activities analyzed were all developed and published online before the CLOVER Activity Vetting Rubric against which they were assessed was created. Recommendations from the evaluation, which are grounded in the data, include: Consider evaluating educational resources as resources that support learning environments, and not as learning environments themselves. PYD and the 4-H Thriving Model are an important part of 4-H programs, but the true positive youth development happens in the spaces where young people and caring adults come together. Future enhancements will need to be designed to either connect youth and caring adults within the platform or leverage connection through the local 4-H program. Evaluation strategies need to include youth assessment of learning. This can be done by including knowledge checks in key areas or by periodically assessing a sample of youth virtual participants. Objective 2: Create a connection to a nationwide network of peers and caring adult mentors where continued learning is supported. The Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Task Force continued to support National 4-H Council to develop strategies that help foster ownership and the active participation of 4-H professionals and volunteers in promoting and using CLOVER by 4-H locally. During the final six months of the grant period, Task force members continued to participate in beta-testing of the platform's new features and served as peer reviewers for new content submissions. In January 2023, the Task Force also submitted a written report on its activities to support CLOVER by 4-H to the 4-H Program Leaders Working Group. Objective 3: Availability of unplugged, downloadable, mobile and offline activities to reach vulnerable populations and youth with limited access. All 64 of the educational activities published on CLOVER by 4-H during this award year have PDF versions available to be downloaded for offline use. The six multi-experience landing pages offer merged PDFs that combine the set of available activities into a single PDF available for download. The remaining activities (11 total activities from Florida A&M, Purdue and Utah State) are in peer review. Target publish dates are end of August 2023 (Florida, Utah) and October 2023 (Purdue). Objective 4: AFRI content available to all youth CLOVER by 4-H content is accessible and available to the general public for free via 4-H.org. All USDA/AFRI funded activities are available for download as PDFs for youth with limited internet access. All USDA/AFRI funded activities are available on the CLOVER by 4-H mobile application, available on IOS and Android, and function in offline mode.
Publications
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Progress 11/01/21 to 10/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Work in this project year continued to focus on the first audience identified in the initiation report, i.e., youth in grades K through 12 who took part in: 1) curated "Learning Experiences" that progress through a pathway toward building workforce-ready skills; and 2) interactive games and augmented reality experiences to increase learning engagement and retention. Targeted outreach was focused on underserved youth, including rural youth and youth of color. Outreach was also expanded this year to include Extension professionals, with a special focus on generating greater awareness of, and support for, CLOVER by 4-H among Extension Directors/Administrators, state 4-H program leaders, as well as state and county/parish level professionals. Youth and adult networking and mentorship continue to be delayed due to the development cycle of the online platform, which requires additional features to support these planned efforts and ensure compliance with child safety requirements. Changes/Problems:Council encountered several areas of significant challenge and change during this grant period related to technology, process, staffing and the evolving hybrid learning environment. Technology: The design, development and testing of the new, mobile-first 4-H.org and CLOVER by 4-H platforms continued to be iterative in nature during this project year. New features and functions were continuously prioritized, developed, tested and deployed in response to the project requirements as well as input from stakeholders and end-users. While this iterative approach is common to technology projects, there were two significant decisions that impacted the overall project timeline and contributed to a delay in the launch of the next phase of CLOVER by 4-H by approximately six months. The first of these was the decision in the spring of 2022 to prioritize the development of a reporting dashboard to provide all land-grant universities with access to extensive data on CLOVER by 4-H user demographics as well as activity content/performance. This new feature, which was not originally planned for this phase of the platform's development, was added in response to feedback from Cooperative Extension and 4-H leadership. Another new feature that received development priority based on consumer research and testing was a suite of customizable (by theme) user dashboards. These dashboards will allow for a more personalized CLOVER by 4-H experience, which should increase time spent on the platform as well as inspire return visits. Process: Developing, designing and posting research-based learning content within this structure continues to be more time consuming than originally anticipated. Learning content is not lacking, however. Rather, taking what is often in-depth, multi-page and multi-chapter curricula and translating that into a more bite-size, 'grab and go' style content that the CLOVER by 4-H audience prefers has lengthened the process. While the new CLOVER by 4-H activity review rubric and online review process were intended to ensure that all new Extension-supplied activities on the platform are high-quality and reflect the 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development, the peer review process itself has actually further extended the activity development timeline. Review team members are not always available or able to review assigned activities in a timely fashion. Once a review occurs, it can then take several more weeks for content authors to respond with the recommended updates or edits. Moving forward, Council will meet with the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Task Force to refine and revise (if needed) the review process in an effort to shorten this timeline. Council will also provide the CLOVER review rubric to content authors in advance so that they can design their submissions with the review criteria in mind. In addition, Council has hired three new instructional designers to assist with content development, which will also help reduce development delays. Staffing: Staff departures throughout the project year required Council to continue to realign roles and adjust operations. This included the departure of the federal grant manager for this project and the onboarding of their replacement in the fall of 2022. In addition, staff turnover on the lead technical vendor's team caused delays, which resulted in changes to our timeline and deliverables to ensure they could accommodate the original scope. The Evolving Environment for Hybrid Learning: As we approach the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, the viability of hybrid and blending learning educational models has not diminished. However, there has been considerable evolution in how that learning is delivered since the launch of the original 4-H at Home platform. At the same time, the Extension system has more fully adopted the 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development (PYD) as the regional network of 4-H PYD champions has expanded and 4-H PYD Academies have advanced the understanding and use of the 4-H Thriving Model in program development and delivery. In response, and with input from the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, in the fall of 2022, the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Task Force began piloting a new review rubric for activities to be delivered on 4-H at Home/CLOVER by 4-H that is aligned with the 4-H Thriving Model and the 4-H Peer Review process. These developments, along with delays in the technical build of the online platform itself, resulted in National 4-H Council modifying the scope and timing of both the evaluation and professional development/training deliverables so that we could work with land-grant partners (The University of Minnesota and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, respectively) that are not only well versed in the 4-H Thriving Model, but are able to quickly incorporate early lessons learned into deliverables. A revised timeline and deliverables for both areas are detailed in the previous section. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Sept 3, 2022: USDA/AFRI CLOVER by 4-H Wave 4 Content Development Grants - Information Session for Prospective Grantees. Audience size: 10. Oct 22, 2022: National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) Annual Conference. Workshop for state and county/parish 4-H professionals showcasing the online activities of the University of Georgia, along with a product demonstration. Audience size: 45. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Twelve informational workshops and product previews targeting Extension/4-H leadership and 4-H youth development professionals were delivered over the course of the grant year to disseminate results thus far. These included the following: National 4-H Leadership Meeting (Feb 2022): Presentation and product update to state 4-H program leaders, state 4-H fundraising professionals and USDA/NIFA staff. Audience size: 100. National 4-H Agri-Science Summit (Mar 2022): Workshop for the 4-H Summit's teen, professional and volunteer attendees showcasing the activities of the University of Georgia, The University of Arizona and the University of Tennessee, three of the land-grant universities that received content development sub-grants under this award. Audience size: 45. Extension Committee on Organization and Policy's (ECOP) 4-H Leadership Group: Product presentations and updates shared with the group four times over the course of the grant year in Feb, Jun, Sept and Dec. Audience size: 15. 4-H Program Leaders Working Group: Product presentations and updates were shared with the group in Apr and Jul. Audience size: 15. Regional 4-H Program Leaders Meetings: Product updates were also provided at each of the four in-person, regional (Northeast, Southern and 1890, West and North Central) meetings of 4-H program leaders during the summer of 2022. Total audience size: Approximately 50. National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) Board of Directors (Sept 2022): A product demonstration and update was shared with the group, which was comprised of state and county/parish 4-H professionals. Audience size: 30. National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) Annual Conference (Oct 22): Workshop for state and county/parish 4-H professionals showcasing the online activities of the University of Georgia, along with a product demonstration. Audience size: 45. Council has also continued unpaid promotion of CLOVER by 4-H access and available activities via Council's digital channels, including 4-H.org, email, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?4-H.org and CLOVER by 4-H Platform Development and Launch Nov 2022 - Jan 2023: 4-H.org and CLOVER by 4-H content migration and feature testing will continue. This work is iterative in nature, with new features and functions continually being developed, tested and deployed. Feb 2023: CLOVER by 4-H platform development complete. Extension reporting dashboard administrator emails created for each land-grant university. CLOVER by 4-H update webinar held for Extension professionals and volunteers. CLOVER by 4-H product preview and update held at the 2023 National 4-H Leadership Meeting for state 4-H program leaders, 4-H foundation executives and national 4-H staff. Late Feb - early Mar 2023: Launch ADA compliant 4-H.org and CLOVER by 4-H platforms with new features and functionality. Apr 2023: We will continue to publish grant funded content, finish development and QA, launch the site, launch the mobile app, and refine everything post launch based on testing results and feedback. Content Development Grants A fourth wave of up to $45,000 in subgrant funding will be awarded to up to three land-grant universities to enhance existing or develop new, interactive, multi-activity experiences for delivery on the newly designed CLOVER by 4-H platform. Awardees were selected in Nov 2022, with completed activities due to Council no later than the end of Jan 2023. Priority was given to those experiences that address one or both of the following AFRI priority areas: bioenergy, natural resources and the environment; and agriculture economics and rural communities. Evaluation Nov - Dec 2022: Developed and released RFP for evaluation services. Jan 2023: Selected and awarded sub-grant to University of Minnesota to serve as lead evaluator. Jan - Mar 2023: University of Minnesota refines and implements evaluation design. Apr 2023: University of Minnesota prepares and delivers final evaluation report to National 4-H Council. The competitive selection of the University of Minnesota to lead the evaluation process was delayed into Year 3 of the project to allow for new learning content development and to be in sync with the technical build of the CLOVER by 4-H platform. The University is working with Council staff and web/mobile application developers to embed questions and data collection within the CLOVER by 4-H platform so real-time data are readily available. Evaluation questions will guide the final evaluation approach. Relevant and timely platform performance metrics will be provided against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPI evaluation tools may include user studies, usability studies, heuristic analysis, surveys (monthly qualitative/quantitative), heatmap analysis and Microsoft Power Business Intelligence. A formative evaluation approach will be used as iterative, real-time data become available to ensure quality as the project comes to fruition. The questions driving the evaluation are mainly formative in nature, as listed below. Qualitative questions that emerge from the project as it unfolds will determine the best approach for analyzing and interpreting qualitative data: Is the project being used and reaching the intended demographics of users? Data will be collected via embedded user/participant demographic data collected via on-line registration. These data include age, grade level, gender, state, county, race (optional) and ethnicity (optional). Are youth learning curriculum content? Quantitative data will be collected via pre-post experience evaluation items embedded within the online curriculum experience to assess participant learning. Items will be presented on an appropriate tool such as a 5-point Likert scale. Are youth progressing along a pathway of learning, advancing through introductory activities to more complex content and learning? Did youth go through all the activities in a module? To what extent did youth complete the curriculum series on career interests and plans? Data will be collected via embedded tracking of youth participation in linked activities/modules, such as additional Likert scale items related to youth interest in the topic and the impact of participating in the curriculum series on career interests and plans, and combined learner outcome data across linked modules (see evaluation question above). Are there critical aspects of PYD present and supported in a virtual learning environment? Data will be collected via embedded assessment of youth experience of PYD program principles as part of the virtual learning experiences. Survey questions will be adapted from already developed and tested PYD measures, in sync with the newly drafted CLOVER by 4-H Activity Vetting Rubric which aligns with the 4-H Thriving Model (see the "Other Products" section for information on this rubric). PYD Developmental Context: Evaluate activities provided by land-grant universities for inclusion of one or more of the following: the activity supports finding a spark; the activity promotes belonging and principles of program quality; the activity supports developmental relationships; and the activity encourages engagement or youth voice. Youth Thriving: Evaluate activities provided by land-grant universities for inclusion of one or more of the following: the activity supports a growth mindset; the activity supports a youth's openness to challenge and discovery; the activity supports hopeful purpose; the activity supports prosocial orientation; the activity supports transcendent awareness; the activity supports positive emotions; and the activity supports goal setting and management. The University of Minnesota will also develop a clear data management plan to ensure that data are available and shared for timely project monitoring and use. Updates on evaluation tasks will be completed monthly. Year 3 will have a cumulative report(s) for the full evaluation period. Professional Development/Training Nov 10, 2022: West Virginia Extension presented a CLOVER by 4-H update with tips for developing Extension content at the WVAE4-HA Virtual Fall Professional Development Day. Audience size: 30s. Nov-Dec 2022: Finalized revised professional development sole source sub-award with University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jan 9-Mar 15, 2023: Performance period. End of Mar 2023: Final deliverables supplied to National 4-H Council; training videos posted to 4-H.org; and "How To" webinar held for 4-H professionals to introduce new "just-in-time" training videos on 4-H.org and showcase new Extension content. With budget modification approved 12/30/2022, one sole source subaward has been made to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) based on demonstrated subject matter expertise in effective hybrid and blended learning strategies, the 4-H Thriving Model of PYD and capacity to produce engaging, short-form video content for Extension audiences. With budget modification approved 12/30/2022, one sole source subaward has been made to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) based on demonstrated subject matter expertise in effective hybrid and blended learning strategies, the 4-H Thriving Model of PYD and capacity to produce engaging, short-form video content for Extension audiences. UNL will be responsible for producing a series of at minimum three short-form videos (10 minutes or less) designed to support just-in-time learning for Extension professionals around the key concepts and promising practices for designing and delivering hybrid learning experiences via CLOVER by 4-H that are aligned with the 4-H Thriving Model of Positive Youth Development. Videos will be made available for viewing on the 4-H Professionals section of 4-H.org. UNL is well positioned to work with National 4-H Council to effectively and efficiently achieve these deliverables. UNL state-level 4-H youth development staff have already conducted a listening session with 4-H educators to better understand the support they need to incorporate 4-H at Home into their program delivery.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
CLOVER by 4-H is a dynamic resource that was designed to evolve to meet the growing need for virtual and non-virtual educational resources that can be rapidly adopted at home by educators and Extension specialists to ensure the effective formal and non-formal education and youth development of K-12 students. The platform was created to level the playing field and address the widening opportunity gap that was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic by providing universal access to supplemental at-home curricula, learning projects and supplies, and a virtual community of peers and positive adult mentors. CLOVER by 4-H meets an immediate demand for virtual and non-digital positive youth development, workforce preparation and life skills programming among K-12 youth, their caregivers and educators, as well as Extension professionals. During the reporting period, the project was able to meet those needs through the following objectives: Objective 1: Creating an immersive, online platform offering instant access to 4-H's research backed, developmentally appropriate, hands-on K-12 learning. 4-H developed and published 13 educational activities and two multi-experience landing pages on CLOVER by 4-H, which were viewed 9,088 times during the grant reporting period. Links to each activity and landing page are provided in the "Other Products" section of this report. This new content reflects the following AFRI priority areas: Plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health, agriculture systems and technology; and bioenergy, natural resources and the environment. As part of this effort, Council also awarded $44,415.63 in subgrants to three land-grant universities to enhance existing, or develop new, high-quality, educational experiences. Subgrants were awarded to: University of Arizona: Designing a Virtual Farming System with XR; Utah State University: When Spheres Collide: Agricultural and the Ecosystem; and University of West Virginia: Bioenergy, Natural Resources and the Environment. Technology vendors were selected to optimize the CLOVER by 4-H online platform for mobile delivery and develop new features and functionality to continue meeting audience needs. An initial discovery phase was started to confirm technical requirements and prioritize desired features and functions with feedback from Council project staff and Extension subject matter experts (including members of the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Task Force): Hi Mum, Said Dad Ltd: This creative technology agency is leading the discovery, design and development of the CLOVER by 4-H platform. HMSD has completed the discovery and design phases of the project. They have completed 50% of the development, content migration and QA phases of the project. eCity Interactive: This agency supports educational content development for CLOVER by 4-H. ECity has worked on all 33 activities published to date. eLearning Company: This agency supports educational content development for CLOVER by 4-H. eLearning Company has produced portions of six activities for CLOVER by 4-H (three published, three in progress). Swapps: This web development agency has supported ADA and 508 compliance for the existing CLOVER by 4-H website. Swapps has completed accessibility analysis and improvement efforts to ensure accessibility standards are met within the existing platform. Qualtrics: Qualtrics is a customer experience management (CXM) platform that provides feedback across multiple channels and improves customer satisfaction and the digital customer journey. Qualtrics has completed one ongoing Stated/Derived Key Drivers survey and analysis for CLOVER by 4-H that measures customer satisfaction by directly asking respondents about how important factors are and measuring the derived importance of which factors matter the most to platform users. Results from the survey and analysis have informed product requirements, features and functionality prioritization for the CLOVER by 4-H platform. Qualtrics will design and field two additional Stated/Derived Key Drivers surveys and analyses after the CLOVER by 4-H platform launches. The surveys will measure the relative impact of product features and platform attributes on critical performance metrics like overall satisfaction, likelihood to use the platform again, likelihood to recommend the platform to others, or some combination of those. In addition to the Stated/Derived Key Drivers surveys and analyses, Qualtrics has been integrated with both the original 4-H at Home and the new CLOVER by 4-H platform to provide customer feedback in real time, allowing for continuous platform upgrades that meet consumer requirements and needs. Objective 2: Create a connection to a nationwide network of peers and caring adult mentors where continued learning is supported. The Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Task Force continued to support National 4-H Council to develop strategies that help foster ownership and the active participation of 4-H professionals and volunteers in promoting and using CLOVER by 4-H locally. In this program year, team members provided input into the platform's new name (CLOVER by 4-H), look and feel; informed the development of both the land-grant university reporting dashboard as well as the vetting rubric and review process for new Extension-submitted content for delivery via CLOVER by 4-H; served as peer reviewers for new content submissions; participated in beta-testing of the platform's new features; and provided input into an initial marketing and promotion plan to help increase awareness and adoption of CLOVER by 4-H among 4-H professionals and volunteers. As a chartered-entity of the 4-H Program Leaders Working Group (4-H PLWG), the Task Force continues to share updates on their work with the 4-H PLWG and had their charter renewed in April, 2022. Objective 3: Availability of unplugged, downloadable, mobile and offline activities to reach vulnerable populations and youth with limited access. All 33 of the educational activities published on CLOVER by 4-H during this award year have PDF versions available to be downloaded for offline use. The six multi-experience landing pages offer merged PDFs that combine the set of available activities into a single PDF available for download. Objective 4: AFRI content available to all youth CLOVER by 4-H content is accessible and available to the general public for free via 4-H.org. All USDA/AFRI funded activities are available for download as PDFs for youth with limited internet access.
Publications
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Progress 11/01/20 to 10/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Our initial work to date has been focused on the first audience identified in the initiation report as youth in grades K through 12 who take part in 1) curated "Learning Experiences" that progress through a pathway toward building workforce-ready skills, and 2) interactive games and augmented reality experiences to increase learning engagement and retention. Targeted outreach is focused on underserved youth, including rural youth and youth of color. The target audiences that include extension professionals and volunteers being provided training, professional development, technical support, and coaching - as well and youth and adult networking and mentorship - have been delayed due to the development cycle of the online platform that requires additional features to support these planned efforts. Changes/Problems:Council encountered three areas of significant challenge during this grant period related to technology, process and staffing. Technology: Due to the complexity of the project, Council needed additional time at the start to allow for further requirements gathering from key stakeholders. This included assessing the resources and capacity of the original website/platform for expansion to encompass the new technology components within the project. Unfortunately, the original 4-H at Home website was not built for a mobile-first audience, which is a critical component of reaching rural audiences who often have smartphones if not reliable broadband service. As website work began, it became clear that the home page of 4-H.org - the starting point to access 4-H at Home - would need to be redesigned to meet ADA accessibility compliance. The new home page wireframe and content also needed to be developed, designed and built with the migration to the new 4-H at Home platform in mind. Identifying the right technology and vendors to optimize for mobile delivery and complete other technical components critical to the project's success took longer than expected, delaying the project timeline and deliverables by over six months. Due to these changes in timing, Council is reevaluating the timeline for offering a nationwide network of adult mentors through the platform. Council will keep NIFA updated and appraised of decisions and adjustments related to this deliverable. Process: Developing, designing and posting research-based learning content within this structure is more time consuming than originally anticipated. Learning content is not lacking - however, taking what is often in-depth, multi-page and multi-chapter curricula and translating that into a more bite-size, grab and go style content that the 4-H at Home audience prefers has elongated the process. There are often multiple rounds of edits back and forth with authors to ensure Council's finished products are completed in a way that does not strip the experiences of positive youth development. In addition, converting PDF and/or copy-heavy materials into more visual and interactive experiences also takes significant time. Staffing: Staff transitions, departures and vacancies in the first five months of the project required Council to realign roles and adjust operations, in addition to hiring new staff with the depth of knowledge and technical capabilities to provide day-to-day leadership and direction for technical provider contracts and federal grant management. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A presentation on the 4-H at Home activities and outcomes thus far was made at the National Leadership Meeting (February 2021) to over 120 State 4-H Program Leaders and State 4-H Foundation Executives. Council staff have also provided periodic updates throughout 2021 on 4-H at Home's progress to both the ECOP National 4-H Leadership Committee as well as the 4-H Program Leaders Working Group. Members of the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Design Team were also briefed on and provided initial feedback to inform the platform's vision and plans for continued development as part of their onboarding in May and June 2021. Council has undertaken unpaid promotion of 4-H at Home access and available activities via Council's digital channels, including 4-H.org, email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?November 2021: A presentation for attendees at the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals conference will be madeon4-H at Home advances since the site was originallylaunched near the start of COVID-19. As of November 2021, several technology vendors have been secured and work is underway to optimize the 4-H at Home platform for mobile delivery as well as to build, test and deliver new features and functions in response to user needs and feedback. This includes: November 2021 - Deploy a new, more accessible (ADA compliant) homepage design on 4-H.org. November 2021 - February 2022: Complete initial discovery phase conducted by the vendor to confirm technical requirements and prioritize desired features and functions with feedback from Council project staff and Extension subject matter experts (including members of the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Design Team). December 2021 - April 2022: The development, testing and rapid prototyping of a new, 4-H at Home site design incorporating priority features and functions with Extension professionals as well as youth and caregivers (both current 4-H'ers and their families as identified by the Extraordinary Opportunities Learn Design Team as well as youth and caregivers not affiliated with 4-H as identified by the vendor) April - July 2022: Build out and testing of the new 4-H at Home platform design and integrated learning management system (LMS); work will be iterative in nature, with new features and functions continuously developed, tested and deployed throughout the four-month build out window. Work is expected to be complete with the new 4-H at Home platform and LMS fully launched in mid-July, 2022. November 2021 - October 2022: A third and possible fourth wave of up to a total of $60,000 in subgrant funding will be made available to Land-Grant Institutions to enhance existing or development new, interactive, multi-activity experiences for delivery on the newly designed 4-H at Home platform. Awardees will be selected in November 2021 with final, completed activities due to Council no later than the end of April, 2022.Priority will be given to those experiences that address one or more of the following AFRI priority areas: Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment Agriculture systems and technology Agriculture economics and rural communities. March - July 2022: Request for Proposal released and lead Land-Grant institution selected to deliver train the trainer virtual professional development series for 4-H educators and volunteers via the new 4-H at Home platform. July 2022 - October 2022: Delivery of bi-monthly, virtual trainings for 4-H educators and volunteers intended to strengthen their abilities to deliver engaging, high quality hybrid learning as well as best/promising practices for innovative offline delivery and community partnership building to support expanded reach (ex: via K-12 school systems). Evaluation: February - October 2022 Develop and release RFP for project evaluation services (February -March 2022) Vendor selection and onboarding (April 2022) Development of user demographic metrics to be gathered (April 2022) Development of embedded curriculum learning evaluation questions (with each wave) Development of pipeline evaluation questionnaire (June 2022) Development of PYD experience questionnaire (June 2022) Development of data management plan (June 2022) Continuous formative feedback reports (bi-monthly) Questionnaires deployed for use online (October 2022) Summary formative report at year end.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
4-H at Home is a dynamic resource designed to evolve and meet the growing needs for virtual and non-virtual educational resources that can be rapidly adopted at home by educators and Extension specialists to ensure the effective formal and nonformal education and youth development of K-12 students. It is intended to level the playing field and address the widening opportunity gap as a result of the pandemic by providing universal access to supplemental, at-home curriculum, learning projects and supplies, and a virtual community of peers and positive adult mentors. 4-H at Home meets an immediate demand for virtual and non-digital positive youth development, workforce preparation and life skills programming among K-12 youth, their caregivers, as well as those educators and Extension professionals. During the reporting period, the project was able to meet those needs through: Objective 1: Creating an immersive, online platform offering instant access to 4-H's research backed, developmentally appropriate, hands-on K-12 learning. 4-H developed and published 20 educational activities and 4 multi-experience landing pages on 4-H at Home, which have been viewed 1,101 times during the grant reporting period. Links to each activity and landing page are provided in the "Other Products" section of this report. This new content reflects the following AFRI priority areas: Plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health, agriculture systems and technology, and bioenergy, natural resources and environment. As part of this effort, Council also awarded $105,000 in subgrants to seven land-grant universities to enhance existing or develop new high-quality, educational experiences. Subgrants were awarded to: University of Alaska Fairbanks: Growing and Making Your Own Food; Colorado State University: The Nurturing Power of Nature; Tennessee State University: Beef Cattle Nutrition; Prairie View A&M: Gardening at Home; Cornell University: Food Systems for Thought and Change; University of Georgia: Power of Plants; Iowa State University: Native Bees Selected technology vendors that will optimize the 4-H at Home online platform for mobile delivery and develop new features and functionality to continue meeting audience needs. An initial discovery phase was started to confirm technical requirements and prioritize desired features and functions with feedback from Council project staff and Extension subject matter experts (including members of the Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Design Team). Objective 2: Create a connection to a nationwide network of peers and caring adult mentors where continued learning is supported. The Extraordinary Opportunities to Learn Design Team has supported National 4-H Council in developing strategies to help foster ownership and the active participation of 4-H professionals and volunteers in promoting and using 4-H at Home locally. Team members were identified in February 2021 and commenced work in May with two primary areas of focus: ensuring the learning pathways offered via 4-H at Home reflect high quality 4-H positive youth development principles and building local program integration. The team is comprised of 4-H Program Leaders, young alumni and high-school aged 4-H youth from across the country. Objective 3: Availability of unplugged, downloadable, mobile and offline activities to reach vulnerable populations and youth with limited access. All twenty of the educational Activities published on 4-H at Home during this grant period have PDF versions available to be downloaded for offline use. The four, multi-experience landing pages offer merged PDFs that combine the set of available activities into a single PDF available for download. Objective 4: AFRI content available to all youth. 4-H at Home content is accessible and available to the general public for free via 4-H.org. All USDA/AFRI funded activities are available for download as PDFs for youth with limited internet access.
Publications
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