CDKC EXTENSION SERVICE CAPACITY GRANT

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1029458
• Grant No.: 2022-47003-38386
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $792,000.00
• Proposal No.: 2022-06661
• Project Start Date: Sep 15, 2022
• Project End Date: Sep 14, 2025
• Grant Year: 2024
• Program Code: [NK]- Extension Tribal College Program

Recipient Organization
CHIEF DULL KNIFE COLLEGE
1 COLLEGE DRIVE, P.O. BOX 98
LAME DEER,MT 59043

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
For the past 24 years, CDKC Extension staff have worked extensively with the Northern Cheyenne community and its stakeholders to envision and implement strategies to strengthen the social and economic base of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. This goal is part of CDKC's Strategic Initiative which has an objective to "Provide a wide range of lifelong learning opportunities by increasing extension program offerings, community survey identifying program needs, increased cultural awareness and traditional indigenous knowledge environmental education" (CDKC Strategic Plan, July 2019-2023 report).Over the next four years, Chief Dull Knife College is proposing to (a) improve the socioeconomic conditions of Northern Cheyenne by conducting programs and activities that deliver science based knowledge and informal educational programs to youth, individuals and families, (b) build community science based capability in people to engage audiences and enable informed decision making, (c) develop programs that protect or enhance the communities food supply, agricultural productivity, community vitality and public health and well-being and (d) support informal education to increase traditional ecological knowledge in gardens, traditional foods and agricultural literacy of youth and adults, and (e) ultimately improving the quality of life for community members.CDKC Extension Program will provide non formal educational programs that target both youth and adult populations. Program delivery will be community based and will use communication methods from face-to-face, electronic or a combination of both. Extension projects will also include in-service training, client recruitment and services, curriculum development, materials and equipment that innovative instructional approaches to informal education programs.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
001	0001	3020	100%

Knowledge Area
001 - Administration;

Subject Of Investigation
0001 - Administration;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

tcep capacity provides informal

community-focused education and outreach

Goals / Objectives
CDKC's Extension Service goal/mission is to collaboration with its stakeholders, CDKC administration and community partners to meet the demands for non-formal educational programs, resources and community-focused education and outreach to: (a) improve the socio-economic conditions of Northern Cheyenne by conducting programs and activities that deliver science based knowledge and informal educational programs to youth, individuals and families, enabling them to make practical decisions, (b) build community science based capability in people to engage audiences and enable informed decision making, (c) develop programs that increase public knowledge and citizen engagement leading to program development and actions that protect or enhance the communities food supply, agriculturalproductivity, environmental quality, community vitality and public health and well-being and (d) support informal education to increase traditional ecological knowledge in gardens, traditional foods and agricultural literacy of youth and adults, and (e) ultimately improving the quality of life for community members.Objective 1) Increase skill set and non-formal educational opportunities to meet the demands for Northern Cheyenne community members to make practical decisions that will stimulate the economy and address Northern Cheyenne's economic and community needs. In year one CDKC staff, Extension personnel, community stakeholders in partnership with People's Parnters for Community Development, a local grassroots not for profit organization will provide science-based curriculum on how to develop and design a comprehensive community/organizational needs assessment. CDKC Extension staff and stakeholders will develop a needs assessment tool that will increase competence and sound delivery of an effective Extension Plan. Each year thereafter, the yearly survey will be implemented at the free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance at the three reservation sites.The (3) tax sites will also continue to expand to include the needs assessment suveys as well additional asset building serves available through partnerships.Objective 2) Increase accessibility to traditional ecological knowledge and cultural resources and educational training that strengthen families, builds resiliency, and helps individuals and families make healthy choices, build healthy relationships and address mental health. CDKC Extension staff will coordinate community partnerships to develop a four-year plan to provide a series of workshops and training for community members that target community wide education that promotes healthy communities and lifestyles. The educational series will provide hand-on practical modules developed by staff and partners with concentration on information pertinent to traditional teaching for individuals and families including mental health, exercise, quality/healthy foods and nutrition. Staff will work closely with cultural specialists, Montana State University Extension Service specialists in Health/Wellness and Family/Human Development, CDKC library and Cultural department in the development of the four-year plan.Staff and community partners will develop a individual/family gardening project each grant year for community members so that they have access to healthy foods.Objective 3) Increase Food Sovereignty by creating and developing a Learning Garden, a non-traditional teaching community garden.In an effort to expand the community gardening concept, The Learning Garden will be developed in partnership with local organizations and programs as an opportunity to educate more people in the community, by trying a different "community garden" model. In year one, staff, interns and partners will develop the model garden (s) that will be created on campus. The garden will have walking paths that will allow a sensory experience for visitors while educating them about the variety of perennial edibles that grow in this climate. The public food forest model will be based on an open harvest policy, where any visitor is invited to sample what is in season. Each year, staff and partners will develop additional programming that will include local school classrooms access to the Learning garden and an opportunity to sample harvest and learn how to prepare food items from the gardens on campus. Staff will also develop a Cheyenne story book that will be used as an educational tool and guide for students visiting the gardens. The book will showcase local foods grown in the garden, traditional plants identification/usage in English and Cheyenne languages along Cheyenne traditional lifestyles. The completion of the story book will be its ability to engage youth and to serve as a template that could be replicated in other tribal indigenous communities and tribal colleges.Objective 4) Increase community youth's (ages 8 to 17) knowledge of being healthy; body, mind and spirit through participating in KID KOLLEGE's culturally-community based "E'no'eeh" Healing Garden's Project and activities which will build resiliency and address risk factors for the Northern Cheyenne youth.KID KOLLGE, a successful CDKCExtension Service youth programming has been active on the Northern Cheyenne reservation for 17 years. Each year, staff, administration (strategic plan), stakeholders and partners design the program and learning activities based on programmatic objectives that enhance the understanding of cultural heritage and agricultural traditions of the Cheyenne people. KID KOLLEGE educational programming that has been developed and implemented with success are financial education, entrepreneurship, nutritional, traditional foods/plants, raised beds, leadership development and suicide prevention. Culture and Cheyenne traditions as well as healthy lifestyle education are entwined into all the youth programs. This also prepares KID KOLLEGE youth become college students. With direct input from Montana State University's specialists, Northern Cheyenne Cultural and Mental Health specialists and in partnership with CDKC's John Woodenlegs Library, the "E'no'eeh" (which means to allow someone to heal from within) Healing Garden's Project will continue in June annually and continue into the fall. Staff will work with stakeholders and the Northern Cheyenne Headstart Program to develop a Food Security program for Headstart youth and families who are impacted by food insecurity. Living a healthy lifestyle is not just exercise and eating healthy foods; it encompasses a holistic approach that includes culture, mental health, spirituality, physical, nutrition and community. This program strives to combat these issues by emphasizing resiliency factors such as good support system, cultural identity and genealogy while instilling a sense of hope, faith, charity and self-confidence for the youth. Healing of the body, mind and spirit is crucial in program development for native people.Objective 5) Increase accessibility to shared Extension resources, access to Extension staff and specialists and support through the use of technical assistance and educational resource materials.Extension staff will be available to assist individuals, community organizations, institutions and groups seeking support that fall under the NIFA Extension Service areas. Staff will also link the community to specific specialists for assistance that requires specific expertise. Staff will make available literature, curriculum and consumer education guides (Montguides provided by MSU) to those who are working toward boosting financial literacy, strengthening family and personal well-being, financial management/crisis, homeownership, decision making and goal setting, Montana reservation estate planning and sustainable health and wealth in rural/tribal communities.

Project Methods
Past experience, evaluations of former programs, community feedback and contracted assessments performed by Chief Dull Knife College's strategic plan, People's Partners for Community Development, Montana State University specialists and local stakeholders havoe provided invaluable insight for planning and implementation of the methods used to develop program goals and objectives.Extension Services is able to promote aweness, engage problem solving and decision making measures through practical application to improve and extend quality of life for community members. The evaluation process, takes into consideration the remoteness and limited resources available with the Northern Cheyenne community and respective number of people in need. With that in mind, the outcome based methods for evaluation are directly tied to the proposed project objectives in determining success or failure or addressing areas of the program that require modification.When ever possible the methods wil produce quantifiable and/or qualifiable data. For eample, particiapation (hard data) numbers can be tracked based on enrollment and completion of a workshop, however, qualifying human behaviore changes may be harder to predict in the short and mid-term outcomes. As a result, program-specific evaluation tools will be administired by Extension staff/trainers such as interviews; talking circles; pre-, during- and post-surveys; number of enrollment vs number of completed sessions; number of individuals who enroll for post-secondary education; number of individuals who seek employment and number who remain employed. Participants will measure nitial knowledge and knowledge gained, usefulness of material presented, need for additonal training/resources, program pitfalls and how their new skills can be applied. Personal success stories will be included with hard data to deomostrate the larger, more human, impacts.

Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached in this grant was the Northern Cheyenne reservation residents and surrounding communities' residents. Youth and family were targeted to provide non-formal educational programs, activities and services that increased their skills, knowledge and awareness that positively impacted their social and economic conditions through changed behavior and practices. This reporting year we also reached out to our Crow tribal neighbors and provided tax services to those individuals and families. Changes/Problems:CDKC Extension Service has had same issues during this reporting period as in previous years. Hiring qualified staff has been an issue because of lack of interest, no one applies because we are rural, no local housing available and the college's payscale. If we can find a qualified person, they don't stay because they can go to work for the Tribe or another hiring agency that pays more than the college. We were able to provide services through all the grant's objectives with only 2.5 staff even though it is challenging provide a strong program in each of the grants we managed simultaneous during this grant period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension staff had opportunities for training and professional development. All staff increased their knowledge of Cheyenne history and Culture! They were motivated to research and help the youth learn during KIDS KOLLEGE and during the visits to sites we wanted to take youth to. Two staff attended the professional TCU organization, FALCON conference in October 2023. One staff attended the Intertribal Ag Council conference in December 2023. Three staff and four volunteers attended the Volunteer Income Tax training and certification training in January 2024. Two staff attended the VITACON, national meeting for all free tax prepartion sites, meeting in September 2023. One staff also attended Data Management training and two staff attended the NIFA USDA Grants management training. The Director is on the Board of Directors for NACDEP and attended that conference this year. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Extension staff utilize technology and disseminated information for education and activities via social media. Staff also use flyers, newspapers and word of mouth to disseminate to the communities of interest. Staff also meets with stakeholders and partners on a regular basis for information gathering and to help reach more individuals and families. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?.Extension staff will continue to meet with stakeholders and partners to continue to develop and examine current strategies to best implement the Extension plan of activities, services and nonformal education for the community members and students. Staff will continue to meet with the NIFA Program Leader and Award Management for continued guidance and approval.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Chief Dull Knife College's Extension program impacted the target population, youth and adults by increasing knowledge, skill level, motivation and attitudes. Staff collaborated with stakeholders, CDKC Administration and community partners to meet the demands for non-formal education, resources, and community focused education. The objectives were written to include Cheyenne traditional ecological knowledge that builds resiliency and helps youth, individuals and famiies make healthy choices ultimately improving their quality of life. Objective 1: This reporting period, year 2, CDKC Extension continuedthe process to develop a comprehensive Northern Cheyenne community needs assessment to better serve our target audience. Extension staff in partnership with Iowa State University, hosted a workshop to teach program directors, students, community members the basic steps of a needs assessment and assisted attendee develop their specific needs accessment. CDKC Extension is still in the development stage of theirassessment tool that will the reservation economic conditions, identify education/skill needs and include current reservation demographics. The enhanced assessment tool will be implemented at the free volunteer income tax service program that is provided during year three tax season (24/25). This reporting period, free tax preparation was provided by staff (3) and volunteers (3) that were trained and IRS certified. Services were provided at three tax sites; one in Lame Deer, the hub of the Northern Cheyenne reservation, one in Ashland (23 miles east of Lame Deer) and a travel site at Crow Agency on the Crow reservation. . Staff and volunteers processed 455 tax returns to low and moderate residents and $1,227,154.00 in federal refunds came back to the communitties first with a portion of those dollars spent in the local economy before going to the outlining communities. The federal total included the Earned Income Credit of $401,629 and the Child Tax Credit of $504.630. Objective 2: Year 2, Extension staff continued to work with local partners (CDKC Cultural program, library, board of health and NC recovery center a series of workshops and trainings for community members promoting healthy communities and lifestyles. InSeptember 2023, staffprovided a community Farmer's Market for local vendors and staff provided learning activities for youth, and adults (40) in taste testing, cooking demonstrations on how to cook healthy garden food fresh fromthe Extension gardens. During Native American Week, Extension staff participated in the week long activities providing students and community (67) access to healthy food recipes,how to make traditional energy bars, granola snacks and how to dry wild game using traditional native knowlege on preserving for the winter months. Staff also hosted in September a Elder Appreciation Day where staff distributed fresh vegetables from the gardens to twentyelders. In October of 2023, staff welcomed the community to our grand opening of CDKC's Good Medicine Garden. They were able to walk on the walking path and learn from staff all what will be in this garden and availablefor the Northern Cheyenne and all community members. Partners assisted and donated all the food and activities hosted at this fall festival. In November, 2023, Extension staff in partnership with the Cultural department hosted a series of activities to increase the community members knowlege of the Cheyenne culture and traditions. 23 mothers and 23 daughters participated the Traditional Doll Making workshop and learned about tradtional teachings for mothers and daughters. Dry meat cutting class and berry preserving classes were also available to community members, 13 members participated in the dry meat cutting and 16 participated in the berry preserving class. Year two, 42 young adults increased their knowledge in personal financial management. Staff in partnership with First Nation's Development Institute, provided three financial workshop sessions, one for (10) college students and one session for middle school students (6) and one for (26) high school students focusing on wants vs needs, saving, investing, budgeting and becoming a savvy consumer in March 2024. Objective 3: Extension staff developed plans for the learning garden with the help of cultural specialists. Staff cultivated the "Good Medicine Garden" and designed a draft teaching garden. The initial design includes Native plants, variety of native fruit bearing shrubs, native flowers, an orchard with fruit bearing trees, shade trees, an outdoor classroom, picnic area and a walking path. In year two, the garden area was cleaned up and each section was marked and prepared for planting. Gardens were started and will be harvested in the fall of 2024. Objective 4: In June 2023, CDKC Extension Services hosted the yearly KIDS KOLLEGE. 20 youth ages 8-13 increased their knowledge, skill and Cheyenne Culture awareness by participating in the weekly cultural learning activities. Activities are taught by cultural specialists in eachsessions. At this reporting time, only two weeks of KIDS KOLLEGE had been completed. Those 20 youth, increased their knowlege of how the Cheyennnes became know to the country as the "Fighting Cheyennes". Each day students learned about the Cheyenne Societies. created their own personal story in Ledger Art form and learned traditional games. Cheyenne history and stories were shared during field trips to two local battlefields, Rosebud Battle and Battle of the Little Big Horn, about the bravery, obstacles and perservience of the Cheyene people. All participants were actively involved and were eager to learn and participate in all the hands on learning.

Publications

Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached in this grant year was the Northern Cheyenne reservation residents and surrounding commuities residents. Youth and family were targeted to provide non-formal educational programs, activities and services that increase their skills, knowledge and awareness that positively impacted their social and economic conditions through changed behaviors and practices Changes/Problems:CDKC Extension Service has had several issues during this reporting period. Hiring qualified staff has been an issue because of lack of interest, no one applies because we are rural, no local housing availableand the college's payscale. If we can find a qualifiedperson, they don't stay because they can go to work for the Tribe or another hiring agency that pays more than the college. We were able to provide services through all the grant's objectives with only 2.5 staff but it was difficult to provide a strong program in each of thethree grantswe managed simultaneous during this grant period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension staff had opportunities for training and professional development. All staff increased their knowledge of Cheyenne history and Culture! They were motivated to research and help the youth learn. Staff also were trained in first aid and certified. They also increased their knowledge in Active Shooter training: how to respond and get to safety. 0ne staff attended the professional CU organization, FALCON conference in October 2022. One staff attended the Intertribal Ag Council conference in December 2022. Four staff attended the Volunteer Income Tax training and certification training in January 2023 Two staff attended the VITACON, national meeting for all free tax prepartion sites, meeting in September 2023. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Extension staff utilize technology and disseminated information for education and activities via social media. Staff also use flyers, newspapers and word of mouth to disseminate to the communities of interest. Staff also meets with stakeholders and partners on a regular basis for information gathering and to help reach more individuals and families. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Extension staff will continue to meet with stakeholders and partners to continue to develop and examine current strategies to best implement the Extension plan of activities, services and non formal education for the community members and students. Staff will continue to meet with the NIFA Program Leader and Award Management for continued guidance and approval.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Chief Dull Knife College's Extension program impacted the target population, youth and adults by increasing knowledge, skill level, motivation and attitudes. Staffcollaborated with stakeholders, CDKC Administration and community partners to meet the demands for non-formal education, resources, and community focused education. The objectives were written to include Cheyenne traditional ecological knowledge that builds resiliency and helpful youth, individuals and families make healthy choices ultimately improving their quality of life. Objective 1: This reporting period, CDKC Extension started the process to develop a comprehensive Northern Cheyenne community needs assessment to better serve our target audience. It had been ten years since the Extension program developed and implemented a needs assessment. This assessment tool will re-assess the reservation economic conditions, identify education/skill needs and include current reservation demographics. It will be implemented at the free volunteer income tax service program that is provided duringyear two tax season (23/24). This reporting period, free tax preparation was provided by staff (2) and volunteers (3) that were trained and IRS certified. Services were provided at two tax sites in Lame Deer, the hub of the Northern Cheyenne reservation. Staff and volunteers processed 480 tax returns to low and moderate residentsand $1,192,542.00 in federal refunds came back to the community first with a portion of those dollars spent in the local economy before going to the outlining communities. Objective 2: This reporting period, Extension staff are developing with local partners (CDKC Cultural program, library, board of health and NC recovery center a series of workshops and trainings for community members promoting healthy communities and lifestyles. This reporting year in September 2023, 10 young adults increased their knowledge in personal financial management. Staff provided a three hour sessions for college students focusing on wants vs needs, saving, investing, budgeting and becoming a savvy consumer. Also in September 2023, provided learning activities geared towards culture, healthy eating and alternative medicines made from honey to heal the body. 33 participates participated and increased their knowledge of historic Cheyenne battles that play a major role in Cheyenne's reservation location. These same participants participated and increased their learning, and were motivated to participate on awellness one mile walk in honor of those that died in that battle. They also increased their knowledge of food security, healthy eating and nutritional value of garden produce and honey from CDKC research department. Objective 3: Extension staff developed plans for the learning garden with the help of cultural specialists. Staff cultivated the "Good Medicine Garden"and designed a draft teaching garden. The initial design includes Native plants, variety of native fruit bearing shrubs, native flowers, an orchard with fruit bearing trees, shade trees, an outdoor classroom, picnic area and a walking path Objective 4: In June 2023, CDKC Extension Services hosted the yearly KIDS KOLLEGE. 20 youth ages 8-13 increased their knowledge, skill and Cheyenne Culture awareness by participating in the weekly cultural learning activities. Activities were taught by cultural specialists in three weekly sessions. Students learned and develop their skill in making traditionalCheyenne regalia and learned what each piece represented and what was neededorgathered to make Cheyenneregalia. Students alsodeveloped cultural dream board on their personal choices of regalia and what they would like to have that represent who they are as Cheyenne youth.Cheyenne history and stories were shared during each of the three sessions. Cultural specialists were utilized to teach participants how to make regalia and the shared historic information that educated participants on design and purpose of some of the regalia. All participants were actively involved and were eager to learn and participate in all the hands on learning.

Publications