Source: PURDUE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
CYFAR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PROJECT - JUNTOS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
3D GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1030995
Grant No.
2023-41520-40376
Cumulative Award Amt.
$233,500.00
Proposal No.
2023-03730
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Aug 1, 2023
Project End Date
Jul 31, 2025
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[MC]- Youth at Risk
Recipient Organization
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
WEST LAFAYETTE,IN 47907
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
We are implementing Juntos 4-H in Indiana. The Juntos Program is an intensive long-term program made up of four componemts:1. Juntos Family Engagement via a 5 or 6 week workshop series and other family nights and family events.2. Regular Juntos 4-H Club meetings with a focus on tutoring, life skills, and community service.3. Monthly One-on-One Success Coaching and/or Mentoring by an adult who monitors their academics and coaches them to achieve their academic goals.4. Juntos summer programming that includes the Juntos Summer Academy and other local 4-H summer programs and events.According to The Pew Research Center, the "U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.1 million in 2020, an increase of 23% over the previous decade that outpaced the nation's 7% overall population growth" (Passel, Lopez, & Cohn, 2022). (Please note that throughout this proposal, the authors use the terms Hispanic and Latino interchangeably. The authors recognize the differences and the challenges of variation in research and government documents. When working with clientele, we are cautious to use their preferred terminology). Thirty-seven percent of Latinos in Indiana 25 years and older have not completed high school or an equivalent level of education (three times higher than non-Hispanic whites).Fewer than 15% of Latino adults in Indiana have a college or a professional degree (Thelin & Sapp, 2016). The Indiana State Board of Education and Indiana Commission for Higher Education have priorities established to address the achievement gaps that occur among Hoosier youth. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an achievement gap is "when one group of students outperforms another group and the difference in average scores for the two groups is statistically significant" (Hemphill, Venneman & Rahman, 2011). While achievement gaps are commonly associated with racial disparities, they can also affect groups such as low-income students and English language learners. Achievement gaps are often seen not only on test scores, but in many aspects of the education system, such as gaps in access to high quality facilities, teachers, resources, and opportunities. Although gaps between racial and ethnic groups have decreased over the last decade, Hispanic youth are still more likely to have dropped out of high school than children of other major races/ethnicities (Heckman & LaFontaine, 2010). In 2015, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (designed to address educational disparities faced by the Hispanic community in the United States) selected Juntos as one of the signature programs models helping to close the achievement gap. North Carolina State University developed the Juntos Program 15 years ago and has worked with states around the nation to train and support their own Juntos Program implementation. Juntos is currently in 16 states across the US. We are very pleased that North Carolina State Juntos faculty and staff have agreed to support our expansion of Juntos in Indiana.We will focus on helping young Latino teens understand the importance of sense of belonging in school and community organizations (Juntos 4-H Club) in addition to the importance of school attendance and grades. We will also create opportunities for increased knowledge, attitudes, life skills and aspirations toward academic success ultimately leading to increased self-advocacy. As we work with parents, we desire to assist with developing their knowledge of the importance of monitoring teens' academic progress and the importance of parental advocacy, ultimately helping them to recognize the skills teens need to successfully transition to high school.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
8066010302090%
8026020302010%
Knowledge Area
806 - Youth Development; 802 - Human Development and Family Well-Being;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals; 6020 - The family and its members;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Desired short and long-term results are based on North Carolina State's prior successes with Juntos program implementation in multiple states. We will focus on helping young Latino teens understand the importance of sense of belonging in school and community organizations (Juntos 4-H Club) in addition to the importance of school attendance and grades. We will also create opportunities for increased knowledge, attitudes, life skills and aspirations toward academic success ultimately leading to increased self-advocacy. As we work with parents, we desire to assist with developing their knowledge of the importance of monitoring teens' academic progress and the importance of parental advocacy, ultimately helping them to recognize the skills teens need to successfully transition to high school. We desire to increase effective transitions and engagement of middle school aged Latino teens and Latino parents' involvement in schools, ultimately resulting in teens' academic success and a reduction in Latino teen high school dropout rates in JUNTOS-affiliated schools. Concurrently, this project will examine the attitudes of institutionalization of Juntos 4-H into Purdue Extension.
Project Methods
Juntos will be implemented in Indiana with Casey Mull serving as the PI/Project Director for the project with fiscal and administrative responsibility in addition to assisting with evaluation and reporting. Dr. Mull has extensive experience with the 4-H Youth Development Program and has established a priority of inclusion and acceptance of new audiences of youth in various 4-H efforts. Juntos 4-H implementation builds on prior successful efforts with programming to attract Latino youth while meeting the needs of Latino teens and their families. Dr. Mull has been a part of three previous CYFAR SCP grants. Dr. Ruiz will serve as a Co-PI and evaluator for the project. Dr. Ruiz has developed a body of research with multi-ethnic teens and has prior experience as the evaluator for previous CYFAR SCP awards. She is familiar with and committed to the importance of evaluation of specific program delivery models. Heather VonDielingen will serve as a Co-PI for the project implementation and as the Technology Specialist. Heather currently serves as the Statewide Juntos 4-H Coordinator and 4-H Youth Educator and County Extension Director in Jackson County. She has extensive knowledge of the Purdue Extension system and has demonstrated success in leading Juntos 4-H efforts in Indiana 4-H. She will guide local extension staff and community partners in St. Joseph, Clinton, and Tipton Counties with partner and local resource development. She will also assist with technical assistance and required reporting. In addition, VonDielingen will identify additional Juntos 4-H sites across Indiana, identifying sites to self-fund Juntos 4-H work to grow sustainability for the program statewide. Purdue Extension staff in the selected communities will provide the day-to-day general oversite of Juntos. Brittni Gendron, Caren Crum, and Brian Howell are 4-H Extension Educators in St. Joseph, Clinton, and Tipton counties, respectively. They will be responsible for identifying and supervising the local Success Coaches and Program Assistant for the Juntos 4-H Club. Success Coaches, local program assistants, and Purdue Extension staff in each county as well as school liaisons and community partners will assist with organizational support for the Juntos 4-H Club as they work collaboratively to assist youth in developing life skills. These individuals will also support the program components for parents and families.Physical and Psychological Safety: Success Coaches and Program Assistants will be hired and will be representative of the demographic makeup of the community. This will provide a stronger connection between parents and Juntos participants thus contributing to psychological safety. All employees and volunteers of Purdue University are required to complete Youth Protection Training before they may conduct programming with youth. Additionally, Purdue Extension guidelines regarding screening and background checks of volunteers will be utilized.Appropriate Structure: Each of the selected site locations has in place clear and consistent structure and appropriate adult supervision. Extension staff will work with the Success Coaches and Program Assistants who will guide 4-H Clubs. They will also provide an orientation to the behavioral guidelines and conflict resolution strategies to be utilized with the students, school and community volunteers. Teens input will be received to assist with program development.Supportive Relationships: Extension staff, Program Assistants, and other volunteers will utilize experiential learning to enhance creativity and teamwork among students. The recruitment of volunteers who have a passion for working with a vulnerable youth population is critical to establishing close staff/participant relationships, ultimately leading to the success of the project.Opportunities to Belong: The after school 4-H clubs that will be formed will focus on tutoring, community service, and life skills activities. Monthly family engagement workshops and other activities for parents will help to connect families to youth. The summer 4-H Academy, Purdue Agribusiness Science Academy, and other opportunities such as field trips and participation in state and national 4-H activities, further enhances teen experiences and sense of belonging. The culturally sensitive nature of the Juntos program contributes to the teens and families' sense of belonging.Positive Social Norms: The 4-H Program, which also encourages contribution to community, will enhance teens' understanding of positive and supportive environments. Teens will gain a better understanding of existing societal norms present in the workforce. We will embrace cultural diversity with activities, guest speakers, and field trips.Support for Efficacy and Mattering: The faculty and staff who will support Indiana Juntos are committed to the engagement of youth within their larger, geographic community. The involvement of school and community volunteers in this project not only builds towards sustainability but will also help engage and connect youth. The project is deliberate and intentional in connecting teens to supportive adults and communities. Additionally, staff involved in this effort view the teens as an asset and resource who will be encouraged to demonstrate their new skills and knowledge to others. Opportunities will be given to youth at the local, state, and national level to increase their self-efficacy and public speaking skills.Opportunities for Skill Building: The inclusion of 4-H club experiences offers teens the opportunity to not only belong to a cultural group they lead, but also provides time focused on building skills in public speaking, writing, teamwork, and service learning. This builds teens' confidence, ultimately leading to shared decision making, improved communication with peers and parents, as well as increased self-efficacy and future aspirations for post-secondary education options and potential careers.

Progress 08/01/24 to 07/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Year two was focused on making community connections and training staff in Clinton, St. Joseph, and Tipton counties on Juntos 4-H. Counties have been actively recruiting community members to serve on their sustainablity committees, in order to assist with project implementation and recruitment of families for the program. Middle school youth and their families participated in Family Nights and 4-H Club Meetings in Clinton County. Middle school youth in St. Joseph County particpated in Family Nights. Tipton County worked on creating relationships in the community during year two. Changes/Problems: St. Joseph: There have been significant changes to the project in 2024 with staff turnover. Brittni Gendron (St. Joseph County) left Purdue University in September 2024. Emma Rauch provided support for the St. Joseph County program in 2024/2025. Ms. Rauch left Purdue University on May 30th and there is currently an educator vacancy in St. Joseph County. Clinton: Caren Crum moved from 4-H Youth Development to Health and Human Sciences in 2024 in Clinton County. Hannah Daniels will be overseeing the Clinton County site moving forward. Spencer County: Jennifer Mayo in Spencer County will be working on the project moving forward for years 3-5 and is ready to implement the program fully in fall 2025. We will be capitalizing off the success of Spencer County's Summer Community Adventures Program. The program was established 15 years ago by local community members from Santa Claus, IN who saw the need for a summer program. Purdue Extension Spencer County became involved in 2015 and took over the program in 2022. Summer Community Adventures serves 55 youth each summer currently in grades Kindergarten through 6th grade that attend David Turnham Education Center. Currently through Summer Community Adventures youth attend the program on Thursdays through the summer for four hours daily. Youth are referred through the school social worker to participate in the program and participate in eight weeks of activities that focus on building healthy lifestyles. Guest speakers such as the YMCA, local artists, and local law enforcement assist with presentations during the 8-week sessions to provide educational programming for youth. These youth have participated in the Summer Community Adventures Program and continue to be invited back each summer to mentor younger program participants. With youth in this established program leaving 6th grade, there is a need to engage them in high-quality 4-H Programs in middle and high school. The Juntos program has been approved by the North Spencer School Corporation Superintendent to begin in the 2025-2026 school year. Individual meetings have taken place with the middle school and high school principals who have time allotted for Spencer County Juntos to recruit and meet with students during club times that happen weekly during the school day. Additionally, they have agreed to incorporate and support other activities through the year that can help and support the Juntos program and families enrolled in the program. Tipton: Due to staff turnover, lack of timely educator support for implementation, and community challenges, Tipton County will no longer be working on this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In September 2024, staff were trained on research, evaluation, and reporting. In partnership with the ELRC, we have developed a strong reporting tool to be able to track program participation, program dosage, 4-H values, and academic topics addressed at each event. In addition, we have provided a space for coordinators to communicate any challenges or feedback. A weekly report is sent to regional educator Heather VonDielingen, and we have been able to address challenges in a timely manner. We are ramping up our evaluation protocol and program dosage measuring tool to enhance the rigor of our findings and data collection.A Statewide Juntos 4-H Retreat was held in Lafayette on December 6th and 7th, with 4-H Educators and community partners from all over Indiana attending. We focused on the following professional development to build capacity:grant writing, funding opportunities, 4-H club leader guide training, college and career readiness programming, STEM education opportunities.The Indiana Juntos 4-H team meets monthly to network and learn from guest presenters. In addition, one-on-one training and coaching is provided to educators, program assistants, and success coaches as needed. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Juntos 4-H has been presented in varios venues throughout 2024/2025 including: Indiana State Fair, Indiana State 4-H Staff Youth Retreat, Purdue CARET Conference, the Annual Purdue Extension Professional Development Conference, and the 2025 CYFAR Professional Development Event. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to recruit additional families in Clinton andSt. Joseph Counties to participate in the Juntos 4-H Program. We plan to focus on starting the program in Spencer County, a county ready for implementation in fall of 2025. We had challenges with implementation in Tipton County, so it is necessary to switch one of our community sites in Year 3. In addition, we plan to build additional relationships and partnerships to institutionalize Juntos 4-H within Purdue Extension and the larger University setting. We are pleased to say Farm Credit Mid-America has committedan annual gift of $20,000 for the next four years to support Juntos 4-H in Indiana. We will continue to strengthen external partners to support the program and sustainability efforts.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We have focused in year two on building relationships in local communities, within Purdue University, and within the state of Indiana. We have been able to develop strategic partnerships within Purdue University and the State of Indiana to sustain Juntos 4-H for years to come. We have strong partnerships with: Purdue University College of Agriculture (Office of Academic Programs and Office of Multicultural Programs), Purdue Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indiana 4-H Foundation, Lilly Endowment, and the Indiana Latino Institute. These partnerships have provided financial and educational resources to supplement the Juntos 4-H Program at both the county and state level. Further, in September 2023, Indiana 4-H was awarded a 3-million-dollar grant from Lilly Endowment to expand the state-wide 4-H academic efforts including support for the scaling of the Juntos 4-H Program across the state. This funding allowed Indiana 4-H to hire a Regional Extension Educator to manage and support Juntos 4-H statewide, in addition to a Juntos 4-H Extension Educator who will be providing direct programming to new counties. These two individuals have been able to provide direct support to all counties implementing Juntos 4-H, including the three directly funded by this grant. Clinton County has provided Family Nights and 4-H Club Meetings to youth and famlies and St. Joseph County has hosted Family Nights. Tipton County has worked on building community relationships. Some findings include:Most Juntos students felt confident and prepared to graduate high school but some did have lower perceptions of confidence and preparedness. All students thought that attending college was important to them but have various ideas for what they will pursue. Students are considering some college, two-year college degrees, PhDs, and enlisting in the military after high school. Students' perceptions of preparedness for college were wide-ranging where some felt completely ready while others felt that they were not at all ready. Last, students were most interested in pursuing careers in business, engineering, medicine, cosmetology or that they did not know just yet.Although every student in Juntos thinks that college is important to them, there were wide-ranging feelings about their ability to be successful in high school and college. Most students had had not decided on what degree they want to pursue or what they want to study - this was the reality for students who even felt more ready and able to be successful in college. No matter where they start on their education and career goals, the Juntos program can come alongside all youth and their families, to help increase their knowledge, awareness and confidence to successfully graduate high school and then pursue the degree in a field they are most interested.Overall, students felt confident that they can communicate well with their peer group and parents. However, student perceptions of communication skills with their teachers and school staff were divided, where some indicated positive and high perceptions of confidence and others indicated less desirable and low perceptions of confidence. Student perceptions of confidence and preparedness across a variety of college readiness skills were also divided. Where some students felt unprepared to do well on the SAT/ACT, and to apply, and to search for scholarships, and pay for college, others indicated that they felt prepared across each task. Nearly all students felt like they were not prepared to submit a FASFA application.Students responded that they had lots of opportunities to develop and demonstrate the skills and practices of successful adults (e.g., job skills, caring for others, general responsibility). However, students communicated a need for new and more opportunities to learn how to be ready for their future careers beyond pursuing an education. Students mentioned that they want opportunities to feel better about and develop themselves as a person, and to learn things that are meaningful and interesting to them. Last fall, Juntos students attended over 10 hours of programming that focused on developing skills, completing tasks and enhancing mindsets that will help them graduate high school, achieve their educational goals and prepare financially for college.Although all students value an education and attending college, students shared that they need more opportunities to develop the skills to successfully prepare for and then enter the workforce. The Juntos Program focuses on building self-confidence and interpersonal skills through engaging family-based programming that is designed to help them prepare to graduate high school, pursue post-secondary educational opportunities, and develop the whole-person where they have both the educational training and interpersonal skills to successfully enter the workforce.

Publications


    Progress 08/01/23 to 07/31/24

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Year Onewas focused on making community connections and training staff in Clinton, St. Joseph, and Tipton counties on Juntos 4-H. Counties have been actively recruiting community members to serve on their sustainablity committees, in order to assist with project implementation and recruitment of families for the program. Changes/Problems:There have been no major delays with this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A Statewide Juntos 4-H Retreat was held in Lafayette on December 11thand 12th, with 4-H Educators and community partners from all over Indiana attending. Agenda items/professional development included: Welcome from Dr. Casey Mull, Message from Juntos Co-Developer Diana Urieta from North Carolina State University, Partnerships in Juntos 4-H, Juntos 4-H Advisory/Sustainability Committees, Juntos 4-H Apparel Design Contest, Helping Youth Thrive, Evaluation Best Practices, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Session, Moderated Panel for Juntos 4-H, and Spanish Perceptions in the US Webinar. Everyone left the retreat excited for the future of Juntos 4-H in Indiana! In addition, a National Juntos 4-H Training was held in Lafayette, with North Carolina State University trainers facilitating the training. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In October 2023, Indiana Juntos 4-H leadership presented a poster presentationon Juntos 4-H at the Engagement Scholarship Consortium:Mobilizing Families and Communities: Preventing School Drop-out Among Latine Students. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to recruit families in Clinton, St. Joseph, and Tipton Counties to participate in the Juntos 4-H Program. In addition, we plan to build additional relationships and partnerships to institutionalize Juntos 4-H within Purdue Extension and the larger University setting.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? We have focused on Year One on building relationships in local communities, within Purdue University, and within the state of Indiana. We have been able to develop strategic partnerships within Purdue University and the State of Indiana to sustain Juntos 4-H for years to come. We have strong partnerships with: Purdue University College of Agriculture (Office of Academic Programs and Office of Multicultural Programs), Purdue Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indiana 4-H Foundation, and Lilly Endowment. These partnerships have provided financial and educational resources to supplement the Juntos 4-H Program at both the county and state level.Further, in September 2023, Indiana 4-H was awarded a 3-million-dollar grant from Lilly Endowment to expand the state-wide 4-H academic efforts including support for the scaling of the Juntos 4-H Program across the state. This funding allowed Indiana 4-H to hire a Regional Extension Educator to manage and support Juntos 4-H statewide, in addition to a Juntos 4-H Extension Educator who will be providing direct programming to new counties.

    Publications