Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this program is high school youth in grades 10 through 12 who are interested in learning how to navigate today's complex world, one shaped by distractions, misinformation, and social division. This course emphasizes character development and media and information literacy, equipping students with essential skills to evaluate media content, conduct research, and think critically. Through partnerships with the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island 4-H, and local community organizations, participants will strengthen their sense of identity, discover their purpose, and build a foundation of social responsibility. This interdisciplinary course empowers youth to explore the influence of media, engage in meaningful self-reflection, and develop solutions to both local and global challenges. Changes/Problems:Given the strong relationship between the University and our community partners, and the positive experience we've had so far, we are confident that this program will continue on its path of success. No significant changes have been made to the original program design. One of the most valuable strategies we've implemented has been the recruitment of a youth advisory team during the course development process. By compensating them for their time and input, we were able to gain meaningful insights into the topics that truly matter to youth, such as leadership, community engagement, life skills, and resilience, ensuring the course is relevant, impactful, and youth-centered. Our main challenge was the delay in obtaining IRB approval for the Youth Advisory Team. Although the process took approximately six months, the application was ultimately approved, allowing us to move forward and continue the meaningful work of the program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The program director, program evaluator, and two representatives from our community partner sites attended this year's CYFAR PDTA meeting, where they received training on key topics such as program evaluation tools and strategies for ensuring long-term sustainability. Name Role in program Deliverables Time Tolani Olagundoye Program director Hire and train program team Annual course implementation Establish course infrastructure Contact outreach center Confirm speaker lineups Annual reports submitted 9 months Mary Moen Evaluator Collect evaluation data Integrate youth and partner feedback 1 month Kate Aubin (PPL) Mollie Goldblum (PPL) Eric Calogianes (YV) Natage Hibbert (YV) Community Site Representatives: Annual youth recruitment and application cycles 3 months PPL: Providence Public Library; YV:Young Voices How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Community partners played a key role in recruiting a Youth Advisory Team (YAT) to serve as the course curriculum advisory team and conducted soft marketing efforts through sending emails, text messages, and word of mouth. And we have been able to recruit 23-25 youth who attend meetings twice a month. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plan of Work Summary (June 2025-August 2028) Objective 1: Build Program Infrastructure and Capacity (June-August 2025) During this phase, a graduate student will be hired, community partners will begin youth outreach, and course modules will be developed on URI's Brightspace platform. Community partners will also receive training and access to URI systems, while field trip and guest speaker planning begins. Outputs: Program team hired and trained; course infrastructure established; outreach initiated. Outcomes: Strong foundational collaboration with community partners; course delivery platform in place. Impact: Sustainable infrastructure for multi-year implementation. Objective 2: Recruit and Engage Youth (Years 2-4: Fall 2025-2027) Each fall, community partners will recruit youth in grades 9-12 for program cohorts. Application cycles will open, and guest speakers will be secured. The program team will also coordinate with an evaluator to prepare assessment tools. Outputs: Annual youth recruitment and application cycles; speaker lineups confirmed. Outcomes: Strong youth participation; increased visibility and credibility within the community. Impact: Diverse, engaged pipeline of high school youth with exposure to public health and civic engagement. Objective 3: Deliver Youth Course and Support Learning (Years 2-4: Spring 2026-2028) Each spring semester, 30 youth will complete the semester-long course hosted at Providence Public Library. Pre- and post-surveys will assess learning, and a final symposium will showcase youth projects. Outputs: Annual course implementation; evaluation data collected; youth symposium held. Outcomes: Youth develop critical thinking, leadership, research, and media literacy skills. Impact: Increased youth confidence, social awareness, and readiness for higher education and civic life to meet the CYFAR common measures standards. Objective 4: Sustain, Evaluate, and Improve the Program (Ongoing, Years 2-4) Each year, the team will secure space for future cohorts, plan future learning experiences, hold advisory meetings, and submit progress reports. A new Youth Advisory Team will be recruited annually to co-develop course revisions. Outputs: Program operations sustained; youth and partner feedback integrated; annual reports submitted. Outcomes: Program continuously refined through evaluation and youth input. Impact: A replicable model of youth-driven civic learning and university-community collaboration.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Year 1 of the University of Rhode Island's 4-H Roots of Resilience: A Journey to Self-Discovery and Social Responsibility Sustainable Community Project (SCP) will conclude in August 2025, with Year 2 beginning in September 2025. Designed as a planning year, Year 1 has laid the foundation for this innovative 5-year program, which centers on a semester-long, 3-credit college course for high school students in grades 10-12 (n=120). This program explores four core existential questions--Who am I? Why am I here? What is wrong with the world? How can we make what is wrong right?--as a transformative framework for self-discovery and social responsibility. The course integrates media and information literacy, research, and critical thinking to help students build identity, purpose, and leadership skills while addressing real-world challenges. Year 1 Highlights: Recruited and onboarded 25 high school students to serve on the Youth Advisory Team (YAT). YAT members were compensated monthly and participated in workshops on course design, identity, values, purpose, and social responsibility. Youth collaborated closely with the program director and community site specialists to co-create the course syllabus and weekly modules for the course. Strong partnerships were developed with Providence Public Library and Young Voices, who helped recruit and support participating youth. IRB application has been submitted and approved by URI IRB Course syllabus has been created and in the process of being submitted to URI curriculum committee for approval Wrapping up youth advisory team work by middle of June. Course Structure and Learning Outcomes: The course consists of weekly modules featuring objectives, activities, and assignments. Key learning outcomes include: Applying the 4-H motto--Head, Heart, Hands, Health--to foster personal growth and community involvement. Strengthening research, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Developing media and information literacy to analyze and combat misinformation. Enhancing leadership and teamwork abilities through effective communication and collaboration. Building resilience and a positive identity with empathy for diverse experiences. Presenting ideas confidently in public forums and implementing community-based solutions. Each of the four course modules aligns with the existential questions: Who am I? - Exploring identity beyond external labels. Why am I here? - Discovering purpose, values, and strengths. What is wrong with the world? - Researching local and global issues. How can we make what is wrong right? - Designing community solutions and engaging in positive activism. Program Goals: Deliver an immersive, credit-bearing course for high school students. Feature dynamic guest speakers, including state leaders, life coaches, entrepreneurs, and community advocates. Provide experiential learning through field trips (e.g., RI Nature Conservancy, Save The Bay). Offer workshops and virtual tours in partnership with URI Innovation Labs and the Media Education Lab.
Publications
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