Is your program a model that Extension teams at other LGUs could adopt/adapt? Yes. Our goal is to create an imple- mentation guide with lessons and ac- tivities that have been pilot tested and shown to produce positive effects on indicators of youth confidence. We think that Extension educators and afterschool providers in other states will be able to incorporate this in their work without much adaptation. I also think that the peer review pro- cess we’ve developed for our project could be adopted by other Extension teams because it isn’t connected to a specific programming area. Team members were asked to use a very systematic and standardized method to review each other’s activity ideas. This level of rigor isn’t common during the program development phase, but we believe that in order to get the best end product, it’s important to have your peers provide feedback and raise questions about your work. This is especially critical when each team member is developing one lesson that is part of a multi-lesson curriculum and the goal is for all of the activities to fit together seamlessly.
You have an interesting model that’s curating existing content. What are you learning about the advantages and challenges of that approach? Some of the activities are based on ones commonly used with youth groups; some are newly developed for this project. Many of our activ- ities may be familiar to educators and youth. The advantage of using existing activities is that we know they can be implemented in an after school setting. Our approach involves putting a unique spin on the activity by creating learning content around it that specifically relates to building confidence, cop- ing with challenges, and applying the lessons to real life. As we create new activities specif- ically for this project, we have to keep in mind that no one has ever tried them with a group of youth. This is why we designed the project to incorporate pilot testing, which serves two purposes: to assess the feasibility of implementation and to enable us to fine-tune the activi- ties to ensure that youth have the optimal experience when engaging in them. If the activities are too easy, they won’t provide the experience that will create meaningful impact. If they are too hard, it could result in the youth feeling a sense of failure. Balance is key.
How do you blend disparate activities so that they feel cohesive? The main way we are doing this is by creating a standardized tem- plate for our lessons so that each lesson will include learning content and instructions for how facilita- tors should teach the content and implement the challenge activity. I will serve as the editor and put everything together into one final implementation guide in a way that flows with a cohesive voice. The hope is that no one will be able to tell that different people developed each activity. Why is positive youth devel- opment so important? If we want to help communities thrive now and in the future, we have to invest in our youth by preparing them to be leaders, to believe in themselves, and to have a growth mindset. Giving youth positive experiences and allowing them to see that they can over- come things they may have thought impossible can go a long way toward building their resilience. We may even be able to help youth who have experienced ACEs to learn the coping and problem-solv- ing skills that we know are critical for preventing risky behaviors. ■
The USU Extension team is looking for after-school sites that are interested in partnering to develop this con- fidence-building curriculum. Contact Dr. Lisa Schainker lisa.schainker@usu.edu
Why does this project inspire you?
“I am so proud to have the opportunity to mentor this team. Helping youth build resilience is so import- ant in a society that can confront them with so many challenges. This team is creating a unique experience that will engage youth in learning and building these skills. Kudos to Lisa and her team for engaging in this criti- cally-important work!”
Our Extension leadership team has definitely emphasized the importance of positive youth development, youth mental health, and helping youth develop resilience-building skills. Our team recognized that there was not a curriculum out there that com- bined lessons along with challenge activities that helped push youth out of their comfort zones. We are lucky to have leadership that supports us in finding ways to use our professional expertise along with following our passions to create impactful programs for the communities that we serve. Our ultimate goal is to help youth find their strengths and learn that persever- ance pays off. Providing youth with opportunities to try new things, learn how to deal with the unexpected, and think about who they really are is central to our work. The most exciting aspect of this project is that we are taking what we learned from our camp and making it widely available to youth across the state of Utah, and hopefully one day, across the country.
YES THEY
See the They Can Do Hard Things team members on page 81.
—Chuck Hibberd, NTAE Catalyst
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EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE | 2022-2023 YEARBOOK
2022-2023 YEARBOOK | EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE
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