Residential camping has long been used as a tool to reach and teach educational concepts to youth. Since the founding of the first organized residential camp in 1823 at Round Hill School's Summer Camp in Massachusetts, private and public organizations have used camping as a means to teach youth their respective missions and goals. Although a relative newcomer in the camping business when compared to other agencies and groups, 4-H has been involved in camping since the first county camp was conducted in 1915. Virginia has long been in the business of 4-H camping, reaching thousands of youth throughout the years on an annual basis. Now, ranked third nationally in total numbers of youth attending 4-H camping on an annual basis, the 4-H mission "...assisting youth, and adults working with those youth, to gain additional knowledge, life skills, and attitudes that further their development as self-directing, contributing, and productive members of society" continues to be carried out through the residential camping program. The purpose of this dissertation is to describe, record and analyze the concept that provided the foundation for the Virginia 4-H camping program becoming a reality of the 4-H educational centers. It includes the early history of the camping movement in the United States, the beginnings of the 4-H club program in the United States and Virginia, and 4-H involvement in reaching and involving youth audiences through camping programs. The population for this study consisted of early pioneers in the 4-H camping program representing Virginia Cooperative Extension administrators and extension agents, camp staffs, and campers from both white and African-American camping programs, as separate 4-H camping programs were conducted. A systematic document research and structured interviews of the early pioneers was conducted to reach defensible conclusions about the establishment, operation, and purpose of the 4- H camping movement in Virginia. The outcomes of this study are fourfold. First, the study serves to document the organized camping movement in the United States and the beginnings of 4-H. Second, the study explores the early beginnings of the 4-H camping movement in the country with the national 4-H camping movement. Third, the study examined the persons, events, founding and early development of the 4-H camping program in Virginia, including the separate white and African-American camping programs for Whites and African-Americans. Fourth, the study documented the history of Virginia's six 4-H educational centers. The study endeavors to contribute to the body of knowledge concerning the history of the 4-H movement in Virginia. / Ph. D.

Increasing demands for accountability in educational programming have resulted in more frequent calls for program evaluation activity in educational organizations. Many organizations include conducting program evaluations as part of the job responsibilities of program staff. Cooperative Extension is a national system offering non-formal educational programs through land grant universities. Many Extension services require non-formal educational program evaluations be conducted by its locally-based educators. Research on evaluation practice has focused primarily on the evaluation efforts of professional, external evaluators. The evaluation work of program staff that have many responsibilities including program evaluation has received little attention. This study examined how non-formal educators in Cooperative Extension use the results of their program evaluation efforts and what factors influence that use. A conceptual framework adapted from the evaluation use literature guides the examination of how evaluation characteristics, organizational characteristics and stakeholder involvement influence four types of evaluation use; instrumental use, conceptual use, persuasive use and process use. Factor analysis indicates ten types of evaluation use practiced by non-formal educators. Of the variables examined, stakeholder involvement is most influential followed by evaluation characteristics and organizational characteristics. The research implications from the study include empirical confirmation of the framework developed by previous researchers as well as the need for further exploration of potentially influencing factors. Practical implications include delineating accountability and program improvement tasks within Extension in order to improve the results of both. There is some evidence that evaluation capacity building efforts may be increasing instrumental use by educators evaluating their own programs. Non-formal educational organizations are encouraged to involve stakeholders in all levels of evaluation work as one means to increase use of evaluation findings. / Ph. D.

For several decades, a growing realization has evolved that a single entity often cannot address complex issues. Collaboration has been touted as an effective approach to addressing such issues and is generally defined as multiple parties jointly identifying problems, developing a shared vision for addressing those problems, and sharing resources and responsibilities for a determined solution. In spite of the growing literature regarding collaboration, the predominant focus has been on advocacy, leaving a void in the literature concerning the processes and behaviors involved in establishing community collaboration. In essence, the importance of collaboration is widely recognized; how to collaborate is not as noted. Therefore, it is essential to examine the experience of community collaboration. The purpose of this study was to investigate a collaborative community experience in the context of extension education for children, youth, and families at risk in four localities in Virginia. The following research questions were addressed: a) What has been the nature and experience of collaboration for Extension Leadership councils (ELCs) involved with children, youth, and families at risk (CYFAR) projects; b) What has contributed to successful collaboration in Extension education with the CYFAR projects; and c) What have been the challenges to collaboration for the CYFAR projects? The qualitative case study design utilized in-depth face-to-face interviews with seventeen community representatives in the selected localities involved in the experience. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcriptions were analyzed to determine themes, patterns, and common ways of thinking. Findings, which revealed that ELCs were primarily involved in situation analysis, illuminated the following perceived contributions to successful collaboration: having a process for involvement, addressing a need, commitment of those involved, leadership, and paid staff. Challenges to collaboration were identified as lack of time to commit, lack of understanding of collaboration, and pre-existing ways of thinking and acting. The results have implications for Cooperative Extension understanding how ELC involvement can occur in programming and the collaborative nature of their educational process with the community. The findings will also contribute to human service providers' understanding of contributions and challenges to collaboration and to the emerging body of knowledge on collaboration. / Ph. D.

Providing improved access to farmers markets and other local food outlets for low-income audiences is an increasingly popular nutrition intervention strategy to promote consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and address obesity. The USDA encouraged more farm to fork initiatives and efforts to connect low-income populations with fresh and healthy, local foods through farmers markets through the implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed) provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The purpose of this research was to assess the perceived barriers to farmers market access and strategies for overcoming those barriers for low-income individuals and families participating in Cooperative Extension nutrition programming. Data collection procedures included a survey of SNAP-Ed and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) program assistants, focus group discussions with SNAP-eligible individuals, and a photo elicitation study with mothers of young children. Results from these studies provide insight on how to structure program assistant trainings to encourage the inclusion of an optional farmers market orientation lesson in SNAP-Ed and EFNEP curricula; low-income individuals' perception of healthy food, access to and perception of local foods, benefits and barriers to shopping at farmers markets, and the impact of local foods on diet quality; and how to address perceived barriers through Cooperative Extension nutrition programming for the SNAP-Ed and ENFEP target population of SNAP-eligible mothers of young children. Working with farmers markets is an opportunity to form greater synergy between the arms of Extension (Family and Consumer Sciences, Community Viability, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and potentially 4-H) related to supporting local food systems while forming collaborative relationships with local farmers markets and community members. / Ph. D.

Virginia Cooperative Extension's Family Nutrition Program (FNP), which includes EFNEP and SNAP-Ed, works to help limited-resource families across the state make informed food-choices. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) lacks open-access physical activity resources representing individuals with varying weights, races, and ethnicities. In 2015, an integrated research-practice partnership was initiated for the development of an evidence-based physical activity resource for peer educators employed by FNP to use. The video suite, Move More, Virginia!, was created as open-access and includes demographically diverse individuals, representative of FNP clients. Study I determined client perceptions of physical activity and preferences for new resources. Study II identified FNP peer educators' perceptions of physical activity, their resource needs, and intent to use Move More, Virginia! resources. Both studies involved quantitative and qualitative data through surveys and focus groups. Formative data collected in Study I revealed the prominent themes related to clients (n=12) were physical activity facilitators (n= 100 meaning units (MU)) and physical activity barriers (n=77 MU). In Study II, peer educator responses(n=15) led to the emergence of four themes related to physical activity itself: barriers to incorporating physical activity within FNP (n=189 MU), physical activity facilitators (n=106), current delivery of physical activity (n=102 MU), and physical activity barriers (n= 16 MU). When prompted to share video specific feedback, the top theme was positive video feedback (n = 115 MU). Identified themes and subthemes provide deeper understanding of the organizational culture within FNP as thoughts, perceptions, and barriers to incorporating physical activity into FNP curriculum are highlighted. / Master of Science

The Hampton Roads region of southeast Virginia is largely defined by its abundant water resources. These water resources are also a source of unique issues for the region. Specifically, water quality challenges related to the Chesapeake Bay and recurrent flooding are the major concerns. Green infrastructure (GI) has emerged in recent years as an alternative to traditional stormwater conveyance and detention focused systems. GI practices focus on integrating infiltration, evapotranspiration, and other components of the water cycle into more conventional stormwater management systems. These systems provide several positive benefits, including local water quality and quantity control, community revitalization, and various public health benefits. In addition, GI implementation has seen strong levels of support from the Cooperative Extension System, with Extension faculty and staff around the U.S. supporting local municipalities through GI research, promotion, and program development. Despite widespread interest, GI has been slow to be adopted due to various barriers to its implementation. This study sought to identify the major barriers to the implementation of GI practices in Hampton Roads by conducting a needs assessment. Municipal stormwater staff were invited to participate in an online survey aimed at identifying the most significant barriers in the region. At the same time, local staff with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) were interviewed to explore their potential to become involved in promoting GI adoption in Hampton Roads. Survey respondents and interview participants found common ground in identifying costs, funding, and maintenance issues as the most significant barriers to GI implementation in Hampton Roads. In addition, VCE staff were found to be well suited to support widespread GI adoption in the region, having familiarity with the GI concept and access to unique resources in the form of knowledgeable Master Gardener volunteers and connections to Virginia Tech. Recommendations for VCE involvement in promoting GI in Hampton Roads include conducting cost studies, developing and hosting maintenance training programs, and taking advantage of partnerships to identify and obtain funding from diverse sources. By focusing on these widely acknowledged challenges at the regional scale, VCE can support GI implementation throughout all of Hampton Roads. / Master of Science / Hampton Roads is a region with a history and economy tied to its local waters. Today, the region is facing significant challenges related to these waters, including frequent flooding impacts on residents and pollution control needs for the nearby Chesapeake Bay. Green infrastructure (GI), a relatively new approach to managing water in cities, could help local governments address these challenges. Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), an organization formed through a partnership between federal and local governments and land grant universities in Virginia, seeks to meet community needs through community outreach and educational programs. As a community-centered organization with a history of advancing environmental education, VCE may also be an important partner for municipalities in Hampton Roads interested in adopting GI practices. To identify the barriers to GI in Hampton Roads and the potential role of VCE in addressing them, a needs assessment of municipalities in the region with stormwater permits was conducted. Based collected documents, surveys of municipal staff, and interviews with VCE personnel, three major barriers to GI adoption were identified. Permitted municipalities in Hampton Roads are uncertain of GI costs, have limited funds to support GI practices, and lack the knowledge and resources needed to maintain GI practices over time. VCE can help municipalities address these challenges using its many resources. Through its connection to Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, VCE can help in developing cost research studies for Hampton Roads. As an educational organization, VCE can also help municipalities win funding for GI projects that they would otherwise not have access to. Finally, local Virginia Tech faculty at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center and experienced Master Gardener volunteers can work to develop GI maintenance training resources for maintenance staff throughout the region. With its strong background, expert knowledge, and existing connections in the region, VCE can play an important role in addressing the GI adoption challenges in Hampton Roads.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1963. / Extension Repository Collection. Typescript (carbon copy). Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-174).

This qualitative study was undertaken to determine the organizational values shared by the professional employees of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Related topics that contributed to the literature review included human and organizational values, organizational culture, strategic planning, and the philosophical foundations of the Cooperative Extension Service. Focus group interviews were conducted in each of the five administrative districts and on the University of Florida Campus. A total of 40 individuals took part in the group interviews. Transcripts of the interviews were read, coded, and sorted by themes to develop a list of twelve categories of values shared by the professionals interviewed. Coded sections of the transcripts were transferred to a descriptive matrix in order to reduce and simplify the analysis. Three groupings of values emerged from the data and were described as "communities" of values. The three communities were personal, Personal values mission-related, and structural values. were rewards, relationships, and personal history. Mission-related values were organizational history, research-based information, relevance, comprehensiveness, life-long education, diversity, and service. structural values were shared ownership and system linkages. These three communities were depicted in figures that described the relationships of the values to one another. The final discussion described the inter-relatedness of the three communities in the overall organizational structure. Recommendations were made for further study and program development for the Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

Significant support for sustainable agriculture practices exists within the land-grant university system nationwide. Despite this fact, many colleges, including the University of Florida, have not evaluated the individual paradigms held by their faculty. An existing Alternative-Conventional Agriculture Paradigm Scale was modified, improved and converted into an electronic instrument that was administered to a random sample of University of Florida Extension Faculty. It is suggested that data collected through this study serves the following purposes: assist the University of Florida’s decision-makers in better understanding the positions held by their Extension agents; allow improvement of educational programming for Extension agents, agricultural professionals, and communities throughout the state; and provide input for improvement of University-wide policy-making and goal-setting. The study consisted of three phases: a) redevelopment and pilot-test of a new ACAP instrument; b) description of University of Florida Extension faculty’s paradigmatic preferences; and c) determination of any existing relationships between personal characteristics and an individual’s paradigm. A pilot study of the new instrument was conducted with participants belonging to known paradigmatic groups who were not part of the final sample. The survey was found to be reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.94 in a pilot test of 26 individuals. The survey was found to discriminate effectively between the two known paradigmatic groups (t=4.091, p= .001), making it a useful tool in quantitatively assessing agricultural preferences. Following the pilot study, survey research was conducted with a random sample of 188 Extension agents. The majority of faculty aligned with agricultural paradigmatic groups labeled Moderates and Sustainables. Very few of this population aligned with a Conventional paradigm. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a preliminary seven-factor solution. Two individual component factors were found to vary based on Extension discipline and gender, which included Size and Scale of Production and Use of Natural Resources, respectively.

Cooperative extension is one of three components, along with teaching and research that form the mission of land grant universities. The focus of extension work is to take knowledge gained through research conducted at the university, and disseminate the information, in a practical manner to the end user. In most instances, extension work revolves around agriculture. Within the extension system are personnel that help to foster this program of educating clientele who work in the agricultural industry. County level agents are in place to teach and address the needs of local constituents, specialists are generally housed at the university campus and are hired for their expertise in a specific field of agriculture, and administrators help to keep the system functioning. Many studies have been conducted on the leadership characteristics of county agents and extension administrators, however the current knowledge base concerning leadership behaviors of extension specialists is lacking. Traditionally, specialists were strictly used as a resource for subject matter information; however, changes overtime to cooperative extension have seen specialists move to a leadership position that involves leading agents groups and conducting programing that directly serves the clientele. With newly acquired expectations to perform in a leadership capacity, yet without training or educational background to ensure these skills, there is potential for complications to arise. Using a mixed methodological approach, this sequential explanatory study was conducted using Burn’s (1978) transformational leadership as a theoretical framework, with the purpose of examining current transformational leadership characteristics among extension specialists in addition to gaining information concerning demographic and professional information pertaining to this group. The sample group consisted of equine extension specialists, an initial survey was sent which contained questions relating to educational background, make-up and tenure of their position, as well as the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to analyze self-perceived transformational leadership characteristics. This survey was followed by a voluntary individual interview with the researcher. The purpose of the semi-structured interview was to gain a broader example of the leadership perspectives of this particular group. Although no significant connections could be made concerning demographic information and MLQ leadership scores, the group as a whole registered below average for displaying transformational leadership characteristics, ranking in the 40th percentile for composite MLQ scores compared to the general population. The interview data showed that as a whole there was agreement with the concepts of transformational leadership, however MLQ scores and anecdotal evidence show that practical application of transformational leadership is lacking. Most participants indicated they did not feel prepared for their job, and many indicated that interpersonal relationship skills were used more often than their degree specialization. The findings from this study may help to encourage leadership training focused towards extension specialists, and to emphasize the need for leadership skills within this position.