Papers by loretta singletary
This article reports the results of a national survey of Extension professionals to assess their ... more This article reports the results of a national survey of Extension professionals to assess their needs to acquire skills to conduct Public Issues Education (P.I.E.) programs. Survey respondents rated all 35 skill needs as either high or moderately high priorities regardless of their geographic region. Some differences in skill need priorities exist at the individual state level, however. These results illustrate a demand for professional development opportunities. While one national curriculum may suffice, professional development may be fine-tuned to address differences in individual states. Professional development may target beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill development levels, depending on individual state needs
Rural Educator, 2003
Abstract The 4-H organization is considered by many to be legendary in the development of early A... more Abstract The 4-H organization is considered by many to be legendary in the development of early America's youth (Deen, 2000). It is the largest out-of-school educational program for youth in the United States (National 4-H Headquarters, 2002a). Over a century old with approximately 6.7 million youth members in K-12 grades and about 60 million alumni, 4-H remains a banner of success for Land Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension System. The original purpose of 4-H clubs was to provide out-of-school education in agricultural production to youth living in rural areas (National 4-H Headquarters, 2002b). At the turn of the 20th century youth have migrated away from farms and eliminated farming as a career option. Like many youth programs developed at the turn of the century, 4-H has adapted to meet the changing needs of youth and families. This paper examines the current focus areas of 4-H in teaching life skills to rural, farm and urban youth and its role in rural schools. Introduction Role of 4-H in Early Rural America The focus of 4-H in the early 1900s, when the majority of Americans were living on farms, was to teach rural youth about agricultural production, transfer research-based information into the hands of their parents and retain youth on family farms (Howard, Couch, Townsend, & Boleman, 2001). The first 4-H clubs were created to teach boys to raise better corn varieties. Later, girls' clubs were created and focused on food safety, preparation and canning. Corn contests and later canning competitions offered equipment prizes and recognition to encourage rural youth to learn the latest agricultural science and technology. These early 4-H clubs essentially institutionalized the concept of "hands on" learning as a mainstay of 4-H out-of-school education. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act created the Cooperative Extension System. This legislation provided states with county Extension agents to help organize after school 4-H clubs, expand the projects offered, and establish relationships between 4-H club work and vocational agriculture education offered in rural schools. Role of 4-H in Contemporary Rural America Much has changed about 4-H since the early 1900s. Agriculture production remains an important part of 4-H. However, the number of people living in rural America has declined dramatically in the last century, from 60 percent to 25 percent of the total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002). The number of acres in farms has slowly declined as have the number of farms and families living on farms (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 1997; U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1998). Demographic changes have motivated many Land Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension System to modify their original research and extension mission. To satisfy the growing demands of an increasingly urban clientele, contemporary Extension programming focuses on topics such as conservation and environment, globalization and international development and youth at risk, to name a few (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1998). Similarly, 4-H has expanded its educational initiatives beyond agriculture and farm based educational projects. Changes in 4-H curriculum have been based on research to assess the educational and developmental needs of today's youth (Mincemoyer and Corbin, 2001). Although agriculture production projects remain a steadfast 4-H tradition in many rural communities, contemporary 4-H curriculum features a much more expansive and sophisticated selection of educational topics. These include, for example, topics involving forest, rangeland and wildlife conservation, mental and emotional health, performing and visual arts and intcrgenerational programming. Contemporary 4-H focuses less on agriculture and more on building life skills through "hands on" educational projects, which may include communications technology, outdoor education and recreation, computer technology and personal development. …
Collaborative approaches for managing natural resource conflicts have become commonplace. Surpris... more Collaborative approaches for managing natural resource conflicts have become commonplace. Surprisingly, little research has focused on the role that Cooperative Extension professionals might play in this arena despite the fact that Extension programs historically combine natural resource management education with collaborative processes. Perhaps the potential contributions that collaborative-based Extension programs offer go unrecognized, due in part, to lack of an evaluative component. Participants in a collaborative-based Extension program to address a water conflict in California and Nevada provided data for the study. Impacts of the program are as follows: increased awareness of the conflict and knowledge about underlying issues; provided a platform for participants to hear diverse viewpoints, technical concerns, and interact and network with diverse stakeholders; improved communication and relationship building skills; increased knowledge about collaboratively managing a confli...
Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 2008
Competition for natural resources has spawned unprecedented conflict between users, resulting in ... more Competition for natural resources has spawned unprecedented conflict between users, resulting in litigious and legislative actions. Citizens often expect Cooperative Extension professionals to engage communities in collaborative processes to manage these conflicts. This paper examines thirty-five skills Cooperative Extension professionals need if they are to engage communities in collaborative processes. Survey methodology is used to assess the skills extension professionals perceive as most needed, and the ranked means of the perceived skill needs are presented. The results offer information useful to strengthen the capacity of extension professionals to play an important role in helping citizens manage natural resource conflicts.
By 2000, the Latino population in Nevada was growing at more than double the national rate. The p... more By 2000, the Latino population in Nevada was growing at more than double the national rate. The percentage of Latinos in Nevada skyrocketed from around 7 percent in 1980 to more than 20 percent in 2000, making Nevada one of the top 10 states in the nation in the percentage of Latino population (Pérez, 2005). Latinos in Nevada Today By 2005, Nevada's Latino immigrants were making a considerable economic contribution to the state, paying roughly $2.6 billion in federal taxes and $1.6 billion in state and local taxes (including $500 million in sales taxes). Latinos in Nevada wield over $14 billion in consumer purchasing power. They represent 25 percent of the population and represented 15 percent of Nevada voters in the 2008 presidential election. There is no denying the contributions immigrants make and the important role they play in Nevada's political and economic future (Metro Latino USA, 2009). Even with these important contributions, the economic statistics for Latinos reveal that 14 percent of Latino families in Nevada live below poverty while the overall rate for Nevadans is 7.6 percent (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010; U.S. Census, 2008). For non-Hispanic whites under 17 years of age, 8 percent live below poverty while 23 percent of Hispanics under age 17 live below poverty (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010). The annual average personal earnings of Hispanics in Nevada is $24,849; nonHispanic whites earn $35,644 (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010). According to the Nevada Department of Education (2010), Latinos make up 37.3 percent of K-12 school enrollment, while nationally they make up only 5 percent (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010). Latino children are a growing segment of the public school population in Nevada. The state has experienced a dramatic 245 percent growth rate in the school age (5 to 18 years old) population of Latinos from 1990 to 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Even though Latinos and Latinas are active players in the economic, social and political landscape of Nevada, they are underrepresented in professional, managerial and technical positions (Pérez, 2005). Despite a high employment rate among Latinos before the economic crisis of 2008 to 2010, a large proportion of families, children and individuals in Nevada did not have health insurance. The proportion of Latinos (nonelderly) currently without insurance in Nevada is 38 percent (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010) compared to the total rate of 22 percent overall uninsured in the State (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). Purpose of the Statewide Needs Assessment Latinos are among the fastest-growing minorities in the United States. In 2007, Latinos comprised approximately 15 percent of the nation's total population. This minority group is projected to triple in size by 2050. Between 2005 and 2050, Latinos will account for more than half (60 percent) of the nation's population growth (Passel and Cohn, 2008).
This article summarizes the results of a needs assessment involving American Indians and outreach... more This article summarizes the results of a needs assessment involving American Indians and outreach professionals on reservations in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The survey featured 36 questions about agricultural and natural resource issues that may pose challenges on reservation lands. A comparison between reservation residents and outreach professionals indicates that issue perceptions differ significantly for 23 of the 36 issues. Acknowledging these perceptual differences can help Extension to identify program gaps and opportunities with tribal nations. It can also increase Extension's appreciation for cultural diversity, thereby improving its capacity to execute its outreach mission on American Indian reservations.
The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to wo... more The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
Climatic Change
Indigenous communities on reservation lands across the USA continue to demonstrate their leadersh... more Indigenous communities on reservation lands across the USA continue to demonstrate their leadership in climate resilience through active engagement in co-producing interdisciplinary solutions to adaptation. These initiatives, however, often ask Indigenous peoples to provide knowledge and resources to assist with adaptation efforts beyond their communities, which can limit their capacity to act locally. Trusting their expertise, we utilize a participatory research approach that asks tribal government employees, agriculturalists, researchers, and outreach professionals to prioritize the climate information and data they perceive as necessary to enhance the climate resilience of water resources of Indigenous communities. In doing so, this study provides empirical evidence specific to the climate adaptation needs of Indigenous communities on reservation lands in the arid southwestern USA. Study respondents prioritize climate information and data that serve to assess local climate change...
Introduction 4-H will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2002. From its humble birth in rural Americ... more Introduction 4-H will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2002. From its humble birth in rural America through boys’ corn clubs and girls’ canning clubs, early 4-H programs emphasized education in agricultural science. It was discovered that youth were more open to new ideas and provided a link between Land Grant research information and farm families. The LandGrant universities also believed that 4-H could interest rural youth in agriculture during the 19th century when they were migrating to cities to "escape the plow." Although agricultural science remains an important, traditional, part of 4-H programs, 4-H has broadened its educational scope to meet the interests of non-agricultural youth. It has evolved into a national and international youth development program. It strives to remain "youth centered" in its approach to education, but requires involvement from adults, particularly as role models. The centennial celebration provides the Land Grant system an oppor...
The Review of Regional Studies, 1995
A geographical information system (GIS) is used with econometric methods to develop a small regio... more A geographical information system (GIS) is used with econometric methods to develop a small region spatial model to analyze the linkage between highway investment and new manufacturing employment in South Carolina. OLS estimates of the spatial model indicate that increases in four-lane highways, as well as interstate access, and two-lane highway density stimulate new manufacturing firm employment. Regions with higher than average employment density (a proxy for agglomeration economies) consistently influence employment gains as well, however. An implication for state and local policymakers is that the location, timing, and type of highway investment matter concerning whether highway investment serves as an economic development aid. Comparison of nonspatial and spatial model results indicates that development of small region models incorporating spatial statistical concerns should be pursued further.
The Journal of Extension, 2014
Extension professionals often assess community needs to determine programs and target audiences. ... more Extension professionals often assess community needs to determine programs and target audiences. Data can be collected through surveys, focus group and individual interviews, meta-analysis, systematic observation, and other methods. Knowledge gaps are identified, and programs are designed to resolve the deficiencies. However, do Extension professionals look deeply enough into the data to identify subgroups that will allow more targeted programs, or are programs based on only superficial analysis? Cluster analysis allows data to reveal demographic patterns and relationships involving survey respondents. It allows Extension professionals to more precisely target program audiences and thus effectively achieve program impacts.
The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action in... more The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action in recruitment of its students and employees and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, and sexual orientation. The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
This article summarizes the results of an evaluation of the impacts of a community development pr... more This article summarizes the results of an evaluation of the impacts of a community development program to develop leadership skills in its adult volunteers. The evaluation featured 20 questions about leadership skills learned as a result of volunteer experiences. Data analysis strategies beyond a simple means ranking resulted in evidence indicating that the variable on personal time management skills is strongly correlated with other important leadership skills that community development volunteers learned. Therefore, as Extension professionals design training programs for community development volunteers, it is recommended that they focus efforts on developing personal time management skills as a major component.
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Papers by loretta singletary