Affluent mothers of preschoolers (n=85) expressed strong interest in most of the parent education topics in an extension survey. Their interests were largely similar to those of parents from other socioeconomic groups. They were more interested in changes in personal identity/role and in issues related to having partners in high power/high…

School records; teacher, parent, and child ratings; and children's drawings about family, school, and the program were evaluated for low-income, at-risk children in a school-age child care program and compared to a control group that made no drawings. The drawings provided qualitative data that enriched program evaluation. (SK)

A joint effort between the Minnesota Extension Service and University of Minnesota School of Medicine produced a community-based research and educational program on stress, depression, and suicide prevention. The Teens in Distress program represents a successful collaborative effort and illustrates the potential problems when Extension…

Elements of the "Balancing Act--Home and Work" program, developed by the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service and designed to help employees develop skills and insights for balancing home and work responsibilities, are presented. Discusses needs assessment, pilot testing, program marketing, and program effectiveness.…

Presents a marketing decision model and other methods that extension agents may use in presenting extension programs dealing with the problems of marketing agricultural commodities. (MF)

The Urban Planning Practicum is a capstone course engaging Michigan State students in urban outreach, working with community organizations on neighborhood revitalization. It facilitates the experiential learning needs of urban planning students while assisting Extension staff in capacity building. Faculty-extension agent partnerships make it…

Effectiveness of a videotape on milking procedures was evaluated by showing it to 218 dairy farmers, with previewing evaluation, 2 viewings with discussion between, and postviewing evaluation. Tape quality and information content were rated highly, but an immediate second viewing was considered less effective than providing tapes for subsequent…

A study of the training needs of extension specialists in 1890 land-grant institutions concludes with the finding that the greatest need for training is in the area of evaluating and reporting extension programs. Data were collected from questionnaires returned by 81 extension specialists and 14 extension administrators. (Author/EC)

Special Urban Issue. Discusses trends and factors involved in urban crises. Cites interrelationships between urban and rural areas, and urges comprehensive planning in urban projects. (DS)

A project placed health science interns in community-based education and outreach programs in partnership with Extension to provide community education in health behavior and decision making and build community capacity for health care. Evaluation of student reports and participant interviews showed that despite logistical challenges such as lack…

Follow-up of 55 adults who completed the Healthy Heart Program, which focused on heart disease risks, cholesterol, and diet, found that attitudes and knowledge were significantly higher after the program; fat intake, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly lower. Locus of control did not change. (SK)

Stating that the greatest potential impact of computer use in extension is not in providing information but in teaching how to analyze problems, the author discusses use of the computer as an educational method and offers some considerations to keep in mind when designing computerized learning packages. (MF)

Michigan residents (n=950) rated the following topics of most interest: school violence, child abuse, drug abuse, and affordable health care. Their preferences for information sources, in priority order, were as follows: public schools, Internet, television, Michigan State University extension, and print materials. (SK)

This article shares information on the participation of husbands and children in household work and provides information that will help extension agents in program planning. Research shows that the fact that a woman works has little impact on the husband's or children's participation in household chores. (CT)

Extension personnel must learn how to use computer technology to provide information for decision making, to store and retrieve publications and information quickly and accurately, and to help people learn new things. The author suggests possible applications of computer technology to program needs in the extension service. (MF)