This study evaluates the effectiveness of the professional development program designed for distance education instructors, in which design-based learning and mentoring strategies are implemented consecutively. Eight university instructors from the same university in Turkey with one year of experience in online teaching participated in the study.…

Recent Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act legislation in the United States has initiated increasingly complex and multi-tiered systems for program implementation in the adult learning, career training, and workforce development sectors. The paper presents a conceptual framework to assist in understanding capacity building for implementation…

The North American Association for Environmental Education encourages state environmental education associations to develop professional certifications for individual environmental educators. To understand perceptions in Wisconsin, the authors distributed an online survey. Survey questions encompassed participant demographics; certification…

Conducting needs assessments serves as a valuable way for Extension educators to ensure that they are designing programs that meet community needs. We developed a needs assessment tool kit that educators across urban, suburban, and rural communities can use to answer the question "What are the youth development needs in my county?"…

This article describes the curriculum and program development process that was used to create the North Carolina Extension Master Food Volunteer program. We used a rigorous program development process, including conducting a needs assessment, piloting and evaluating the program, incorporating revisions based on feedback, and receiving external…

On December 21, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the First Step Act of 2018 into law. Title I of the First Step Act of 2018 (FSA or the Act) is focused on reforms to reduce recidivism among the federal prison population. Many of Title I's reforms hinge on the creation of a risk and needs assessment system. Under the FSA, the Attorney General…

Many collegiate student athletes dream of professional careers in athletics for their entire lives. However, it is estimated that only 2% of college athletes will have the opportunity to continue their sports career after graduating college (NCAA, 2018). An extensive review of existing literature revealed a lack of support for student athletes as…

College athletics stakeholders have had growing concerns regarding student-athletes' transition out of collegiate athletics. Research specific to student-athletes following college athletics has explored mental health, role identity, and occupational participation. This program development plan addresses occupational therapy's role in assisting…

This article explores how physical educators can help students fight mental health battles through the use of an after-school yoga program.

This study provides a template for and impact from an Asset, Capacity-Based (Altschuld, 2015) needs assessment focused on undergraduate student success. The purpose of this study is: (1) to provide a template and foundation for institutions to follow in gaining a depth of understanding of student needs and assets, as well as institutional…

Our nation's economy and global competitiveness depend on an educated, skilled workforce that can quickly adapt to changes in technology and business processes. Adult educators understand that adult learners need opportunities to obtain workplace and career management skills through work-based learning experiences that prepare them for the complex…

Purpose: A primary responsibility in health education is to assess community health needs, which is often a difficult skill to master for the entry level health educator. This article outlines the outcomes of a long-term study of an undergraduate needs assessment course where students completed a real-world assessment with a community partner…

In Wisconsin, schools strive to create learning environments where all students and staff feel healthy, safe, supported, engaged, and challenged. To realize this vision, districts and schools partner with students, families, and the community to build a comprehensive school mental health system (CSMHS). A CSMHS increases health equity by ensuring…

Evaluation capacity building (ECB) is an essential element for generating credible and actionable evidence on Extension programs. This paper offers a discussion of ECB efforts in Cooperative Extension and how such efforts enable Extension professionals to collect and use credible and actionable evidence on the quality and impacts of programs.…

In this second annual summary of the their work, the Investing in Community Initiative provides practical advice for community leaders and policymakers around four critical issues. First, how should local needs be defined? Chapter 1 argues that data about local economies can show whether communities are best served by creating new jobs,…