Rising food and nutrition insecurity across the U.S. poses a significant health concerns. Despite the expansion of federal support and food aid programs, insecurity persists. This dissertation asks about the extent to which national funding initiatives and local emergency food organizations as mediated by the university-based agriculture Extension…

In an era of increasing complexity, the majority of local land-use decisions in the United States are made by volunteer citizen planners. Often these elected or appointed volunteers enter their positions with a passion for their communities but without appropriate background training. The Michigan Citizen Planner Program was developed to address…

High-quality 4-H programming requires effective professional development of educators. Through a mixed methods study, we explored professional development offered through state 4-H programs. Survey results revealed that both in-person and online delivery modes were used commonly for 4-H staff and adult volunteers; for teen volunteers, in-person…

AmeriCorps engages more than 80,000 men and women in intensive service each year at more than 21,000 locations including nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. AmeriCorps members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they…

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs) are recruited and trained to answer questions and diagnose gardening problems for the public. Most states have developed an EMGV Manual for use in the initial training. Thirty-two EMGV Training manuals from across the United States were reviewed for form and content. While many of the manuals have…

Volunteer recognition is an important component of Extension programs. Most land-grant universities have implemented a state volunteer recognition program. Extension professionals, however, are too overburdened with meetings, programs, and activities to effectively recognize volunteers locally. Utilizing a state model is an efficient means of…

In 1965, President Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act, giving birth to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. The act declared, "Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens. It must therefore foster and support a form of education, and access to the arts…

Volunteers play a vital role in 4-H programs. Without their service, many programs would not be possible. Understanding volunteer motives provides Extension educators with tools for finding high-quality volunteers. The research reported here used McClelland's (1985) framework for motivation (affiliation, achievement, and power) and…

This evaluation study provides information about the implementation and outcomes of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program in West Virginia, from September 2014 through May 2015. The report draws on information from online surveys of 23 directors of 21st CCLC programs and from school teachers for 929 of the 11,299…

Discusses the importance of volunteerism and describes the school volunteer program managed through the Florida Department of Education. (JOW)

Criteria for implementation of school volunteer programs include (1) effective incentives, (2) resources, and (3) political and administrative feasibility. Alternatives for state action include (1) maintaining current state policy, (2) providing leadership by endorsement and mandate, and (3) enacting legislation to provide incentives for…

This guide provides parents of children with special needs information on opportunities to develop and apply leadership skills in Colorado. Introductory material considers the nature of parent leadership, the various roles of parent leaders, and ways to learn leadership skills. The next section describes specific parent leadership opportunities at…

One of six projects funded by P.L. 93-247 state grant money, the Foster Child Advocate Services (FOCAS) Project established a guardian "ad litem" program in which court-approved members of the community volunteered to visit children in Texas State Department of Human Resources Conservatorships. Part I of the report, describing the…

This report evaluates the first 2 years of the Children's Hearings Project (CHP) which mediates in family conflicts involving rebellious and truant adolescents in Massachusetts. The report is divided into 11 chapters. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 describes staff, procedures, and mediator selection and training. Chapter 3 presents…

The paper reports evaluation findings for 1982-83 of the PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights). Section I addresses PACER's parent training project incorporating five levels of activity: public information, general parent workshops, special workshops, advocacy training, and individual information and advocacy assistance.…