OSU CARES - 2003 Seed Grants

Impact of Ohio Economic Development through Outreach to the Business & Industry Community

The grant project provided training, coaching and mentoring of Extension personnel to demonstrate how to get maximum exposure for current projects and how to expand programming into the business and industry community by partnering with the Center for Corporate and Community Education on the OSU Mansfield Campus and the Alber Enterprise Center on the Marion Campus. The direct outcome of the project was an increase in the cost recovery of the current Extension programs, and revenue generation by new programs implemented through the partnership with the regional campuses' workforce development Centers. The project provided information about the Marion and Mansfield Centers and how Extension personnel could access their training resources. Resources of the Centers included personnel who could assess the workforce development needs of business and industry, select a solution to the identified needs, write a proposal for each individual project, and generate commitment from companies for the project along with an agreement to complete it.

The grant project also demonstrated to Extension personnel the Consultative Selling Process and how to incorporate its techniques into their current programs within the community. This process includes how to write proposals for current Extension programming that will generate revenue for the Extension unit. The project demonstrated new marketing strategies and ways to generate commitment from key community entities to partner in outreach programs. The training helped Extension personnel develop marketing strategies for programs that drew upon their skills and abilities and marketing strategies to add new programs in the workforce development arena through the partnership with the Marion and Mansfield Centers. In addition, the training helped Extension personnel market the value of OSU Extension to the community, in particular to key stakeholders such as County Commissioners, economic development representatives, elected officials, and key business leaders. A direct outcome of this grant project was to build a strong, mutually beneficial partnership between the two OSU regional campuses' workforce development Centers and OSU Extension. The Marion and Mansfield Campuses are a resource for training and consultative services that can be provided at the OSU Learning Centers or through the Extension locations in the 88 counties of Ohio (such as computer training, video conferencing, or customized training or other workforce development services).

Tailored Professional Development for Appalachia Ohio Local School Districts

This grant strengthened the partnership between OSU Extension and the College of Education to collaboratively provide tailored professional development courses to K-12 teachers in the Appalachian region of Ohio. The project identified needs of K-12 teachers for professional development, planned and developed graduate level courses tailored to the needs, and delivered courses through the South and East Learning Centers. Appalachian teachers needed access to graduate courses within the area in which they work and live at times that accommodate full-time teaching duties. Teachers gained valuable tools and resources needed to increase student performance in the classroom and improve achievement in statewide proficiency tests. Tailored graduate courses enabled Appalachian teachers to meet the changing licensure requirements to become "qualified" K-12 teachers in Ohio.

This application requested a second year of funding (see 2002 Grants) to support the Planning Education at a Distance program that is a combined effort of the OSU Extension Land Use Team and OSU's City and Regional Planning Program. This grant was used to fund the development of an on-line course to train Board of Zoning Appeals members about the zoning and variance process and an on-line course on Comprehensive Planning. See http://knowlton.osu.edu/ped/zoningbasics.asp.

Promoting Parent Involvement in P-12 Institutions through Parent and Community Capacity Building

Parents' involvement in the lives of their children is key to students' academic achievement and overall healthy development. As such, it is critical that strategies aimed at enhancing children's success in school utilize parent involvement and community capacity building strategies. This grant was grounded in this philosophy, as it aimed to build partnerships among stakeholders in the community and establish social support and capacity among parents. It aimed to continue to formalize a partnership between the College of Social Work, the College of Human Ecology (Human Development and Family Science) and the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (4-H partnership). Also, the team worked with the University District Neighborhood to understand the community needs and strengths and to begin community capacity building among those parents who have a child attending one of the schools. With youth and families in the University District as a focal point, this grant gave the team the common project of community capacity building on which to work. Although the process of developing the partnership was difficult to measure, evidence of the relationships built and the products of such a process was used as evidence of its success.

The College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences includes the Departments of Astronomy, Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. The dean envisioned the creation of a new position of Extension Specialist to be established in the college office. This specialist would be someone well-versed in education issues and Extension programs. He or she would seek additional K-12 school and university partnerships for the ultimate purpose of increasing the understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts among children. The extension agent would serve as liaison to local school districts and the Colleges of Education, Engineering and Biological Sciences, and provide direction and coordination for programs that enhance science and math curricula, especially those beyond the normal school day. Programs may include summer workshops for teachers if appropriate. Program development would be done in conjunction with MAPS faculty, particularly those who are education specialists, and existing outreach programs such as "Wonders of Our World" (WOW) from Chemistry, the Environmental Molecular Science Institute, (EMSI) and the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Center (MSLC) in the College of MAPS. Assistant Dean Andrew Heckler, well-versed in state science benchmarks, would offer expertise in designing curricula that could help students acquire the knowledge needed to meet these benchmarks. The partnership between MAPS and Extension would provide an opportunity to test curricula at existing 4-H After School programs, and eventually expand some of the curriculum components to 4-H program books and even in-school programs, allowing the best practices to be carried out state-wide. The team also planned a local partnership with the African-American and African Studies Community Extension Center, located at 905 Mt. Vernon Ave. in Columbus as another venue to test curricula in after-school or summer programs.

Taking OSU Educational Efforts to the Latino Community was designed to identify, develop potential, and strengthen the leadership skills of individuals in the Latino community. Under the direction of a diverse planning committee consisting of twelve professionals representing human services, elementary and higher education, the private sector (financial institutions), and three Latino residents, participants for this conference were recruited using a variety of Latino media outlets. Dr. Lupita Quintanilla, President of the Cross-Cultural Communication Center of Houston, was the keynote speaker.She shared her life story about how she met life challenges that prepared her to become a renowned community leader. To ensure that relevant topics were presented at the conference, three focus groups were conducted with local Latino residents.In addition, to increase the research base of the Latino community in the Greater Columbus Metropolitan area, and to provide evidence to private industry for current and future support of OSU educational activities for sustainability, a minimum of 1,500 local Latino residents completed a field-tested survey.

The OSU Youth Sports Initiative was an outreach effort to develop an interdisciplinary partnership team of faculty and staff from the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services (PAES), OSU Extension 4-H, and the Cultural Studies Section in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership. This was developed in cooperation with representatives from other departments such as the OSU Department of Human Nutrition and the OSU Department of Athletics, and from local athletic conferences and other stakeholders who work to improve the sports experiences of youth throughout the state by providing them and their coaches with current, research-based information, resources, and experiences to develop participant knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations in such critical areas as sports ethics, character and sportsmanship; developmental level-appropriate training; sports nutrition; and life skills such as goal setting, time management, conflict resolution, leadership, and career education.

A key part of the initiative was a series of in-service programs and workshops for volunteers and coaches who work with youth athletes. Sportsmanship workshops and in-service programs for utilizing the new 4-H You're The Athlete project were conducted with volunteers and coaches in county and district programs throughout the state, as well as during the Ohio 4-H Volunteer Conference on March 8. In addition, the planning committee completed plans for two OSU Youth Sports Coaches' Workshops to be held on the OSU Campus March 29 and June 7.

The grant was submitted by Kathryn Cox, OSU Extension; William Morgan, School of Educational Policy and Leadership and David Porretta, School of Physical Activity and Educational Services

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