While there is a growing body of scholarship related to LGBTQ+ inclusive practices among adolescents in 4-H, there is currently no research focused specifically on elementary school aged youths. This paper identifies research-based strategies to foster LGBTQ+ inclusivity among elementary school aged youths in 4-H and provides recommendations for…

The challenges faced by youth can hinder them from reaching their full potential or help them grow and develop as they overcome their challenges. Grit and resilience provide young people with the skills, confidence, and perseverance to overcome challenges, pursue their goals and thrive. In this article, the authors examine the complex constructs…

An important pre-condition to diversifying the workforce of land-grant extension services is access to qualified ethnic minority individuals with an awareness and interest in pursuing extension careers. This paper highlights an example of collaboration between the K-State Research and Extension office and an educational research program at Kansas…

Purpose: To assess how the primary actors within farmers' microAKIS (self-assembled knowledge networks) changed as a technology evolved, utilising a case study of precision farming. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 farmers in two Czech Regions. Findings: The evolution of digital technologies led to an ongoing,…

This study examined factors that shape how nursery growers perceive automated nursery technologies and evaluate how these perceptions relate to growers' adoption. We applied Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations to understand growers' perceptions of automated technologies to inform Extension programming serving niche audiences in the nursery and…

Understanding and identifying the professional development needs of 4-H youth development professionals should be the first step in developing the Extension workforce. However, 4-H professionals find it challenging to use the Professional, Research, Knowledge and Competencies (PRKC), which consists of 348 unique competency items, to guide…

Purpose: This paper deals with the system level empirical analysis of Extension and Advisory Service (EAS) characteristics in India which help in identifying the functional nature of a pluralistic extension system. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses the 'Best Fit' framework for analysis of EAS of 36 organisations and applies criteria of…

This study sought to provide insight into whether Georgia Extension meets the needs of its clients farming in rural areas, specifically row-crop farmers in rural Southeast Georgia. This qualitative study utilized a semi-structured interview of four purposively selected Southeast Georgia row-crop farmers. Three themes and seven sub-themes emerged…

The Developmental Stages of an Extension Professional (DSEP) model depicts how professionals can move through the stages of service, education, management, and leadership to build volunteer and program capacity. It encourages Extension professionals to assess the situation and adjust their leadership style. Researchers used a mixed methods…

Purpose: This paper seeks to understand what influences research and extension professionals' intentions to use AIS approaches and to explore how this can inform implementation and design of more effective AIS. Methodology: We applied the Reasoned Action Approach through focus groups and structured questionnaires with research and extension…

Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) educators are uniquely positioned to support the food recovery organizations (FROs) which address hunger-related needs resulting from food insecurity. Based on an online survey to measure how VCE educators have engaged with FROs and their experiences, respondents who previously supported FROs did so across…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect youth value of mindful living, namely, selected demographic variables, awareness of mental events, awareness of physical sensations, and nonjudgment of emotional experience. This quantitative study utilized a paper and pencil survey method to address the study objective. Study…

Purpose: To examine the evaluation competencies extension professionals need to develop and the challenges faced by early career extension professionals when they evaluate their extension education programs. Design: We conducted two studies that utilized a three round Delphi technique to come to consensus on the core program evaluation…

Since 1902, 4-H Youth Development programs have been implemented by Cooperative Extension agents or educators for teaching, influencing, and leading youth to new life skills that can positively impact their futures. The 4-H motto is "learn by doing" and is practiced with a hands-on learning approach. Unfortunately, during the COVID-19…

Leadership development programs are an exploratory journey that develop Extension faculty to better themselves in service to the organization. In an effort to mitigate potential barriers for participants, it is imperative that organizations work to create conditions conducive for success. We posit barriers for extension professionals include,…