The Strengthening Iowa Communities for At-Risk Children, Youth, and Families integrates and expands Children, Youth, and Families At Risk programming of Iowa State University Extension and supports three community projects in Davenport, Perry, and Sioux City.

The CYFAR New Communities Project electronic portfolio features the work of community-based projects in Davenport, Perry, and Sioux City. These e-portfolios supplement other evaluation methods in order to capture a rich, more complete picture of these community-based projects.

These electronic portfolios are designed to:

• tell the stories of the Iowa CYFAR projects,
• provide accountability, and
• serve as a resource for other community-based efforts.

Portfolios
Portfolios have been used in formal education to show student growth and development; in art, design, and architecture to show creative, original work; and in business to show a history of accomplishment or achievement. In recent years, portfolios have been used to show the work of community-based programs.

These project portfolios were created to explain and reflect upon the local project work; supplement and strengthen evaluation; and share lessons learned with others. Project staff, community partners, and program participants contribute to the portfolio development. Learn more

Electronic Project Portfolios
Electronic portfolios allow the incorporation of text, graphics, photos, audio, video, and interactivity. They permit information access to local and national audiences through the Internet. Interested persons can learn from the portfolio at their convenience, when most appropriate or beneficial, providing a means for continuous, self-directed learning. Electronic portfolios also provide an opportunity for participants, peers, and funders to review the program and offer feedback. Electronic portfolios are responsive to the evolving nature of community-based programming. Learn more

Through an annual Congressional appropriation for the National Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Program, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allocates funding to Land-Grant University Extension Services for community-based programs for at-risk children and their families. Each year the local project files an annual report with CSREES/USDA. http://www.cyfernet.org/databases/cyfarreporting/public/