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Current Community Projects:
Buena Vista County
Waterloo
 
Past Community Projects:
Davenport
Perry
Sioux City
Dubuque
Union County
Council Bluffs
Des Moines
Postville
 

ISU Extension to Families

Extension to Families Staff

CYFERnet

Past Community Projects

Youth at Risk, State Strengthening, and New Communities Projects served as the CSREES mechanism for funding community-based projects and expanding statewide capacity for supporting and sustaining programming for at risk youth and families. The Sustainable Communities Project is the currently funded project.

New Communities Project (2001-2006)

The "New Community Project continued the integration and expansion of Children, Youth, and Families At Risk (CYFAR) programming into Iowa State University Extension and to support three community projects: Davenport, Perry, and Sioux City.

Davenport
Jennifer Best, ISU Extension Field Specialist
Becky Bray, Scott County Extension Education Director

Perry
Beth Fleming, ISU Extension Field Specialist
Jeff Macomber, ISU Extension Field Specialist
Rosa Morales de Gonzales, ISU Extension Field Specialist

Sioux City
Sherry McGill, Woodbury County Extension Education Director

computer

NCP Electronic Portfolio (last updated August 2005)
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.

State Strengthening Project (1995-2000)

The State Strengthening Project carried out a comprehensive plan to expand statewide capacity for implementing programs that reflect CYFAR philosophy and supported two targeted community projects: Union County and Dubuque.

The CYFAR Committee was formed from the combination of the Plight of the Young Child and the Youth at Risk committee members to advise and guide the State Strengthening (STST) application and implementation. In the 1999, the CYFAR committee transitioned to the Family Policy That Works Plan of Work.

Dubuque
Beverly Berna, ISU Extension Field Specialist
Kelly Tallman, ISU Extension Field Specialist

Union County
Suzanne Johnston, ISU Extension Field Specialist
Sharon Wasteney, Union County Extension Education Director

computer

STST Electronic Portfolio (last updated February 2002)
The CYFAR project staff chose to utilize portfolios to explain its work, supplement the project evaluation, receive program feedback, and to share the learning with others.

 

CYFAR Mini-Projects (1998-1999)
Due to reallocation of Iowa's CYFAR funds in the final year of grant funding, on June 1, 1999, the Project Team requested proposals from community-based efforts for awards in the range of $3,000-5,000. The team was interested in proposals that connected families at risk to the community; built community capacity to address needs or built strengths of youth, children, families, and communities; and developed learning partnerships within communities around the issues of family/community change.

Four mini-projects were funded from the 22 proposals submitted. The selection team was extremely pleased with the quality and quantity of the proposals and offers their thanks to all who applied.

"Moving Toward Celebrating Diversity"
submitted by Fran Passmore, Brenda Ranum, Beverly Berna, (Extension Specialists) and Postville Cultural Diversity Committee

"Henry County - Together We Can!"
submitted by Healthy Henry County Steering Committee: Linda Albright, Community Health Director; Dave Christensen, Mt. Pleasant Community Schools; Gayle Olson, ISU Extension; Janet Smith, Henry County Extension Education Director; Anita Hampton-Early Childhood Consultant; Sara Maher, Resource and Referral Home Visitor; Beryl Shahan, Henry County CARES; Tracy Branch, Winfield School Daycare Director; Mary Crooks, ISU Extension; and Sharon Ford, Southeast Iowa Community Action

"Nevada Parents As Teachers"
submitted by Carolyn Manning, Story County Extension Education Director; Shelly Dilks, FNP, Story County Extension; Cindy Weigel-Garrey, Director - Nevada Community Resource Center; and Lisa Nikkel, Family Resource Specialist - Nevada Community Resource Center

"Comm-unity Garden Enhancement"
submitted by Becky Bray, Scott County Extension Education Director; Jennifer Best, ISU Extension Educator; and Garden Growers

Priority was given to proposals that conformed to the statewide vision for programming with children, youth, and families at risk and included one or more of the following:

  • Demonstrates community-level collaboration
  • Focuses on the family, builds on family strengths, and comprehensively addresses family needs
  • Takes a preventative approach
  • Encourages voluntary participation
  • Respects individual and cultural differences
  • Uses an empowerment model
    • Incorporates at least one of the following educational components:
      a. public policy and/or leadership education to empower families
      b. community action planning that includes needs and/or strengths assessment and program prioritization
      c. parent education about child development, nutrition, discipline and guidance, budgeting, stress management, housing, job seeking, selecting childcare, and accessing services.

 

Youth at Risk (1991- 1997)

The first CYFAR funded projects were the three Youth at Risk projects:

  • Council Bluffs Community Coalition Targeting High Risk Youth coordinated parent education and youth and family services.
  • Model City/Woodland Wilkie Project focused on science and literacy for Des Moines youth.
  • Postville Child Care Services was a rural model for before and after school child care.