Extension to Families page Hyperlink to ISU Extension to Families Hyperlink to Families Extension Staff Hyperlink to Success Stories Hyperlink to Who Should I Contact? Hyperlink to Find It Hyperlink to For Staff

Families Together
Staff Involved: Paulelda Gilbert, Barb Wollan, Eugenia Hanlon

Problem:
Parents are faced with a variety of stress related to all aspects of family life, ranging from what to fix for dinner, how to deal with a toddler, to the basics of home budgeting. However education often does not come packaged to meet those needs. Additionally in rural Iowa access to readily available group educational setting is difficult.

Action:
Based upon the identified need for consistent parent education needs in rural Iowa, the Communities 4 Children staff approached Iowa State University Extension. Upon their request, Families Field Staff Paulelda Gilbert, Ruth Freeman and Eugenia Hanlon came together to develop a monthly program series “Families Together”. This series utilizes the specific subject matter expertise of each field specialist to compose a series of program offerings that take a holistic approach to providing quality education. Each of the four counties involved in Communities 4 Children host one of these monthly sessions to encourage those with limited transportation options to attend.

This programming model was implemented for a one year period of time. Due to the success of the initial programming year Iowa State University Extension staff was asked by the Communities 4 Children Decatorgization area to develop a series of programming for a second year. For the second year of programming Paulelda Gilbert, Barb Wollan, and Eugenia Hanlon served as the ISUE staff implementation team. Based on the careful evaluation of the previous year, ISUE staff revised the implementation and publicity strategy for the series.

Results:
The new year of programming has just begun but the effectiveness of the teaching strategies has been noted in the program evaluations.

84 % of participants reported that they had gained 1 or more big ideas that they would use in the coming week with their family.

Specifically related to a lesson on the importance of play parents reported:

  • “Reassurance of my own ideas are okay and continue to use them daily”
  • “Encouraging older children to play. This session made me feel more confident about activities I am doing…”
  • “I learned types of play and will encourage types appropriate for my child.”

Related to the series in general participants reported:

  • “I like the length of the meetings and I will use word of mouth to encourage more attendance.”
  • “This series works great into my schedule.”

Contact:
Eugenia Hanlon
Family Life Field Specialist
Box 233 521 4th St. Rockwell City Iowa 50579
Phone 712-297-8611; Fax 712-297-7011
E-mail ehanlon@iastate.edu

..........more stories....................!

Hyperlink to ISU Extension Calendar Hyperlink to ISU Extension Publications Hyperlink to ISU Extension Hyperlink to College of Human Sciences Hyperlink to Iowa State University Hyperlink to ISU Extension Calendar Hyperlink to ISU Extension Publications Hyperlink to ISU Extension Hyperlink to College of Human Sciences Hyperlink to Iowa State University Hyperlink to ISU Extension Calendar Hyperlink to ISU Extension Publications Hyperlink to ISU Extension Hyperlink to College of Human Sciences Hyperlink to Iowa State University Hyperlink to ISU Extension Calendar Hyperlink to ISU Extension Publications Hyperlink to ISU Extension Hyperlink to College of Human Sciences Hyperlink to Iowa State University Hyperlink to ISU Extension Calendar Hyperlink to ISU Extension Publications Hyperlink to ISU Extension Hyperlink to College of Human Sciences Hyperlink to Iowa State University

Last update: January 31, 2007 
Non-Discrimination Statement and Information Disclosures

Hyperlink to Iowa State University Hyperlink to College of Family and Consumer Sciences Hyperlink to ISU Extension Hyperlink to ISU Extension Publications Hyperlink to ISU Extension Calendar