2007 Families Count: Family Strengthening Awards
The National 4-H Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Awards, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
These awards are funded with the understanding that they and future winners will spread knowledge of working family strengthening practices throughout the 4-H system, helping other programs recognize themselves as family strengthening programs and infusing family strengthening into programs that may improve through use of best practices. To accomplish this, the awardees participated in a special NAE4-HA seminar at their annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia last autumn; wrote flexible replication plans; and are conducting at least four additional training and information-sharing sessions with their colleagues this year (regionally or nationwide).
Eligible programs are those that merit approval by 4-H Programs of Distinction and significantly involve families, especially those families that are disadvantaged and that live in rural areas. Rural areas are those communities of 50,000 people or less. All programs must promote family strengthening by connecting families to social networks, economic opportunities and/or services and support. The award winning programs are:
Arizona’s Kinship Kare of Northern Arizona, Beth Knisely Tucker
The program is in its fifth year of successful programs in education, support and advocacy for grandparents raising grandchildren, by bringing grandparents and grandchildren together so they might seek favorable conditions to thrive as “grandparent-headed households”. KKONA’s long term goals are to reduce isolation; build healthy relationships; help grandparents meet grandchildren’s basic needs; to advocate for increased awareness and actions from service providers; and to prevent homelessness.
Colorado’s DARE to be You “CARE to Wait”, Jan Miller-Heyl
The program serves families with middle school youth ages 12-14 through expanded social networks and by providing direct services and support. Its aim is to build family strengths by increasing family cohesion and parent efficacy. Families learn accurate information and healthy communication skills needed to successfully communicate to their youth, especially about values around high-risk behaviors such as sexual decision making.
Maryland’s Cyber Town, Lisa Dennis
This is an after-school program for rural youth that provides technology education and bridges the digital divide. The individualized instructional levels are based on the reading level assessment software program, teacher recommendations and reading scores. Many adult family members now volunteer in the lab so they, too, can learn more about technology and work with their child.
Michigan's Journey 4-H Youth Mentoring, Lisa Bottomley
This program serves youth ages 8-17 in Ottawa County by pairing them with caring adult mentors in an effort to reduce the severity and frequency of their delinquent behavior. All youth come to the program voluntarily and are referred by probation officers, therapists and other community agencies, but priority is given to those youth who are currently systems involved. This program has helped families by providing a community support service that helps the youth feel more confident and expect more of themselves, which in turn supports the work of the families.
Pennsylvania’s and Iowa's PROSPER, Claudia Mincemoyer
The program's main purpose is to reduce rates of youth substance use and problem behavior and foster positive youth development. This is accomplished by teaching skills that foster improved family life and parent-child communication and by providing students with skills for planning, problem-solving and peer resistance against problem behaviors.
CYFAR congratulates these deserving winners!
