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Wasco County Demonstration Site

Goals and Objectives

The central goal of the overall Outreach project is to increase access to community-based youth development programs for Latino youth. Specific goals and objectives have been developed to further define this central goal as it applies to Wasco County.

Goals

Local needs and assets analysis led to the development of two major goals relating to Outreach educational programming in Wasco County. These goals are:

• To increase the countywide capacity of the OSU Extension Service to deliver programs for youth and families and create an inclusive community.
• To deliver programming that facilitates the development of knowledge, skills, and competencies, reinforces cultural identities, and strengthens leadership and other life skills.

Objectives

Educational objectives and supporting activities specifically identify how the program's educational goal will be locally addressed. Latino youth and families participating in Outreach program activities offered in Wasco County will:

• Gain knowledge, skills, and experiences related to a variety of subject matter content.

  Supporting activities: Provide after school programming that meets the needs and interests of Latino youth and families; establish 4-H clubs that are culturally relevant for Latino youth and families.

• Develop and strengthen leadership, service, and other life skills.

  Supporting activities: Examples: Taking on responsibilities for planning, organizing, and implementing group activities; teaching and sharing what has been learned; becoming involved in youth and adult leadership experiences (club leader, advisory group member).

• Enhance their cultural awareness and strengthen their cultural identity.

  Supporting activities: Examples: cultural arts and crafts activities; ethnic food preparation; planning and participating in cultural activities and celebrations in the community; learning about issues that resonate in the Latino community; and working with mentors, teachers, leaders, and older youth who are role models in the Latino community.

Capacity-building objectives are designed to develop and strengthen critical components for planning, creating, and delivering multicultural programs and opportunities that promote positive development for youth and families. These include the following objectives for local project staff:

• Recruit, select, and support bilingual and bicultural staff to assist in project development and implementation.

  Supporting activities: Prepare position description and process paperwork for new staff, recruit and interview viable candidates, hire and orient select candidate. Extension office staff work together to develop and strengthen intercultural communication skills.

• Participate in multicultural training opportunities on an ongoing basis.

  Supporting activities: All local project staff annually participate in at least two training opportunities related to multicultural programming.

• Recruit and train ethnically representative adult and youth volunteers for involvement in program planning and other opportunities.

  Supporting activities: Create an advisory group to provide input to local 4-H programming. Identify other leadership opportunities for youth and adults and develop a plan for recruiting, training, and supporting diverse volunteers to fill those positions.
  

• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships among underserved audiences, service providers, and community organizations.
  

  Supporting activities: Partner with local schools, ESD, the Parks & Recreation District, the Commission on Children & Families, and churches to expand the scope of the program.

June 2005