Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

The Ohio State University

Second Presenter's Institution

NA

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Session 1 Breakouts

Strand #1

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Strand #2

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Relevance

Home – Programs delivered by the Ohio State University Extension faculty are developing adult -youth relationships by exploring those adults in school that can help students reach their goals beyond a high school diploma. Components are building skills in youth (grades 3-11) that allow them to seek support and encouragement from adults for their career goal. Now in the tenth year of operation, postsecondary access programs are enhancing the county’s connection to The Ohio State University and the resources they are providing to Vinton County youth.

Brief Program Description

Ohio State University Extension faculty provide multiple opportunities for rural Vinton County youth to be exposed to postsecondary options throughout their K-12 education. Extension’s commitment to community engagement is highlighted by developing relationships between the schools and the university to deliver a consolidated approach to postsecondary awareness and understanding.

Summary

OSU Extension – Vinton County collaborates with the OSU Office of Student Life’ Buck-I-Serv program and Office of Student Life’s Social Change program to deliver college experiences to rural youth in Vinton County. The Buck-I-Serv program organizes that group of students that spend a week in Vinton County delivering a postsecondary education message to students in grades 3-11 in partnership with OSU Extension faculty. The Social Change program coordinates an on-campus experience for 11th and 12th grade students that allows them to be on campus and shadow a student with a major that aligns with the high school students’ career goals.

Vinton County is a rural, Appalachian county with only 33.6% of adults aged over 25 years having education beyond a high school diploma (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Ohio's Appalachian region is a diverse and unique region that has historically faced severe economic challenges. Many students from Appalachia are first-generation college students often facing additional challenges adjusting to college life, because their family lacks knowledge about "what to expect" at college. This is the tenth year Vinton County has used University partnerships to provide college experiences for over 1400 youth annually. A pre-post assessment showed that 86% of youth indicated an increase in knowledge about postsecondary options and 91% know someone that attended college and can answer their questions about college.

Participants will learn how to develop a university level partnership and implement college access education program with local school districts. Information on how to replicate the program including a detailed scope of duties for each partner involved in making the postsecondary programs a success will be distributed. The session will provide a few examples of options for providing youth development in the county through college access programming efforts using university faculty.

Evidence

Land Grant Universities were established with the 1862 Morrill Act to provide a broad swatch of the population throughout their states with education and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 put a mechanism in place to accomplish that goal. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 charged Land Grants Universities to employ staff, engrained in assessing community needs and delivering education and services to every resident (Bruna, Farley, McNelly, Sellers and Johnson, 2017). Not unlike youths living in urban areas (Bates, Anderson-Butcher, Niewoehner-Green, & Provenzano, 2019), youth living in rural areas are attending resource strapped schools, growing up in households with low adult educational attainment, and lacking access to supports for pursuing postsecondary education options. Exposing youth to pursue higher education is important, as often low-income students view their ability to pursue postsecondary education as limited because of social context and family expectations (Tzenis, 2018).

Bates, S., Anderson-Butcher, D., Niewoehner-Green, J., & Provenzano, J. (2019). Exploration of a college and career readiness leadership program for urban youth. Journal of Youth Development, 14(3), 160-182. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2019.664

Bruna, K. R., Farley, J., McNelly, C. A., Sellers, D. M., & Johnson, R. (2017). If we build it, will they come? Fielding dreams of college access. Journal for Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 21(4), 51-80. https://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/jheoe/article/view/1359/1356

Tzenis, J. (2018). Campus immersion: Supporting youth agency and aspirations for higher education. Journal of Youth Development, 13(4), 134-148. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2018.576

Learning Objectives

Learn how to develop a university level partnership with local university faculty

Explore options for providing postsecondary education programming efforts in the county using university faculty

Understand the structure and logistics for replicating the postsecondary programs in their schools/ county

Biographical Sketch

Travis West has worked for OSU Extension for 20 years serving as 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator in Vinton County. Travis is currently an Assistant Professor and his programming focuses on increasing opportunities for area youth through camping, teen leadership, and college access education. High poverty rates and limited transportation make providing positive youth development for children in Vinton County a continual challenge that requires creative program development techniques. Travis has served in leadership and committee positions at the state and national level for Extension professional organizations. Prior to working in Vinton County, Travis served 6 years in the role of Cooperative Development Specialist serving Ohio conducting risk analysis and feasibility studies for small, emerging cooperative businesses.

Keyword Descriptors

Rural Youth, Youth in Poverty, College Access, University Partnership

Presentation Year

2021

Start Date

3-8-2021 10:20 AM

End Date

3-8-2021 11:20 AM

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Mar 8th, 10:20 AM Mar 8th, 11:20 AM

Postsecondary Access for Rural Youth: Multiple Connections Strengthen Community Engagement

Session 1 Breakouts

Ohio State University Extension faculty provide multiple opportunities for rural Vinton County youth to be exposed to postsecondary options throughout their K-12 education. Extension’s commitment to community engagement is highlighted by developing relationships between the schools and the university to deliver a consolidated approach to postsecondary awareness and understanding.