**2008 CYFAR Sustainable Community Projects**

**Application Instructions**

 \
**Contents\
 **

**Part I.         Sustainable Community Projects Description\
 **

**Part II.       One National Outcome\
                          **

**Part III.     One Program Model\
                             Guiding Principles\
                             High Context Participants\
**

**  Part IV.     Integrated Program Components\
                             Community\
                             Technology\
                             Sustainability\
**

**Part V.      Selecting Community Sites**

**Part VI:      Logic Model 
                                            **

**Part VII.    Five Year Work Plan       \
** \
  

**Part I:          SCP Program Description**\
** \
**The mission of the CYFAR Program is to marshal resources of the
Land-Grant and Cooperative Extension Systems so they can develop and
deliver educational programs that equip limited-resource families and
youth who are at risk for not meeting basic human needs with the skills
they need to lead positive, productive, contributing lives. While
children and youth living in low income families and high risk
environments face many challenges, CYFAR programs focus on positive
outcomes, rather than only on preventing negative outcomes.\
CYFAR programs expect positive outcomes for all age categories:

-   **Early Childhood:** Children will have their basic physical,
    social, emotional, and intellectual needs met. Babies will be born
    healthy.

-   **School Age (K-8):** School age youth will demonstrate knowledge,
    skills, attitudes, and behavior necessary for fulfilling
    contributing lives.

-   **Teens:** Teens will demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
    behavior necessary for fulfilling contributing lives.

-   **Parents/Families:** Parents will take primary responsibility for
    meeting their children's physical, social, emotional, and
    intellectual needs and provide moral guidance and direction.
    Families will promote positive, productive, and contributing lives
    for all family members.

Since 1991, Youth At Risk (YAR), State Strengthening (STST) and New
Communities (NCP) projects have 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.
These programs have been funded in all states and three territories and
annually reach approximately 30,000 youth and parents in high risk
communities.

CYFAR Projects have two strategic objectives to support community
educational programs for at-risk children, youth, and families based on
locally identified needs, soundly grounded in research, and which lead
to the accomplishment of one of four CYFAR National Outcomes; and  to
integrate CYFAR programming into ongoing Extension programs for
children, youth, and families insuring that at-risk, low income
children, youth, and families continue to be part of Extension / 4-H
programs and have access to resources and educational opportunities.\
 \
CYFAR provides funding for **Sustainable Community Projects (SPC)** in
states and territories having successfully completed 5 years of CYFAR
programming for high need, vulnerable youth and families. The [CYFAR
philosophy](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/family/cyfar/philosophy.html)
is the basis for Sustainable Community Projects. Collaboration is a
central expectation across disciplines, program areas, and geographic
lines as is a holistic approach that views the individual in the context
of the family and community.\
 \
For SCPs, states will select only one national outcome for all community
sites and all community projects will be required to work with the same
program model. Focus on the same outcome and program model across sites
will result in increased consistency in program planning,
implementation, training, and evaluation. It will also expedite
communication across sites and with the university to maximize resources
for community programming. A uniform logic model will be provided for
the purpose of program design, implementation, and evaluation.\
** \
Part II.      One National Outcome\
** \
Critical issues and demographic trends impacting children and families
in the state should be examined when making outcome and audience
decisions. Consider migrant workers; new immigrant children and
families; families coping with military deployments, separations, and
reunions; youth facing issues of drugs, violence, crime, teen
pregnancies, STDs, AIDS, obesity, isolation, poor school achievement;
etc. For SCPs, states will select only one of the four National CYFAR
Outcomes for all community sites \-- ***Early Childhood, School Age
(K-8), Teen, or Parent/Family.*** It is the responsibility of the CYFAR
project staff to create an inclusive process in the state for
determining the single outcome. University and county and community
CYFAR program staff experienced in working with CYFAR programs should be
involved in the decision on selecting the single outcome.

**Part III.     One Program Model**

**Guiding Principles**

Once the CYFAR Outcome is selected, the appropriate CYFAR Guiding
Principles should be considered as a single program model is selected
for all community sites. Guiding Principles for Early Childhood, School
Age, Teen, and Parent/Family [are found on the CYFAR Web
site](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/family/cyfar/scp.html). Selection
of the program model and the relationship of the model to the Guiding
Principles must be thoroughly explained in the application. Suggestions
for descriptors, strategies for implementation and resources are also
posted with the Guiding Principles for use in the development of the
SCP. Whether a state elects to use an established program model or
chooses to design its own programmatic approach, each principle for the
selected outcome must be addressed in the SCP application. Programs have
key and essential components which constitute the structure:

-   Desired short and long term results

-   Age range of high context participants

-   Frequency and duration of contact with the program

-   Group size and staffing plan

-   Program and curriculum content (science technology, community
    service, drama, computer literacy, reading literacy, parent
    education, exercise/fitness, etc.)

-   Standardized training and technical assistance plans for project
    staff

When one program model is selected, these components will be uniform
across all CYFAR community sites.\
** \
High Context Participants**

Research has shown that young people need positive relationships with
caring adults, inclusive and safe environments, to be engaged in their
own learning, to have opportunities for mastery, self-determination, and
to see themselves as active participants in the future and to value and
practice service for others. CYFAR programs are intended to provide
long-term, increasingly challenging educational experiences designed to
meet needs of youth to experience belonging, mastery, independence, and
generosity. High context programming refers to experiences in which
young people and adults have close connections and challenging
activities intended to continue for a significant period of
time. Participants that receive the ongoing, intense interaction with
the program are considered the high context participants and are the
focus of the five-year plan. Other youth and adult audiences benefit
from CYFAR programs and sometimes from the activities of high context
participants. These are an important part of the community strengthening
aspect of CYFAR and should be noted in the five-year plan and reported
on in the Community Section of the Year-End Report.

**Part IV:  Integrated Program Components**

From the beginning, the CYFAR program has focused on purposeful
integration of three essential program components in all community-based
projects. The Community Component captures the ecological approach of
CYFAR projects connecting the projects to existing networks as well as
insuring that the family and community remain strong contexts for
program participants. The Technology Component recognizes the importance
of the teaching and utilization of technology, including technology in
program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The Sustainability
Component needs to be part of initial program planning. Considering how
the project might evolve, change and ultimately become institutionalized
needs to be addressed along with all central issues in program planning.

**Community**

Children, Youth, and Family programs are most effective in reaching long
term and lasting impacts when they involve change in the larger
ecological context of the program audience. For example, pairs of
mentors and youth engaged in a mentoring project are grouped to do an
ongoing community service project aimed at increasing community
connections, or a parent education program is governed by a community
collaboration seeking to lower child abuse rates. The community context
should be integrated coherently into the overall program and serve to
enhance outcomes of the primary program areas of early childhood, school
age, teen or parent/family. The importance of Community is captured in
the following CYFAR statement:

> The CYFAR Program is based on research on effective programs for
> at-risk youth and families and on the human ecological principle of
> working across the lifespan in the context of the family and
> community. To assure that critical needs of children and families are
> met, CYFAR supports comprehensive, intensive, community-based programs
> developed with active citizen participation in all phases. CYFAR
> promotes building resiliency and protective factors in youth, families
> and communities.
>
> (See the [CYFAR Program
> Overview](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/family/cyfar/overview.html)
> on the CYFAR Web site.)

CYFAR recommends choosing at least one of the following three approaches
for integrating this Community component:

-   A Multi-Level Approach

-   A Community Collaboration Approach

-   A Systems Change Approach

These approaches represent a range of complexity and are intended to
give the program developers several potential strategies to effect
change in the programs community context. Program developers can adopt
the best approach for enhancing their primary program outcomes.\
**A Multi-Level Approach** targets program audiences beyond the programs
primary target audience. These programs need to ensure that all program
components are coherently integrated across the different program
audiences. There are 2 primary types of multilevel programs. 1)
Multi-generation programming Programs that work with multiple
generations within a family. 2) Multi-system programming Programs that
work within multiple aspects or levels of the system or organization for
example an academic achievement program might target both students and
teachers.\
 \
**A Community Collaboration Approach** would promote community programs
working through a collaborative group. Programs that promote the most
meaningful involvement through collaborative groups: 1) Seek to promote
community ownership of the program; 2) Establish community buy-in before
program implementation; 3) Advise, or operate when appropriate, the
program through formalized community collaborations; 4) Include
meaningful target population representation in key decision making
groups (1/4 group members with at least 2 per group); and 5) Seek to
build relationships and value all participants\
 \
A collaborative group can have a range of structures and processes to
meet different purposes. The most simple might just seek to increase
community connections by creating relationships among the program
audience and other groups in the community that are not usually
associated for the purpose of relationship building, information sharing
and community empowerment. This might involve intentionally creating
connections among groups in the community, such as community-based
organizations, and across different age groups, races, and SES levels.
Mid level collaborations may seek to develop new program stakeholders
and interest groups to provide program support and/or funding. At higher
levels, programs would be governed by a community board that includes
participants in real decision making roles and mobilizes and organizes
the community to identify and meet its own needs. The ultimate goal of
such a program is for the community to take full ownership of the
project\
 \
**A Systems Change Approach** recognizes interacting social, economic,
and environmental factors that influence the program audience and seeks
opportunities to engage this audience in creating change. This approach
works to facilitate change in the interactions of the target group and
one of the broader systemic levels of the family, work/organization, or
the community. This approach focuses on changing the way things work in
a community to find and address root causes of community issues.

Systems change approaches may begin incrementally or involve rapid
restructuring changes. Again, a range of program methods may result in
system changes. Many times strategic planning work, public issues
education, and leadership development create the possibility for
community change that may then result in changes in the community's
policies, infrastructure, resources, processes, targeted outcomes,
cohesiveness, leadership structure, mobilization, etc.\
\
**Technology**

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are permeating American
society and lives. Parents, children, and grandparents communicate via
email. They use the Web to find needed health and gardening information.
They bank and shop online. Schools require term papers that are
word-processed, illustrated with graphics and tables and including URLs
of references in footnotes. Online directories and maps help locate
people and businesses. Entry level jobs now require technology skills as
inventories of goods and services are maintained with technology.
Technology literacy is fast becoming an essential skill to perform basic
activities of jobs and everyday lives.\
 \
However, adoption of innovations is a slow process. Special efforts to
create low risk/high utility situations must be created. Integrating
technology and the development of technology skills into programs which
serve families and communities at risk is especially important, as
typically they have fewer opportunities to learn. To this end, CYFERnet
and CYFAR programs at national, state and local levels set out to model
the effective and innovative use of ICT. From early on, computers, email
and Internet access and use for both CYFAR staff and CYFAR program
participants was required. CYFERnet set out to provide examples,
opportunities, training and access to information and applications that
would attract and encourage technology use by both staff and
participants.\
 \
The adoption issues for children and youth are even more critical.
Academic standards for using technology as learning, research,
collaboration, multimedia and communication tools have been established.
Commonly referred to as \"21^st^ Century Learning Tools\", it is in the
integration of these tools with cognitive and interpersonal learning
skills (such as problem-solving and teamwork) that youth are enabled to
build the content knowledge and life skills needed to carry out the
complex thinking processes needed to function effectively in 21^st^
Century society. Research on human learning and the brain suggest that
learning these good \"habits of the mind\" is easiest when children are
young and opportunities to practice these skills are plentiful and
available in a variety of settings. It is difficult for children and
youth without early opportunities to ever catch up to their peers, which
has repercussions for their educational and career success and
functioning in the 21^st^ century society.\
 \
An important benefit of technology integrated into the curriculum and
programs for youth and adults is its capacity to create new
opportunities to explore and solve problems. The experiential learning
model used by 4-H is enhanced by technology when real-world problems,
simulations, visualization and analytic tools, connections with experts
and peers, opportunities to test and retest with immediate feedback, and
other ICT interactive uses are incorporated into the program.

For CYFAR community-based programs, [an explicit technology plan should
be developed]{.underline} to ensure that information and communication
technology is appropriately integrated throughout the program design.
Programs should have adequate information and communication technology
infrastructure (hardware, software, network connectivity/mini-labs, and
technology expertise) to support program administration, professional
staff development, educational programming with clients, online
collaboration, and electronic publishing of lessons learned and results.
Specifically, CYFERnet recommends the following to successfully
integrate the technology component in the program plan:\
 \
**Professional Development:** Maintaining and enhancing professional
skills of community-based staff is critical. Information and
communication technology help make these opportunities available to
CYFAR sites that are distributed across the country. Opportunities are
provided for staff through CYFERnet sponsored web and audio conferences
with national experts. Less structured opportunities for program staff
include access to online journals and reports related to their work or
discipline, employee effective search strategies, etc.\
 \
**Program Planning, Evaluation, and Collaboration:** Staff should become
comfortable using collaboration tools to develop joint projects with
other groups and model the use of technology in innovative ways. The
results of their local work with nontraditional audiences (lesson plans,
tip sheets, research briefs, publications) should be considered  for
sharing with others in the CYFAR program so that promising practices can
be reviewed and, where appropriate, disseminated. Online collaboration
tools such as Web logs, listservs, the CYFAR reporting database and
CYFERnet Professionals database should be fully utilized to exchange
information and enhance overall programs.\
 \
**Educational Programming:** The information technology component can be
easily integrated into a variety of educational programs. One method
involves a Tech Team approach to promote the use of technology in
community service and leadership. Youth focus on demonstrating the
effective use of technology, doing community leadership projects and
training other leaders. Another method involves using online education
and collaboration tools such as
"[goCyberCamp](https://www.gocybercamp.org/)" which incorporates both
technology and non-technology based activities. A third method could
involve helping adults learn basic technology skills such as job search
and resume preparation. Whatever local approach is taken, there should
be an integration of online communication, online citizenship, and
health & safety. For adults, the emphasis can be on living in the online
society including the use of technology and the Internet for
communication and information access. Many programs have found success
in teaching basic technology literacy skills to promote client ability
to be more employable.\
 \
For specific ideas on how to integrate technologies throughout your
organization and programs, see "[Technology Utilization Planning for
CYFAR Sustainable Communities Projects](http://www.cyfernet.org/scp/)"
on CYFERnet.

**Sustainability\
** \
Sustaining programs initiated in communities is an obligation of program
professionals. Sustainability is the power or the capacity of programs
to continuously respond to identified community issues. A sustained
program maintains a focus consistent with its original goals and
objectives, including the individuals, families, and communities it was
originally intended to serve. Programs ebb and flow and wax and wane
regarding the breadth and depth of their programming. Some contract and
others expand while yet others truly maintain the original program
activities. Some programs have become aligned with or have become part
of other organizations and established institutions while others have
maintained their independence. Certain programs have kept and offered
the same set of prevention and intervention activities for many years
while others have introduced different activities that are still focused
on their general goals and objectives. The key element of sustainability
is retaining the goal of supporting at risk youth and families by
providing continued benefits, regardless of the particular activities
that are delivered. It is more important to sustain benefits to youth
and families than to sustain program activities per se.\
 \
To most effectively sustain programs for children, youth, and families,
an intentional effort must be made early in the program planning
process. The development of a sustainability plan helps accomplish this
goal. Development of a sustainability plan should consider those factors
that research has demonstrated to be important for program
sustainability:

**Leadership Competence**:  Activities that contribute to high-quality
programs are the responsibility of leaders and include clearly
developing and articulating a programs vision and objectives; performing
regular needs assessments; ongoing program planning and adaptation;
program evaluation; securing funding; fiscal management; supporting and
supervising staff; and providing staff training.

**Effective Collaboration**:  Involves identifying relevant stakeholders
who actively support program goals and who have clearly identified roles
and responsibilities. Collaborative efforts build a broad base of
support in the community and of key stakeholders for program
implementation, success, and sustainability.

**Understanding the Community**:  Entails having knowledge of community
needs and resources; having respect for community members, and involving
key community members in programs. Particular considerations include: 
socioeconomic and political considerations; community participation in
programs; honoring community values and cultural relevance; cultivating
key community leader support; and utilizing indigenous staff.

**Demonstrating Program Results**:  Evaluating program process and
outcomes using acceptable research methods and informing stakeholders of
the results of those evaluations is critical. Evaluation must assess the
intervention and subsequent program modifications focusing on measurable
program results. Evaluation findings can then be used to leverage
current successes for establishing future funding.

**Strategic Funding**:  Includes having plans and resources in place to
support current and prospective program requirements. Intentional
planning for continued funding includes an analysis of short term and
long term funding needs, developing a range of financing options, and
recognizing that sustainability is enhanced when there is diversity in
funding streams.

**Staff Involvement and Integration**:  Inclusion of committed,
qualified staff in program design, implementation, evaluation and
decision making develops a culture that values broad-based participation
in working toward program sustainability and success. Supporting program
goals occurs more readily when staff is an important component in the
organization and makes the organization their own.

**Program Responsivity:**  The ability of a project to adapt programming
to meet changes in community needs is critical. Although programs may
maintain their overall program goals, activities may need change to
address evolving issues and contexts. An important consideration in
programs is the ability of the program to be modified to continually
meet changing community needs and resources.

**Part V. Selecting Community Sites\
** \
After the Outcome and the Program Model for the program are determined,
state university staff should set up an inclusive process to select two
or three SCP sites based on the following criteria:

\(a\) At least 20 percent of the population in targeted communities must
live in households with incomes below the poverty level.\
 \
(b) A minimum of 50 percent of participants at each site must meet one
or more of the following characteristics: family qualifies for a public
assistance program; family income falls below the poverty threshold;
family income is less than 75 percent of the State or county median
income; a parent did not complete high school; youth/family on record
with community, juvenile justice and law enforcement, or social agencies
for things such as foster care, child abuse or child neglect, substance
abuse, eligibility for free or reduced school lunch, and other risk
indicators.\
 \
(c) Commitment to focus on and adhere to the Guiding Principles of the
one selected CYFAR Outcome.\
 \
(d) Adherence to the CYFAR Integrated Program Components Community,
Technology, and Sustainability.

Community sites previously funded by CYFAR State Strengthening, New
Communities, and Youth at Risk projects are not eligible for CYFAR SCP
funding.**\
** \
**Part VI:  Logic Model**

**A Visual Picture of the Program**

Program theory articulates program impact and program process. Logic
models provide a visual picture of program theory. Of primary importance
in developing logic models is establishing and maintaining a focus on
anticipated program results rather than on activities. Logic models help
program professionals, evaluators and stakeholders prioritize and focus
on the elements which are essential to the program. Once the program is
articulated in a logic model, program professionals and researchers are
more able to identity faulty or implausible links early on.

The logic model you are asked to complete for your CYFAR Sustainable
Community Project (SCP) includes five elements: 1) Identified needs and
assets, 2) Desired program results (short-term and long-term), 3)
Indicators (short-term and long-term), 4) Activities, and 5) Resources.
These are found in the [CYFAR SCP Logic Model
Worksheets](http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/family/cyfar/pdfs/SCP_logic_model _ws.doc).
This contains the Logic Model Template worksheet and the Desired Program
Results worksheets to help with detailing information necessary to
describe anticipated results. An Analysis column is included on the
Desired Program Results worksheets that allows you to discuss how you
will analyze the data that are collected.

**1) Identified Needs and Assets**\
The first step is to identify needs and assets in the community which
allow program personnel to clearly identify and understand the issues.
Because this is the basis for the entire program, it is important that
it be defined using accurate and valid information rather than
uninformed hunches. Be sure to look at needs and assets at many levels,
from the community systems such as health, education, legal, etc. to
families and to children and youth. Needs and assets analysis is a
systematic way of gathering information that examines needs and helps
set priorities for action while also recognizing the assets that already
exist in a community.\
 \
In the logic model process the information that evaluators gather to
help understand severity of a problem also assist in determining program
priorities, and program results that accrue from program activities.
Census data, observations, records and existing data bases, and
literature reviews are sources of existing information to identify needs
and assets of targeted children, youth and families.\
 \
**2) Desired Program Results**\
The second step in the logic model process is articulating the desired
results or changes expected because of the program. This is arguably the
most important aspect of a logic model because it provides the focus
that all successful programs need. The question is: At the completion of
the program/intervention, what will be different?  Specifying expected
program results is useful because it enables program professionals to
assess whether their program/intervention is appropriate and perhaps
what changes are necessary to insure that the program meets needs and
really can be expected to lead to the desired outcomes.\
 \
For the CYFAR SCP Logic Model, programs will identify short term and
long term results. All SCP projects are expected to measure a limited
set of short term results and long term results and report on them
through the CYFAR year end report.

Generally, changes in knowledge, skills, and attitudes, are considered
short term. Short term results are usually concrete and measurable;
directly linked to the curricula or project activities; and can be
accomplished in a specific timeframe. Behavior changes can be considered
either short term or long term. Long term results must be directly
linked to short term results. The program design will determine how the
short and long term results are defined for CYFAR Sustainable Community
Projects.\
Some SCP programs will be able to measure long term results that reflect
program effects that extend beyond knowledge, skills, attitude, and
behavior changes. If the program design calls for community change
through participant behavior, then those changes can be identified as
long term results in the logic model. Examples might include:

-   Changes in school climate,

-   Improved neighborhood safety,

-   Increased support for parents and families,

-   Increased support for youth entering post secondary education.

The key is through participant behavior these long term results would
follow short term results for the selected CYFAR audience.\
 \
The design of the selected program will determine whether a long term
community result is appropriate for the CYFAR SCP Logic Model. Some
CYFAR projects, such as the youth engagement projects, may not be able
to articulate all of their long term results at the beginning because
best practices for youth civic engagement programs dictate that program
staff work with youth collaboratively to identify critical community
issues. Once participants and staff identify their specific expected
community results, these can be added to the CYFAR SCP Logic Model in
second or subsequent years.

  \
**Limit the Number of Expected Results\
**Recognizing that CYFAR programs are broad based and participant needs
and interests are many, programs frequently have many components.
However, it is essential to select no more than three short term results
and no more than 3 long term results for this logic model. Short term
results will be required on each CYFAR SCP year end report. Specify the
time or times during the five years when long term results will be
reported whenever a cohort completes their involvement in the program
and at the end of the fifth year.\
 

**3) Indicators**\
Indicators flow logically from the desired program results. What shows
that the results have been achieved? What is the evidence?  Using
appropriate program indicators, program activities and results can be
measured and tracked. Indicators can be far-ranging, including results
from surveys and focus groups, scores on standard measures, agency
administrative data, and population data. Evaluation Work Sheets are
included to help specify program indicators for each program goal.

**4) Activities**\
Activities describe programs that are implemented to achieve the desired
results. Program activities must be clearly linked to desired results.
Attention to the choice of programs, research upon which it is based,
population to be served and critical elements of successful programs
must all be considered. Use the CYFAR Guiding Principles for the
National Outcome chosen for your project, to determine appropriate
activities for projects based upon the desired results.\
 \
**5) Resources**\
Resources include the people, stakeholders, curricula, spaces,
approvals, funds and any thing else needed to conduct the activities to
achieve the desired results to meet the identified needs and capitalize
on the available assets. **\
 \
Monitoring and Evaluation**

An important part of the logic model is how the intervention will be
monitored and evaluated, including program implementation and intended
results. Monitoring and evaluation serve to:

-   Identify the initial extent of need;

-   Track how the need may change over time;

-   Document how well program implementation protocols are being
    followed;

-   Mark progress toward achieving results;

-   Know when results have been met;

-   Discern how resource use has supported particular program efforts
    and subsequent results.** **

**Part VII:  Five Year Work Plan**\
 

CYFAR SCP applications will describe how the selected program model will
be implemented over 5 years. The Work Plan will include tasks such as
staffing, recruiting participants, recruiting volunteers, establishing
key partnerships, program implementation, marketing and promotion,
materials development, training staff and volunteers, etc. CYFAR
projects may not have the same participants for the full five-year plan.
When there are 2 or more high context cohorts planned for the five years
of the project, each should be noted in the five year plan timeline

Revised 9 25 07