Maryland: New Communities Project Overview

State:  Maryland
Project Title:  Community Youth Connections
Location of Community Projects:   Frederick County, Garrett County, Somerset County
Web Site Address:  http://www.agnr.umd.edu/CYFAR

Project Staff
Kendra WellsState Project Directorklwells@umd.edu
Susan K. WalkerState Project Evaluatorskwalker@umd.edu
Christopher SargentState Project Technology Specialistcsargent@umd.edu

"Through innovative, collaborative practices the Maryland New Communities Project strives to enhance youth development programming in underserved areas of our state."


Description:  In Maryland communities, extension staff are looked to for their expertise in child care provider training to increase the quality of care, nutrition and financial education for low income/at-risk audiences, knowledge of youth development issues and training for youth workers, community-building and group facilitation. Extension educators, staff, adult and teen volunteers are valued partners with county and state government agencies (including Child Care Administration, Department of Education, Department of Human Resources, local housing authorities, local education authorities and local management boards), youth organizations (including Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and community-based youth groups), and non-profit organizations.

Our primary objective in the New Communities Project grant is to enhance youth development programming in underserved areas of our state through innovative, collaborative practices. The three counties selected for the first year of the project have demonstrated a commitment to the CYFAR principles, ability to develop community partnerships and collaborative relationships and willingness to sustain the project beyond the grant funded period.

While each community has developed a program focus that best meets the needs and builds on the resources of the individual committee, overall the project will target:
  • Youth, ages 8-18, in community-based settings for afterschool program participation. Two sites will focus on the use of technology labs.
  • Parents and other caring community adults to be involved in program delivery and support for the youth.
  • Existing community collaborators, including local schools, 21st CCLC programs, Police Activity Leagur, Housing Authorities, CBO's and local government.

Quarterly New Community Project team meetings will focus on connectivity (of sites, participants and NCP team members), project sustainability, and identifying staff development and training for project team members and extension faculty and staff throughout the state.

FY 2004 Accomplishments:  In Year 1 of the Maryland Community Youth Connections Project significant accomplishments include:
  • Start up of three CYFAR NCP sites and conduct of three site visits
  • Identification of graduate and undergraduate students for project evaluation support
  • Development of reporting processes to streamline project, program and financial reports and collection of baseline evaluation data.
  • Site visit conducted by project liaison
  • Communication with Maryland Cooperative Extension Administration about the project
  • Confirmation of web support service to initiate web site design
  • Initiation of Maryland Cooperative Extension Programming with Children, Youth and Families in At Risk Communities Focus Team

Outcomes: State-wide capacity:  In this first year of the project, the initiation of Maryland Cooperative Extension Programming with Children, Youth and Families in At Risk Communities Focus Team is the most significant outcome related to building statewide capacity. This team brings together all interested extension faculty and staff who provide leadership for programs designed to meet the needs of individuals, families and communities. Represented on the team are EFNEP, FSNEP, 4-H youth development and family consumer sciences educators.


Outcomes for Children, Youth, Parent/Families, Communities:  We are in the process of identifying the tools that will be used to collect information about the outcomes for children, youth, parent/families and communities statewide.

Individual site reports provide more detailed information about the data that have been collected in the early stages of this project to document intended outcomes.
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Please Send Comments or Questions to:
swright@csrees.usda.gov
November 21, 2001