Browsing by Author "Lorek Strauss, Andrea"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    4-H & Forestry Afterschool Clubs: A Collaboration to Foster
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009-10) Grant, Samantha; Gupta, Angela; Lorek Strauss, Andrea
    Research indicates that youth who have direct experience in nature mentored by an adult are more likely to choose actions that benefit the environment as adults (Chawla, 2006). The University of Minnesota Extension’s 4-H and Forestry Afterschool program combined the 4-H structure and various forestry curricula to build environmental knowledge and foster stewardship attitudes and behaviors in third through fifth grade club members at three different schools across Minnesota. The program met the goal of involving students in science, a part of 4-H’s national Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) initiative. It also addressed a need identified by professional forestry groups to interest youth in forestry 8 careers. Evaluation results revealed statistically significant changes in the measurement of knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and skills related to stewardship behavior. Correlation analysis showed support for building high quality youth development environments.
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    Conservation Volunteers’ Connection to Nature
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009-10) Guiney, Peggy; Blair, Rob; Lorek Strauss, Andrea; Meyer, Nate; Oberhauser, Karen; Ragar, Amy
    A better understanding of conservation volunteers’ motivation can provide insight into the relationship between humans and nature and help conservation programs increase their 9 effectiveness. We used surveys and interviews of Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteers to explore conservation volunteers’ psychological connection to nature. Almost all volunteers felt a connection to nature, and for most of them this connection began in childhood. Their desire to learn about, benefit, and teach others about nature were important motivators in their decision to take part in conservation volunteer programs, and volunteering helped them to stay connected to nature. Their volunteer activities addressed these motivations, and also provided other personal benefits, including stress reduction, relaxation and exercise. It is important that conservation volunteer programs share information about the environmental benefits that result from volunteers’ work, helping them understand the results of their collective action, and thus increasing their motivation to volunteer.
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    Engaging Natural Resource Volunteers: From Education to Action
    (University of Minnesota Extension, 2014-10) Lorek Strauss, Andrea; Rager, Amy
    Volunteers are an increasingly important tool in the outreach work of Extension, extending our reach to broader audiences. A number of ―master volunteer‖ programs have developed in recent years to meet the growing need for training, coordinating and serving these volunteers. Best practices for working with these master volunteers is a growing area of concentration for many Extension educators. This poster will describe an updated model of the volunteer life cycle based on a survey of existing volunteer models in the literature and like-minded programs. This new model is organized around three phases of volunteering: recruitment/training, service, and assessment with an emphasis on keeping volunteers engaged through all phases of the volunteer life cycle.
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    Observation Protocol for Assessment Tool with Best Practices for Field
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009-10) Carlson, Stephan; Storksdieck, Martin; Heimlich, Joe; Meyer, Nathan; Lorek Strauss, Andrea
    Outreach programs like Environmental Field Days or Water Festivals are often exciting and memorable experiences for children. They include a direct, hands-on connection between students and the science of their environment. The problem is that these events are not always productive educational opportunities. Focused observation and assessment are needed to ensure increased effectiveness and the best possible outcomes. The Best Practices for Field Days (BPFD) Assessment Tool provides systematic observation methods to evaluate the success of Field Days in meeting intended educational outcomes. The Tool measures and assesses the conditions available for learning to take place in an informal science setting. It is composed of two parts: the Individual Assessment Tool to evaluate stations throughout the day and the Holistic Assessment Tool to evaluate the day and incorporate the Individual Assessment Tool information. The poster will describe the development of the tool, testing and the reliability/validity studies conducted on the tool. Copies of the tool will be available to review.