CYFC Scholars Program: Results of Ripple Effect Mapping and Implications for Extension Program Design Practices

Abstract

The Children, Youth and Family Consortium (CYFC) leads a multidisciplinary, multi-year, cohort-based, professional development program for five Twin Cities campus faculty and research staff. The program includes two features: 1) an intensive and sustained “Learning Community” to increase capacity of scholars to conduct genuine community-engaged research, explore professional identity as a community-engaged scholar, provide feedback on ideas, discuss interdisciplinary research opportunities, share findings, and build relationships and potential collaborations; and 2) four years of funding ($17k-$25k/year) to support the scholar in proposing, conducting and disseminating a research project to generate new knowledge about CYFC’s focus on the intersection of educational and health disparities and to apply that knowledge to the work of practitioners and policy makers. This poster explores the potential effective ingredients of the Scholars Program, as elucidated through ripple effect mapping, that resulted in individual, institutional and community impact. Implications for Extension education and program design are also highlighted.