A Case of Shifting Focus Friction: Extension Directors and State 4-H Program Leaders’ Perspectives on 4-H LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Contemporary Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth are identifying and communicating their identities earlier in childhood than generations before as a result of more awareness and more acceptance of gender identity and sexual minorities by society. A qualitative study of U.S. 4-H program leaders and Extension directors generated an emergent theme around the importance of serving LGBT youth and the resulting implementation challenges. The administrators of 4-H, the largest youth serving organization in the country, recognize the presence of LGBTQ+ youth in 4-H and believe the organization must be inclusive. But challenges remain in ensuring youth experience inclusion at all levels of the organization and to manage political and societal pressures resulting from shifting focus friction.

Support From the Top: Diverse Leadership Partners for Sustained STAR-VA Implementation

The STAR-VA program was an initiative out of what is now called the VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, partnering with the national Offices of Geriatrics and Extended Care and Nursing Services. Ongoing collaboration with these national, as well as regional and medical-center-level leaders, has been critical for informing program implementation and dissemination strategies. We will discuss several key partnered strategies, including (1) linking STAR-VA to national CLC systematic quality improvement efforts; (2) engaging national inter-office program leaders in decisions about outreach to and inclusion of facilities in STAR-VA training and implementation; (3) training local STAR-VA champions on strategies for engaging local leadership support; (4) briefing leaders across the system with program updates; and (5) using national VA data to inform STAR-VA sustained implementation. Discussion will address challenges and opportunities for engaging leadership stakeholders in facilitating sustained implementation of evidence-based programs.

Training Savvy Caregiver Program Group Leaders Through an Online Course

A significant factor limiting organizations’ implementation of the Savvy Caregiver program, a widely disseminated dementia caregiver psychoeducation course, is the need to provide training to program leaders to ensure their understanding of Savvy core principles and strengthen their teaching and coaching skills. Such training has typically been provided through in-person group sessions led by the Savvy developers. To facilitate broader availability, we have embarked on an NIA-supported program to develop a fully online self-paced Savvy train-the-trainer course. The course, delivered individually on a widely used teaching platform, is in seven sections: the first introduces Savvy principles and the trainer role; the next six cover the content and teaching strategies of each of Savvy’s six sessions. In the first development phase, 33 individuals from 13 organizations across the country took part in training (average age 49.5; almost all college level or professional women). Qualitative interviews with 11 trainees and debriefing sessions with others yielded consistently positive responses: the training enhanced their own appreciation for caregiving; they endorsed the self-paced learning and; and it established expectations for positive benefits of Savvy for caregivers. Trainees’ feedback has led to several improvements, including resolving reported technical glitches (e.g., navigating the course). New videos illustrating group delivery methods have been added. Fidelity monitoring strategies are supported as organizations have been encouraged to augment the online training by convening meetings of trainees while in training to enable role playing, and greater personalization is achieved via post-training Zoom meetings with trainees and the Savvy training team staff.

Key Factors in Intervention Implementation, Fidelity, and Sustainability

As part of an NIA-supported effort to develop an online course to train individuals to lead the evidence-based Savvy Caregiver program and to orient sponsoring organizations to the program, we conducted semi-structured interviews to assess success and sustainability “best practices”. Interviews were conducted with 17 leaders and trainers from eleven Savvy-providing organizations. Analysis of these interviews identified two main themes associated with successful program implementation: leadership commitment and trainer ownership. Paramount to success appears to be leaders’ clear understanding of and enthusiastic commitment to the value of the Savvy program to the organization’s constituents. This translated to careful selection, training, management and on-going development of Savvy program trainers. It contributed to leaders’ appreciation of Savvy as a gateway for clients to seek out other programs and services from the organization, while the gathering of meaningful evaluation data (using established outcome-assessment instruments) contributed, in several cases, to garnering more lasting support to deliver the program. Organizations’ commitment to the program was demonstrated by securing the kinds of adequate and appropriate training, typically involving both instruction and modeling, for Savvy program leaders. These efforts fostered a sense of ownership among the leaders – the sense that the program had positive value for the caregivers served. These findings should be of interest both to scholars engaged in the development of interventions and for organizations implementing them. Taken together, the themes highlight several factors for program implementation that maximize the chances of maintaining fidelity to core program principles and ensuring its sustainability.

The Stressful State of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Fellow Job Search Process

Introduction: The workforce of Pediatric Hematology Oncology (PHO) has been evolving over the last decade. Recently, fellowship application volume has declined, with almost half of the programs at least partly unfilled during the previous MATCH. A perceived paucity of PHO jobs for graduating fellows may exacerbate this declining interest in the field. By surveying fellows, fellowship program directors, and PHO division chiefs, this study aims to investigate PHO fellows' preparation for, and experience with, the search for an initial faculty position. Methods: After pilot testing with faculty and fellows, all PHO division chiefs and program directors from 115 programs (N=222) were invited to complete the survey and to disseminate the instrument to their fellows. The survey included questions on demographics, job search preparation, job search experiences including barriers and helpful tools, and consequences for well-being such as stress and anxiety. Results: Some programs chose not to participate, evidenced by representation from 35 states, and many states with multiple fellowship programs only had one response from program leadership. A total of 166 individuals responded to all questions, representing approximately 24% response rate. Of the participants 83 were fellows and 83 were program leaders including fellowship program directors and division chiefs. Nearly 82% (n=136/166) of all respondents believe that PHO fellows are struggling to find a job that aligns with their goals. Program leaders identified common barriers influencing fellows' job search including geographic constraints (N=60/83, 73%) followed by only a few jobs available (N=51/83, 61%), clinical focus constraints (N=43/83, 52%), and few positions being posted (N=41/83, 49%). Fellows who have started the job search process commonly reported geographic constraints as a barrier (N=26/46, 57%), followed by partner employment opportunities (N=17/46, 37%), and their own clinical interests (N=15, 33%). Of 42 open-ended responses written by fellows, almost half (N=18/42, 43%) cited limited number of jobs available, and 21% (N=9/42) cited difficulties related to job postings. Almost half of fellows (47%, n=37/79) reported a lack of formal education on the job search process, as opposed to less than 10% of leadership (n=8/83) who agreed. When offered, education most commonly involved strategies for CV building (37%, n=31/83) and less frequently focused on the rest of the job process including negotiation, job talking, interviewing, and writing cover letters. Nearly all (N=79/83, 95%) of program leaders believe that fellows are somewhat/extremely stressed about the job search process. 75% (n=59/79) of fellows self-reported feeling somewhat/extremely stressed due to the job search process. Nearly 20% (n=15/79) of fellows self-reported severe anxiety over the job search process, and another 25% (n=21/79) reported moderate anxiety. Conclusions: This study highlights numerous shortcomings in the job search process among PHO fellows. A majority perceive difficulty securing a job which aligns with one's goals. While geography was the most cited barrier, finding a position with the optimal clinical focus was also problematic, a finding especially worrisome given the increasing popularity of additional 4 th year fellowship training in PHO. Other commonly recognized challenges surround the number of positions available as well as how those positions are publicized. Importantly, the job search may negatively impact wellness. Fellows' reports of stress and anxiety surrounding the job search, also acknowledged by program leaders should prompt change. Next steps include follow up studies including qualitative interviews to better understand the fellows' experiences, development of educational programs to prepare fellows for the job search process, enhanced career counseling, as well as improved support programs focused on the relevant stressors. Educational interventions to help prepare CVs, cover letters, and practice interviewing or negotiation may be able to help alleviate some of the stress fellows experience while undergoing the job search process. These data represent a need to further understand the PHO workforce to determine why fellows and leadership sense difficulty in securing a position that aligns with one's goals, as well as whether these perceptions represent the realities of the current workforce. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Investigating the accessibility and impacts of cybersecurity programs on high-school girls’ long-term industry engagement

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate whether having accessible cybersecurity programs (CPs) for high-school students affected girls’ long-term engagement with the industry, given that they already had interests in technology. Although much research has been done to evaluate how high-school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs retain girls in computing fields, it is necessary to see if this same long-term engagement exists in cybersecurity-specific programs. Design/methodology/approach In total, 55 members were surveyed from the aspirations in computing community regarding their experience in and accessibility to high-school CPs. A quantitative analysis of such responses was then undertaken using inferential statistical tools and chi-squared tests for independence. Findings The results showed that the existence of CPs alone are not influential factors in increasing long-term engagement with the field, showcasing that the high-knowledge barrier of CPs affects many students (even those with prior interests in technology). Instead, by having multiple occurrences of these programs and providing more cybersecurity resources to areas that lacked them, girls were more likely to report an increased interest in the field. Practical implications Such information can support future program leaders to develop effective, accessible and more targeted cybersecurity initiatives for students of various communities. Originality/value By analyzing the unique interactions of tech-aspiring women with cybersecurity, this exploration was able to demonstrate that women of different computing experiences face a shared barrier when entering the cybersecurity field. Likewise, in comparing these perspectives across different age groups, the investigation highlighted the development and subsequent growth of cybersecurity programming over the years and why such initiatives should be supported into the future.

Addressing Mismatch between TVET Programs and Skill Needs in the Finance and Banking Sector – A Case Study from Qatar

Links between Qatar’s labor market and post-secondary education are not fully effective and often result in neglected or duplicated development of human capital. Therefore, most development efforts occur in isolation involving outmoded programs with many complacent faculty unaware of new technologies and developments relevant to labor market sectors. Analyses of secondary data from government departments and international studies were combined with a survey on “Improving and enriching the Human Capital of the State of Qatar through Identification and Development of 21st Century Skills”. This explored perception of both employers and TVET program leaders toward the skills needed for economic and social development in a changing world by meeting human capital needs through 21st century skills. A total of 85 managers and professionals completed the survey, together with 35 TVET program leaders from one university and five government TVET institutions (the survey was adapted to fit the context of TVET institutions surveyed). Thirty-two of the industry managers and professionals were from Hydrocarbon and Energy, 26 from Built Environment and 27 from Banking Finance sectors. Subsequently, 32 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics using T-test and effect size for comparison, showed a major mismatch between perceptions of TVET program leaders and business finance sector’ managers and professionals in many aspects of 21st century skills requirements. These were mainly in social skills and some specific technology skills. Significantly, the study indicated weak links between employers and TVET institutions. To address these issues, minimizing the skills’ mismatch can be achieved by placing greater emphasis on reforming the curricula of Qatar’s TVET institutions, to facilitate faster transitions into the workplace.

Factors Influencing Medical Students’ Learning Approach in Qatar

Background This study investigated the relevance of the two-factor R-SPQ-2F questionnaire designed by Biggs et al for exploring the learning approaches of medical students in Qatar and identify whether factors like gender, year level, and educational attainment influence student learning. Methods The sample consisted of 108 medical students (44% male, 56% female) from all four years of medical school at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). Participants completed the 20-item R-SPQ-2F questionnaire to measure their learning approaches through a two-factor structural model that contrasts deep and surface learning. Participants also completed a survey collecting demographic information. Results Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in deep learning approaches across year levels for both males and females. Additionally, educational attainment played a significant role in learning approach preference. Conclusions Based on structural equation modeling, this cross-verification study supports the two-factor R-SPQ-2F instrument and offers additional evidence for its robustness and application to medical education. These findings may help educational and program leaders in Qatar better understand medical students’ learning approaches to enhance their pedagogical practices.

Tailoring Dissemination of Evidence to Preferences of Tobacco Control Partners: Results From an Academic-community Partnership

BackgroundTobacco control program leaders and their partners, who often present evidence to policymakers, can increase the use of evidence in program and policy development. However, up-to-date, evidence-based information from the scientific community about what works is slow to reach leaders. We describe efforts to understand and utilize tobacco control leaders’ preferences for receiving evidence and report on resulting dissemination strategies, translational products and outcomes.MethodsThis work is part of the Advancing Science and Practice in the Retail Environment (ASPiRE) Center, an interdisciplinary research center focused on understanding and evaluating tobacco retail policy. Participants were members of the ASPiRE Community Advisory Board (CAB), comprised of tobacco control leaders from 30 metropolitan areas representing all regions of the US plus nine representatives from leading national tobacco control organizations (N=39). During meetings in February 2019 and October 2020, all CAB members were invited to participate in live polls consisting of six survey questions each. Questions addressed preferences for receiving scientific evidence and their anticipated use of ASPiRE translational products. Responses were analyzed descriptively and informed translational product development and communications with ASPiRE contact list members (N»125). ASPiRE email and website interactions were tracked from March 2019 to May 2021 as a complementary indication of content use.ResultsResponse rates for 2019 and 2020 CAB meetings were 66% (n=26) and 59% (n=23), respectively. CAB members indicated preferences for email communication (33%) and webinars (31%), communications once per month (46%), and short-format documents (28%). In response, the team developed translational short-format products including case studies, fact sheets, and research briefs. On average, 52% (SD=14%) of recipients opened the newsletter and 17% (SD=9%) clicked a link within the newsletter. Overall, 95% of responding CAB members found the products useful and all responding CAB members reported using them to communicate evidence to policymakers, staff, and coalition members. ConclusionsOur successful dissemination approach to making evidence more accessible and useable for tobacco control leaders could be adapted by researchers working with community partners to assess and respond to stakeholders’ preferences for receiving evidence in other areas of health policy.

Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research

Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and attitudinal impacts intended by program leaders for the program participants are filtered by citizen scientists and transferred to others. This process involves individual and external phases, each with associated actions. Transference occurred in participants who had maintained a long-term interest in nature, joined a citizen science program, shared science knowledge and experiences, acquired an expert role to others, and influenced change in others. Transference has implications for how citizen scientists are perceived by professional communities, understanding of the broader impacts and contributions of citizen science to wicked problems, program evaluation, and the design of these programs as informal science education opportunities.