This is a good reminder to me to consider our statewide goals and objectives even in my own projects!

The 4-H Bridging research is about helping youth (and families and teachers) recognize that learning outside of the classroom makes us stronger learners. So I would pick the following statewide outcome indicators:

Near-term Outcome Indicators (KASA)

 (5.1a) # young people who discover and explore their Sparks through 4-H experiences

 (5.1b) # young people who experience Developmental Relationships in 4-H

(5.1d) # youth who enjoy a challenge and like to explore new things (Openness to Challenge & Discovery)

 (5.1h) # youth who strive to connect with something bigger than themselves (Transcendent Awareness)

 
More largely - my hope is to help youth identify as scientists, mathematicians, ecologists - that can apply their OST experiences to life problem solving. We are going to need big-picture problem solvers for some big harry problems of the world!

For our grant our plan of work was just re-written to reflect results for the entire grant period instead of yearly results. Reading over the plan of work really reminds me of the objectives of what my position is. Looking at the state-wide plan of work really helps to remind me what the goal of the state is and that my grant and project are in line with the needs of people in the area. Below are the items that line up with my project.
1.7. Urban Agriculture/Urban Gardening
(1.7d) # participants reporting skills and knowledge to better plant, maintain and harvest produce as a result of Extension interaction.
(1.7e) # urban gardeners reporting that they are not growing food to feed their families because of Extension interactions.
1.7 Urban Agriculture/Community Building
(1.7q)# organizations partnering with Extension Educators

There were a lot to choose from and it was good to reflect on them and understand the big picture goals of the state. Working the farmers market yesterday made me able to really be in the community and learn about what they truly need. One lady told me that the biggest issue is that people do not know about events that are going on. She recommended better advertising for events and better locations for signs. For me that was something to keep in mind and really ensure that when we plan events that in order to get maximum participation we advertise properly.

(3.3b) # consumers who report savings on energy costs attributable to adopting alternative
energy sources
(3.4e) # community agencies/organizations reporting savings on energy costs attributable to
adopting alternative energy sources
(5.4e) # communities documented to have taken action to address family needs that can be
related to educational programs and/or critical community collaborations provided
(5.4f) # of participants reporting to have improved volunteer and/or
employment/career/business skills and opportunities
(5.4g) # of participants reporting to have increased awareness of and/or benefited from
community supports and services to enable personal and family stability in times of change

These can apply toward carpool/vanpool services, utilizing multi-modal and public transportation instead of single-occupancy vehicle travel, etc.

One of the unique challenges in working specifically in transportation is having to adjust my perspective as it applies to other CCE programming. PDLC has provided a great opportunity to think about this: when it comes to broader ideas, I really need to zoom out and think about larger implications and systems. When it comes to the day-to-day work we do (and sharing it with other parts of CCE, or partners), it's valuable to be incredibly detailed and specific about what that looks like, so that others better understand what we do, or how that work could be applied to other programs.

• Statewide assessment plans, indicators and outcomes:
Indirect program + direct programs = awareness, intention to try new skills, changes in behavior

• My project assessment plans:
Mirror the states plans, with indirect and direct programing and outreach tactics. The assessment techniques I will use are, looking at demographic data, surveys – entrance and exit, tabling events, and discussions in forms of meetings and workshops.

• CCE Statewide plan of work goals that relates to this project:
1) Improved waste management and waste reduction efforts will result in an enhanced and
protected environment, including soil, air, and water, and reduced risk for individuals and
families.
2) Healthy ecosystems.
3) Youth, families, communities, farms, businesses that engage in long term planning for proper
use of natural resources, sustainable energy, and environmental priorities.
4) The economic vitality of agriculture/horticulture/natural resources and other businesses is
improved, the health of individuals and families is enhanced, and local government operations are made more sustainable through waste reduction and economical and safe management of
waste.


• My Project goals:
Short term goal:
The school signs up for composting programs, the students learn/ go through a training on what composting is and what you can and can’t compost. They retain the information and start the composting initiative applying their knowledge with guidance and support.

Midterm goal:
The school is actively composting, students and staff are engaged and need little support and guidance. They have a solid understanding of the process and a good routine. A composting club is established and has a working routine between students and staff, school waste is reduced – schools may have their own goal ex) 10-20% , they are effectively executing their plan.
Other schools within the community and neighboring communities recognize the healthy sustainability practices and positives from waste reduction management of the school currently applying the composting initiative and begin an interest in starting an initiate and seek guidance from CCE BC.

Long term goal:
The school no longer needs active guidance and has a self- sufficient composting club. They are able to use their own compost for school sustainability or donate to community. School waste is reduced by a significant amount and the longevity of the program looks sustainable – reached 5 consecutive successful years.
2 or more schools within the county have adopted a school wide composting imitative. We see improved waste management and waste reduction within these school. Their efforts will result in an enhanced and protected environment, including soil, air, and water, and reduced risk for individuals and families.


• Project goals relate to state wide plan:
(3.5a) # agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and business representatives,
community leaders, and/or residents who demonstrate knowledge gains about waste
management and reduction.
3.5b) # agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and business representatives,
community leaders, and/or residents documented to have modified existing practices or
technologies and/or adopted new practices to manage and reduce waste.
(3.5c) # agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and business representatives,
community leaders, and/or residents documented to have reduced costs through improved
waste management practices.
(3.6a) # agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and business representatives,
community leaders, and/or residents documented to have modified existing practices or
technologies that will assist with natural resources management and the environment.

Based on your early needs assessment conversations, review the CCE Statewide Plans of Work. Choose 2-5 statewide outcomes that could be used to frame the work of your program.
1. FOOD SECURITY - “Food security activities may be aimed at both/either nutrition and garden-based efforts which address culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate, safely grown diets and sustainable growing projects through a variety of means, including school and community gardens and youth-led food systems activities” (CCE Statewide Plans of Work Rework 2023, p.29).
2. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP – “(6.5h) # community implemented sustainable gardening spaces (# demonstration gardens, community gardens, school gardens supported by MGV site visits” (CCE Statewide Plans of Work Rework 2023, p.51).

Identify (and submit by forum) Statewide Plan of Work Outcomes (short or mid-term) that relate to your project.
1. youth who enjoy a challenge and like to explore new things (Openness to Challenge & Discovery)
2. (5.1e) # youth who embrace new experiences as a growth opportunity and welcome challenges (Growth Mindset)

LOGIS MODEL PLANNING
What we invest:
• Volunteer time
• Curriculum and program development resources
• Physical resources such as raised beds, tools, soil, seeds, etc
• Garden-based knowledge

What we do:
• Garden club, PK garden activities, afterschool garden program, garden-themed weeks at summer camp

Who we reach:
• School-aged children
• Master gardener volunteers

What the short term results are:
• Participants will be able to tell about plants, vegetables, and food
• Participants will be able to describe what plants need – water, soil, sunlight

What the medium term results are:
• Responsibility– from caring for plants
• Understanding– as they learn about cause and effect
• Reasoning and discovery – learning about the science of plants, animals, weather, the environment, nutrition and simple construction
• Physical activity – doing something fun and productive
• Cooperation– including shared play activity and teamwork
• Creativity– finding new and exciting ways to grow food

That the ultimate results are:
• Develop a love of nature – a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place
• Knowledge of nutrition – learning about where fresh food comes from.
• Grow self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown

The program we are working on works with educators, and community leaders to be champions in obesity prevention.
The statewide goals/objectives that can help with this program include:
4.1b (indirect) @ parents/caretakers and other adults who demonstrate knowledge or skill gains related to healthy eating and active living.

4.1d # adult programs participants documented to have applied healthy eating and/or active living recommendations.
4.3a # program participants documented to have increased involvement in public/community childhood obesity prevention actions.
4.3b #participanting schools and/or communities documented to have made practice and/or policy changes to promote healthy eating and active living.

This program is more on a local level; working within the county/Long Island. This will align well with a couple of the outcomes.
This program can be used throughout the state if we pilot and it works on the smaller level.

DEIB is not directly reflected in the statewide Plans of Work but is critical in all the work we do.

Since the inception of our local DEIB work group, we have had providing staff resources and training around definitions and guidelines related to becoming a more inclusive association as a major goal. This is based on staff requests, a goal set out by the Director of CCE in 2020 and our overall political climate. This is a giant topic so my focus is on creating an introduction with resources that have been vetted.

Some initial objectives I have identified (focusing on the individual):
Short-term: increase awareness, provide groundwork, spark curiosity
Mid-term: share knowledge, be a better ally, work towards a greater understanding, support others
Long-term: put words into action, support BIPOC owned businesses, increase diversity in your staff, work with different communities, support policy change, recognize micro-aggressions

"The NYS 4-H Youth Development Program exists to connect youth to hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring, contributing members of society." (From the Statewide Plan of Work)

A few of the statewide outcomes that the Kitten Kaboodle (cat/kitten fostering SPIN club) would address include:

5.1a - Young people... discover and explore their Sparks through 4-H experiences
5.1c - ...Experience Belonging in 4-H
5.1d - ...Enjoy a challenge & like to explore new things (maybe)
5.1e - ...Embrace new experiences as a growth opportunity (maybe)
5.1f - ...Have a sense of purpose in life, and optimism for future (maybe)
5.1g - ...Are respectful, honest, responsible, caring, and value helping others
5.1h - ...Strive to connect with something bigger than themselves
5.1j - ... Set goals, create effective strategies to achieve them, and persevere, making adjustments when necessary to achieve those goals

Additional goals/outcomes specific to the Kitten Kaboodle SPIN club:
- List supplies needed for fostering cats & kittens
- Explain/Describe how to bottle feed a kitten, and apply that understanding/actually do it
- Examine/Analyze problems facing cats (or, more broadly, pets) in Wayne County, choose one to address, and question root causes/what can be done
- Design a plan to address the issue selected (such as health/treatment, taking cats to the vet, overpopulation, particular diseases, access to clinics, etc.)
- After carrying out the plan, evaluate effectiveness, revise as needed, present at fair and elsewhere

For the hatchery expansion project that we are applying since it’s an expansion on existing infrastructure rather than an entire program area it was a little difficult to narrow down which areas in the state wide plan relate to it. Using what I’ve learned in PDLC thus far has changed my overall thoughts about what this expansion could mean in the long run. The state wide outcomes I chose to use for this project are below.
Water Resources
(2.2a) # consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources producers, organization, and business representatives, and/or local government and community leaders documented to have modified existing practices or technologies and/or adopted new practices to protect/enhance water resources

(2.2b) # documented instances when consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources
producers, organization, and business representatives, and/or local government and
community leaders have improved and/or protected water resources

I can relate this project to both of these outcomes. In 2.2a the expansion is allowing us to modify our existing practice of setting oyster larvae on shell and greatly increase what we can produce year after year. The more Spat on Shell we are able to produce and plant out there with our partners the better off our waters are going to be. For 2.2b this relates to the bigger picture of what the expansion means. Once the animals are planted out in the field careful monitoring is done with the animals planted out there. These monitoring activities are documented as a measure of success or failure. When the plantings are successful the improved water quality/ resource protection comes with the nature of this work.

For this project my goals are listed below
Short Term: Visualize what the expansion will look like. Make sure it fits in with the rest of the hatchery design. During construction ensuring that all the pieces of the puzzle are there.

Mid term: Ensure that the additional infrastructure supports increased hatchery production. This will be assessed during our production season when the tanks are planted with shell and larval oysters.

Long term: Produce for years to come high quality SPAT ON SHELL designated for resource enhancement, water quality improvement, shoreline stabilization, and habitat creation. Monitoring will ensure success within the restoration sites and will allow us to continue doing the work for years to come.

My project is not directly related to the CCE Statewide Plans of Work. It is a hyper local protocol. It feels as though all of them are a stretch and focus exclusively on department staff, but the closest statewide outcomes that relate to my project are:

(1.1a) # of participants documented to have applied knowledge or skills gained to strengthen
existing business operations

(2.3a) # consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and
business representatives, and/or local government and community leaders documented to have modified existing practices or technologies and/or adopted new practices to protect/enhance natural resources and/or enhance biodiveristy

(6.6a) # instances in which producers/ horticulture businesses/ natural resource enterprises,
residents and community leaders work together to address issues


The outcomes I am working towards with creating this procedure are:
-Increase number of staff communicating and working together to identify what animals are needed for programs and contractual obligations.
-Decrease the number of unnecessary animals brought onto the farm resulting in increased cost and staff time.
-Increase in awareness of procedures and willingness to follow and accept procedure.
-Increase of accountability and intentionality in terms of lives we are responsible for and how bringing them onto the farm will fit into our mission and plan of work.

CCE’s Bay Scallop Restoration Program was initiated in 2005 in response to a lack of recovery of Peconic bay scallop populations after a series of harmful algae blooms in the 1980s and 1990s. The Peconic bay scallop populations were driven to near local extinction, and the populations was too small to naturally facilitate a recovery to levels that would support a viable fishery. After the initiation of the CCE’s restoration program and associated spawning and planting practices, the populations recovered; wild populations became established, resulting increased natural recruitment and a subsequent recovery of the Peconic bay scallop fishery and associated revenue. However, since 2019, the Peconic bay scallop populations have been suffering massive population declines in the summer months resulting in drastic declines in commercial landings bay local baymen. These declines, resulting primarily from a newly discovered parasite in conjunction with longer periods of elevated water temperature and reductions in dissolved oxygen, have resulted in millions of dollars of lost dockside revenue by local baymen. My current research is investigating ways to mitigate the effects of the parasite and climate change on Peconic bay scallop populations. My team is currently conducting comparative field studies investigating parasite and climate change resilience of different strains of bay scallops from the northeastern United States as well as the use of alternate spawning times to mitigate parasite loading.

The preliminary results from my teams’ studies in the 2023 field season are massively promising in regards to restoring Peconic bay scallop populations, the fishery and associated revenue, my team is hitting multiple hurdles to ensure we can continue to do this work in the future. While one hurdle pertains to convincing old employees of the importance of this work and why they may need to modify the hatchery protocols, the biggest hurdle we are encountering is outdated equipment, primarily boat motors, that have reached the end of their lifespan. This summer, my dive boat, which is the vehicle I use for all of my fieldwork, continuously broke down. Sometimes the motor just shutoff in the middle of the Peconic and we had to wait around for a significant amount of time until it would turn back. Other times, it wouldn’t start when tried to leave a field site. Luckily, everything worked out, but I do not believe there is much life in that boat’s motor, or our barge’s motors, which maintains our long lines. Our motors failing is a result of the fact that they were purchased at the initiation of the program back in 2005. Unfortunately, our current county budget does not have funds for new motors, nor has flexibility for additional funds to buy them. Furthermore, all of my team’s proposals pertaining to field projects barely cover associated wages and minor materials. Currently, there seems to be no outlet for getting new motors, which could be devastating to my team and the work we are doing to restore Peconic bay scallop populations and the fishery. Getting new motors for our boats would mean a continuation of our work, the likely restoration of wild populations and the fishery, and ensuring my team has job security in the future. My goal is to find a grant/funding source that can help maintain my teams’ boat and barge. Since limited support has come from within my own organization and from the county (well, none actually), my hope is that by getting community support (maybe letters of support), the need for new motors and the continuation of our bay scallop restoration work can be secured through an external source. Since my work is focused on restoring an iconic shellfish species threaten by disease and climate change which historically supported a profitable and sustainable fishery important to communities on Long Island, I have chosen the following to objectives which meet my community needs.

2.1a) # consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and
business representatives, and/or local government and community leaders who demonstrate
knowledge gains about the causes and implications of climate change and adaptive or
mitigating strategies
- The bay scallop fishery once provided important revenue to baymen, fish markets, restaurants. With that revenue basically gone, baymen and their families, and the aforementioned other community members are being severely hurt financially. Since disease and climate change are requiring adaptive management strategies to restore the fishery, I think this objective aligns well.

(2.1c) # agencies/organizations/communities documented to have adopted recommended
climate mitigation practices and policies
- Similarly to my response to the previous objective, DEC, Suffolk County, and our community members likely support the need to develop new restoration strategies and would encourage my team to initiate and adopt new strategies. Thus, likely supporting our need for new boat motors to continue our work.

(2.3a) # consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and
business representatives, and/or local government and community leaders documented to have
modified existing practices or technologies and/or adopted new practices to protect/enhance
natural resources and/or enhance biodiversity
- Bay scallops are bivalves that help reduce turbidity and nitrogen content in the water column via filter feeding, helping promote cleaner waters. Furthermore, they play an important role in our water’s biodiversity. Protecting bay scallop populations helps promote biodiversity and water quality in the Peconic. I think community members, such as consumers, residents, and baymen along with government officials would appreciate our pursuit of modifying restoration practices to mitigate the negative effects of disease and climate change, and would be supportive of updating our boats to ensure we can actually do the work.

My project goals are as follows:

Short term goal:
Continue to hope that my dive boat motor starts and continues to run so I can accomplish my field work goals. Continue to conduct comparative field studies investigating new strategies to restore the Peconic bay scallop fishery. Present my work at forums and conferences to demonstrate its importance and promise for the bay scallop fishery. Talk with baymen, local community members and government officials to communicate the promise of our work and why their support will help us help them.

Midterm goal:
Get letters of support from baymen and local community members for revenue to update boat motors. Identify proper avenues/sources to pursue this funding, and submit proposal, budget, and letters of support.

Long term goal:
Receive funding, replace motors, and have a sustainable fleet of boats so my team can continue working towards helping restore a fishery important to our Long Island communities.

Based on the early needs assessment conversations, I reviewed the CCE Statewide Plans of Work and identified the following 3 statewide outcomes that could be used to frame the work of our program.

Short Term
Outcome 1: Increased awareness of 3D printing technology among students and educators.
Outcome 2: Engagement of community with recycling plastic water bottles

Mid Term
Outcome 1: Visible education of plastic waste in garbage, exiting suffolk county

Long Term
Outcome 1: Public awareness of the program, attracting people from out of city to examine the recycle setup, could be persuaded to donate a water bottle or two.

Early engagement of other organizations conducting beach safety let me know that the program I am developing would fit well with some of the current education and safety they are conducting.In reviewing the CCE Statewide Plans of Work, it was difficult to identify how the program I am developing would fit in. The closest match I could find were the following 3:
2.2. Water Resources
Water Resources
(2.2a) # consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources producers, organization, and business representatives, and/or local government and community leaders documented to have modified existing practices or technologies and/or adopted new practices to protect/enhance water resources.
2.3. Biodiversity
Biodiversity and Natural Resources Protection
(2.3a) # consumers, residents, agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and business representatives, and/or local government and community leaders documented to have modified existing practices or technologies and/or adopted new practices to protect/enhance natural resources and/or enhance biodiversity
3.1. Natural Resources & Environment
Environment & Natural Resources
(3.6a) # agricultural/natural resources producers, organization and business representatives, community leaders, and/or residents documented to have modified existing practices or technologies that will assist with natural resources management and the environment