Funding for Engagement

2006 Excellence in Engagement Grants

Total Funding for 2006: $150,000

1. Preparing Expert Literacy Volunteers to Serve in Urban Schools ($45,000)

Adrian Rodgers, Assistant Professor, College of Education, OSU Newark
Partners: Dennis Sykes, Director of OSU Early Childhood Systems; Todd Rogers, Principal, Second Avenue/Weinland Park Elementary School; Judy Valentine, Columbus Education Association

This collaborative effort of faculty in the colleges of Education and Human Ecology, the Columbus Education Association of Retired Teachers, and classroom teachers was designed to take advantage of the depth of knowledge and experience that retired teachers possess and the support that they can offer to classroom teachers. The project provided highly skilled volunteers to work with students in urban classrooms for 30 minutes a day, freeing the classroom teacher to target those students experiencing the greatest difficulty learning to read and write. Volunteers were trained to scaffold literacy learning by making well-informed decisions about what and how to teach a young student who is learning to read and write.

Phase 1 focused on recruiting volunteers through the Columbus Education Association-Retired Teachers, resulting in 12 high-quality volunteers who attended the first orientation session. Phase 2 turned to development of curriculum in consultation with partners at Weinland Park Elementary, so that the volunteer effort would complement instructional approaches. Eight training sessions for volunteers, which included school visits and practice teaching, were held. In phase 3, volunteers began to work in schools with the support of faculty and clinicians. Nine of the 12 volunteers remained with the program and one shifted to tutoring older students outside of the ELVIS project. Phase 4, during summer 2007, involved recruitment of an additional cadre of volunteers and revision of the training program. Initial volunteers will help train new cadre. Classroom teachers reported that ELVIS volunteers improved students’ reading levels and boosted vocabulary development. They made suggestions for coping with children’s behavior and improving the synchronization with classroom teaching. Volunteer tutors were pleased with the shared reading/interaction strategies used. Their suggested improvements also involved child behavior and working more closely with teachers.

2. A Pharmacy/Extension Partnership to Improve the Health of Ohioans ($43,000)

Jennifer L. Rodis, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy
Partners: Kenneth E. Martin, Community Development, Ohio State University Extension; Barbara Ludwig, Department Chair Extension, Interim Associate Dean, Human Ecology, Engagement in Extension; Gerald L. Cable, Director, Professional Experience Programs, College of Pharmacy; Doris Herringshaw, Wood County Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension; Shari Gallup, Licking County Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension

The Partner for Promotion program leverages efforts of three university-based partners (OSU COP, OSUE Community Development, and the OSUE Family and Consumer Sciences) with those of Doctor of Pharmacy students enrolled in advanced practice community pharmacy courses, county Extension educators, and community pharmacists (i.e., adjunct clinical faculty) in effective community-based health education. A model for partnering to improve health outcomes for community residents that was piloted through an OSU CARES faculty support grant was implemented in rural and urban communities. Pharm.D. students worked with Extension educators and community pharmacists to conduct community health needs assessments that will be used to develop appropriate patient education materials and programming. To improve health care access, strategies for offering and conducting patient health screening and referral services will be developed. The identified gaps in health education resources will be filled through the development and use of educational materials that enhance health literacy, preventative health, and healthy behaviors in health education interventions.

• 28 pharmacies have developed and more than half continue to provide innovative patient care services, conducting over 1,400 patient visits.
• Community pharmacists worked with all partners to receive training and assistance in developing sustainable patient care programs.
• Collaboration between eight pharmacies and OSUE in five Ohio counties produced targeted services such as grocery store tours at three sites featuring healthy food choices and nutrition labeling.
• Participating pharmacy students and pharmacists learned how to plan and market health education programs and identify key community contacts.
• 19 of 28 pharmacies were first-time advanced pharmacy practice experiential sites, thus, expanding the number of high-quality experiential sites for pharmacy students.
• Surveys of students and pharmacists indicated a 53% increase, in students’ perception they had the knowledge and skills to implement innovative pharmacy services.
• Students reported up to 70% and preceptors up to 30% increase in their confidence to employ specific skills needed in patient care service development, leading to improved access to community-based health care.

3. Model Preschool Vision Screening Program ($62,000)

Paulette P. Schmidt, Professor of Optometry and Vision Science, College of Optometry
Partners: Betty Head, Project Coordinator, College of Optometry; Barbara Ludwig, Department Chair Extension, Interim Associate Dean, Human Ecology, Engagement in Extension, Family and Consumer Science and 4-H Youth Development Programs

Based on award-winning research from the VIP Study, this project developed a community-based model preschool vision screening program for widespread implementation through collaboration among the College of Optometry, the College of Human Ecology, and OSU Extension. Components included educating parents, teachers, healthcare professionals about the significance of vision disorders among preschool-aged children and their negative impact; training lay screeners to implement preschool vision screening programs; creating self-sustaining models for public education, preschool vision screening programs, and screener training programs; increasing the number of preschoolers who have their vision screened; and creating a model preschool vision screening program for use in Ohio, other states, and national organizations.

The VIP Study, a nationwide multidisciplinary study centered at Ohio State, showed that the three best performing screening tests for use with 3- to 5-year-old children were similarly effective when administered by trained lay screeners or trained health care professionals. Based on this finding, a pilot program was conducted:

• In three Ohio counties (Henry, Shelby, Summit), optometry students and faculty trained and certified high school 4-H members to screen children at childcare centers and community events. All 20 4-H student leaders successfully completed the training program, met certification requirements, and implemented community-based preschool vision screening.
• One screening instrument was retained in each county to establish a self-sustaining community-based program.
• FCS educators are informing parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals in all counties about preschool vision problems.

Grant Recipients

2008 Excellence in Engagement Grants
2007 Excellence in Engagement Grants
2006 Excellence in Engagement Grants
2005 Excellence in Engagement Grants
2004 Excellence in Engagement Grants
2005 Outreach & Engagement Seed Grants
2002 Outreach & Engagement Seed Grants
2001 Outreach & Engagement Seed Grants
2000 Outreach & Engagement Seed Grants
1999 Outreach & Engagement Seed Grants
back to Internal Funding

back to top