Southern University Ag Center and College of Agriculture: SU Ag Center receives funding for the fourth year for 4-H LIFE program

Thursday, November 21

SU Ag Center receives funding for the fourth year for 4-H LIFE program

Baton Rouge, La - The Southern University Ag Center has received funding to replicate the 4-H LIFE Continuation-Only project, engaging 50 youth, the incarcerated parent, and the caregiver at both the St. Landry and East Baton Rouge Parish Prisons. The National 4-H Council has issued a letter of intent to award a grant in the amount of $71,425.28 under the 4-H National Mentoring Program – OJJDP Award 2013-JU-FX-0022 – to Southern University. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funds the 4-H Living Interactive Family Education (4-HLIFE) through the National 4-H Council. Subsequently, the Council provides a request for application to qualified candidates to apply for the funds. There is stiff completion for the grants since applicants include Tech Wizards, 4-H Youth and Families with Promise – 4H YFP, and 4H LIFE. The SU Ag Center has been a sub-awardee to 4-H Council for four years.

The program is set up to replicate Missouri’s program that has been operating successfully over the past 14 years. The SU Ag Center has been conducting the 4-H LIFE program in East Baton Rouge and St. Landry Parishes since 2010. Over the past three years, Louisiana’s 4-H LIFE Project has reached more than 800 individuals, including youth (ages 8-17), inmates, and caregivers. Beginning February 2014, the age range for qualifying youth participation will be 5-17 years old.

“The impact is definitely positive on inmates and family members,” said Tiffany Franklin, Principal Investigator.

The purpose of the 4-H LIFE program is to enhance familial relationships between incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. The program targets youth ages 5 to 17 and seeks to reinforce critical elements that inmates, children, and caregivers encounter during the parent’s incarceration. The program intends to continue to use best practices to increase familial relationships during visits, increase participation in family activities, and inspire parents to regain control of the relationship as an authoritative person in their child’s life even though they are incarcerated.

In the coming year, the SU Ag Center will replicate the 4-H LIFE Continuation-Only project, engaging 50 youth, the incarcerated parent, and the caregiver at both the St. Landry and East Baton Rouge Parish Prisons. Each site will begin using the Nurturing Parenting Programs by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek, who is recognized nationally in the fields of child abuse and neglect treatment and prevention, and parenting education. He is also the principal author of the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory, which is designed to assess high risk parenting attitudes. The evidenced-based curriculum’s engaging lessons and activities are ideal and will encourage positive interactions between the children, inmates, and caregivers. The 4-H LIFE team has been trained to implement all parts of the aforementioned curriculum.

The program is directed by Tiffany Franklin, Principal Investigator and Milissia John-Baptiste, Program Assistant. The program staff is scheduled to attend the annual mandatory training January 6-9, 2014.

Mentoring positions are open to the public. Are you interested in becoming a Mentor for this project? Please contact Tiffany Franklin, or Milissia John-Baptiste at 225-771-2242.