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This article describes the curriculum and program development process that was used to create the North Carolina Extension Master Food Volunteer program. We used a rigorous program development process, including conducting a needs assessment, piloting and evaluating the program, incorporating revisions based on feedback, and receiving external reviews that were incorporated into the final product. We provide lessons learned and best practices for others to follow. These include the importance of piloting the program, involving agents and key partners throughout the entire process, and providing flexibility and adaptability in program delivery.

The Project Youth Extension Service (YES!) college student internship integrates pre-service training on youth worker competencies with a year or more of practice experience in leading positive youth development programs for military youth impacted by the military deployment process. For nearly a decade, interns have reported significant improvement in 37 behavioral competencies, with 24 indicators improving .50 or more on a 5-point scale. Areas of greatest growth include practices critical to youth worker effectiveness and program quality: self-regulation, interaction, and adaptation in high-intensity settings. Qualitative comments indicate growth in personal maturity (e.g., composure, flexibility, openness to feedback) as well as professional growth (e.g., listening, organization, presentation, teamwork), and empathy for youth and families under stress. Intern growth was also observed by trainers and mentors. Program feedback from youth and event coordinators was consistently positive. Interns also benefited from working with a career mentor. Blended online and on-site training, episodic scheduling, and scaffolded leadership offer effective and efficient methods for programming and professional development. Findings point to the value of intensive and extended training focused on experiential learning, critical reflection, and mentoring, together with background knowledge on military culture, military family life, and youth development. The program model, full results, conclusions, recommendations for practice, and opportunities for improvement are discussed.

The SR4-HVAG combines the efforts of states to provide quality educational programming for volunteers and Extension professionals using an advisory group system. An advisory group rather than a council was created because the group provides programmatic input rather than sets policy. The purposes of the SR4-HVAG are to: provide a mechanism for volunteer input and perspective regarding educational, programmatic and developmental needs of volunteers and strengthen communication and delivery systems that provide for the continued sharing of resources and programmatic efforts in the Southern Region. Each state is represented by two volunteers and is facilitated by a state volunteerism specialist.

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