The cluster initiative greenbook

Competitividad y valor compartido

A qualitative case study of the processes of peer education in a young adult tobacco control initiative, Leave the Pack Behind

Peer education involves peers offering credible and reliable information about sensitive life issues through the means of an informal peer group setting (Topping & Ehly, 1998). The purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine the processes of peer education through the exploration of two teams within a young adult tobacco control initiative, Leave the Pack Behind (LTPB). This qualitative case study examined two peer education teams over an eight-month period. Interviews, focus groups and observations were conducted with 12 participants across two peer education teams. Findings show the complexities of the processes of peer education including a connection between the stages of change and the changing role of the peer educator across stages of the empowerment process. Peer education teams and factors in the macro environment were also found to impact the process of peer education. This study provides a new definition for the process of peer education: peer education is a fluid process of knowledge exchange in which peer educators adopt different styles of facilitation as people move through stages of empowerment and change. This study contributes to the academic hterature upon the processes of peer education by providing a definition, a model and an overall understanding through an ecological and empowerment framework. The findings from this study suggest peer educators can be further trained to: use specific peer educational approaches that fit with student smoker's stage of change; better understand their position as a peer educator on the LTPB team; understand the reciprocal relationship between the macro environment and the peer education teams having an effect on one another.

Effectiveness of personal planning for residents re-entering the community during the facility initiative in Ontario

This paper reports on the relocation of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) from large-scale provincially run institutions that took place in Ontario as part of the Facility Initiative. Three case studies were examined in order to report on this process as experienced by those who lived and worked through it. Specifically, the planning process conducted by the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) to assist each person with hislher transition to community living was examined using the current standard of practice in person- centered planning approaches. Effectiveness was evaluated as the ability to apply a person-centered approach across settings and people, as well as what factors facilitated or hindered its application. Results show that, in general, the personal plans do not appear to reflect the pre-transition experience of the person. Also, the transitional planning process did not appear person-centered nor facilitate further person-centered planning in the community.

Youth Involvement in Organizational Decision Making: The Connection to Youth Initiative and Organizational Functioning

Studying positive adolescent development requires an examination of the mutually beneficial associations between youth and their environment. These youthcontext relations include both the contributions that youth make to others and society and the youth-context interactions that might predict positive youth outcomes. Community and youth-serving organizations, where youth may be involved in decision-making roles such as service delivery, advocacy, or on boards of directors, can provide one important context for youth contributions and for positive adolescent development. Research on the outcomes of youth involvement in organizational decision-making, however, is limited, and largely consists of exploratory qualitative studies. This dissertation is formatted as an integrated article dissertation. It begins with a review of the literature on contexts of structured youth activities and positive youth development. This review is intended to describe theory on development-context relations, in which development is considered an interactive process that occurs between individuals and their contexts, as it pertains the positive development of youth who are involved in various structured activities (e.g., volunteering). This description follows with a review of current research, and conclusions and rationale for the current studies. Following this theoretical and research background, the dissertation includes reports of two studies that were designed to address gaps in the research on youth involvement in organizational decision-making. The first was a qualitative research synthesis to elucidate and summarize the extant qualitative research on the outcomes of youth involvement in organizational decision making on adults and organizations. Results of this study suggested a number of outcomes for service provision, staff, and broader organizational functioning, including both benefits to organizations as well as some costs. The second study was a quantitative analysis of the associations among youth involvement, organizations' learning culture, and youth initiative, and relied on survey data gathered from adults and youth in community-based organizations with youth involvement. As expected, greater youth involvement in organizational decision making was associated with higher learning culture within the organization. Two dimensions of youth involvement, greater program engagement and relationships with adults, were related to greater youth initiative. A third dimension, sense of ownership, was not- .-.- associated with youth's level of initiative. Moreover, the association between relationships with adults and youth initiative was only significant in organizations with relatively low learning culture. Despite some limitations, these studies contribute to the research literature by providing some indication of the potential benefits and costs of youth involvement and by making an important contribution toward the early stages of context-level analyses of youth development. Findings have important implications for practitioners, funders, future research, and lifespan development theory.

Lived Experiences: An Exploration of Teachers' Thoughts and Feelings While Implementing an Antibullying Initiative

This qualitative case study explored elementary school teachers' lived experiences and perceptions surrounding the implementation of an antibullying program within the public school system. The purpose of this study was to share the individual stories of teachers who have implemented an antibullying initiative and how their journey into the bullying phenomenon changed their personal beliefs, their students, and their school climate. Five elementary school teachers (3 female, 2 male) from 5 different public schools in a southwestern region of Ontario completed 8 closed-ended questions and participated in l-on-l semistructured interviews. All 5 teachers had implemented the "Imagine ... A School Without Bullying" initiative or were involved with its predecessor the "Good Kid Sid" pilot project. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The data were coded, and broad themes were reduced to a smaller number of topics where a more in-depth analysis occurred. Findings showed that reports of bullying existed at each of the schools. All 5 teachers felt their initiative was making a positive difference in their school; however this did not come without some resistance from staff. A common finding heard from all of their stories was the need for more time. Implications for antibullying initiatives are discussed, and advice to anyone beginning an antibullying initiative is offered by each of the 5 teachers involved in this study.

Becoming Peer Health Leaders: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Youth Leadership Camp Preparing Peer Leaders for Participation in a Health Promotion Initiative.

Youth are critical partners in health promotion, but the process of training young people to become meaningfully involved is challenging. This mixed-methods evaluation considered the impact of a leadership camp in preparing 42 grade seven students to become peer health leaders in a ‘heart health’ initiative. The experiences of participants and their sense of agency were explored. Data were collected from pre and post camp surveys, focus groups, student journals and researcher observations. Findings indicate that relationships with peers and adults were key to agency development, and participants appeared to broaden their perspectives on the meanings of ‘health’ and ‘leadership.’ Significant changes on two sub-scales of the Harter Perceived Competence Scale for Children were also found. Suggestions for practice and further research are provided.

Exploring the Design Process and Components of an Elementary Literacy Guide in an Ontario School Board Initiative

The skill to identify and use best practices in literacy to promote achievement for students of all abilities cannot be underestimated by elementary educators. This qualitative case study investigates 1 year of a literacy initiative for primary and junior educators organized by a southern Ontario school board. The goals of the initiative were to design a literacy guide for teachers while building teacher capacity with literacy practices. Data were culled and analyzed from an examination of the guide, the meetings’ field notes and artifacts, as well as interviews with the educators at the end of the year. Several themes from the results emerged. The educators perceived the design process as unclear but the collaborative components were deemed valuable. The guide’s incompletion led to mixed reactions from the educators about the guide and its structure. Overall, the first year of the 3-year initiative acted as a catalyst for professional learning on literacy. The findings of this study accentuated the value of training educators to use empirical research to support their practices and professional knowledge. Also, the significance of promoting strong leadership with a comprehensive layout consisting of coherent tangible goals for professional development is highlighted.

Climate-Adaptive Community Water Management for Food Security: Experiences from the UNDP Community Water Initiative

Facing the double menace of climate change threats and water crisis, poor communities have now encountered ever more severe challenges in ensuring agricultural productivity and food security. Communities hence have to manage these challenges by adopting a comprehensive approach that not only enhances water resource management, but also adapts agricultural activities to climate variability. Implemented by the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme, the Community Water Initiative (CWI) has adopted a distinctive approach to support demand-driven, innovative, low cost and community-based water resource management for food security. Experiences from CWI showed that a comprehensive, locally adapted approach that integrates water resources management, poverty reduction, climate adaptation and community empowerment provides a good model for sustainable development in poor rural areas.

Dairy farms typology and management of animal genetic resources in the peri-urban zone of Bamako (Mali)

Facing growth in demand, dairy production in peri-urban areas of developing countries is changing rapidly. To characterise this development around Bamako (Mali), this study establishes a typology of dairy production systems with a special focus on animal genetic resources. The survey included 52 dairy cattle farms from six peri-urban sites. It was conducted in 2011 through two visits, in the dry and harvest seasons. The median cattle number per farm was 17 (range 5-118) and 42% of farmers owned cropland (8.3 +/- 7.3 ha, minimum 1 ha, maximum 25 ha). Feeding strategy was a crucial variable in farm characterisation, accounting for about 85% of total expenses. The use of artificial insemination and a regular veterinary follow-up were other important parameters. According to breeders’ answers, thirty genetic profiles were identified, from local purebreds to different levels of crossbreds. Purebred animals raised were Fulani Zebu (45.8%), Maure Zebu (9.2%), Holstein (3.0%), Azawak Zebu (1.3%), Mere Zebu (0.5%) and Kuri taurine (0.1%). Holstein crossbred represented 30.5% of the total number of animals (19.0% Fulani-Holstein, 11.2% Maure-Holstein and 0.3% Kuri-Holstein). Montbéliarde, Normande and Limousin crossbreds were also found (6.6%, 0.7% and 0.3%, respectively). A multivariate analysis helped disaggregate the diversity of management practices. The high diversity of situations shows the need for consideration of typological characteristics for an appropriate intervention. Although strongly anchored on local breeds, the peri-urban dairy systems included a diversity of exotic cattle, showing an uncoordinated quest of breeders for innovation. Without a public intervention, this dynamic will result in an irremediable erosion of indigenous animal genetic resources.

A Proposal for Enterprise Value Phase of the Lean Aerospace Initiative

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) submits this proposal for the Enterprise Value Phase of the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI) in response to the October 9, 2002 Request for Proposal (RFP) F33615-02-2-5501 from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/MLKT), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. This proposal addresses the conduct of the LAI as set forth in the Enterprise Value Phase Concept of Operations (final draft dated 5 June 2002. The creation of this Enterprise Value Phase Concept of Operations (ConOps) was the result of extensive interaction among all stakeholders in the LAI consortium. The proposed products and research topics have been developed by the MIT LAI team based on this extended interaction with the Lean Aerospace Initiative consortium members during the concept of operations development. This proposal is in consonance with the Enterprise Value Phase vision, and mission as set forth in the concept of operations so as to meet stakeholder needs to achieve the goals and deliverables desired, prioritized to fit available funding.

An Assessment of the Degree of Implementation of the Lean Aerospace Initiative Principles and Practices within the US Aerospace and Defense Industry

This report is a formal documentation of the results of an assessment of the degree to which Lean Principles and Practices have been implemented in the US Aerospace and Defense Industry. An Industry Association team prepared it for the DCMA-DCAAIndustry Association “Crosstalk” Coalition in response to a “Crosstalk” meeting action request to the industry associations. The motivation of this request was provided by the many potential benefits to system product quality, affordability and industry responsiveness, which a high degree of industry Lean implementation can produce.

Benefits of Implementing Lean Practices and the Impact of the Lean Aerospace Initiative in the Defense Aerospace Industry and Government Agencies

In the 1980’s, many United States industrial organizations started developing new production processes to improve quality, reduce cost, and better respond to customer needs and the pressures of global competition. This new paradigm was coined Lean Production (or simply “Lean”) in the book The Machine That Changed The World published in 1990 by researchers from MIT’s International Motor Vehicle Program. In 1993, a consortium of US defense aerospace firms and the USAF Aeronautical Systems Center, together with the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, started the Lean Aircraft Initiative (LAI) at MIT. With expansion in 1998 to include government space products, the program was renamed the Lean Aerospace Initiative. LAI’s vision is to “Significantly reduce the cost and cycle time for military aerospace products throughout the entire value chain while continuing to improve product performance.” By late 1998, 23 industry and 13 government organizations with paying memberships, along with MIT and the UAW were participating in the LAI.

Creativity and innovation at work : The role of work characteristics and personal initiative

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Análisis de una iniciativa estudiantil de investigación surgida en Criptogamia, una asignatura optativa de segundo ciclo de Biología = Analysis of a students’ research initiative originating in Cryptogamy, an elective course in the last two years of the Biology degree

Presentamos una experiencia exitosa de aprendizaje que partió de Criptogamia (asignatura optativa de segundo ciclo de Biología), que dio lugar a un proyecto de investigación gestionado por los propios alumnos. La iniciativa se consolidó estableciendo una Asociación de Estudiantes centrada en investigación y divulgación. En poco tiempo, los participantes han presentado comunicaciones científicas, y organizado actividades dirigidas a diversos públicos, dentro y fuera de la comunidad universitaria. Actualmente se plantea una colaboración multidisciplinar con otros organismos de investigación y la extensión de su ámbito de estudio. Abordamos su incidencia en el aprendizaje en varios aspectos: científico (técnicas específicas, rigor, búsqueda de información e interpretación de resultados), comunicativo (estructuración y presentación de la información obtenida, para diversos públicos), y organizativo, incluyendo el trabajo en equipo. Aunque de carácter espontáneo, esta experiencia muestra rasgos evaluables en cuanto a sus posibilidades para otras asignaturas. Analizamos las características y planteamiento de esta optativa, el perfil de sus alumnos, y el contexto universitario que la acoge. Detectamos como factores principales los aspectos participativos de la asignatura, la cohesión del grupo, el carácter voluntario de la implicación, los beneficios percibidos por los estudiantes, y la disponibilidad de recursos humanos (supervisión) y materiales (equipamiento y subvenciones)

IBM's Internet of Things and Academic Initiative

IBM provide a comprehensive academic initiative, (http://www-304.ibm.com/ibm/university/academic/pub/page/academic_initiative) to universities, providing them free of charge access to a wide range of IBM Software. As part of this initiative we are currently offering free IBM Bluemix accounts, either to be used within a course, or for students to use for personal skills development. IBM Bluemix provides a comprehensive cloud based platform as a service solution set which includes the ability to quickly and easily integrate data from devices from Internet of Things ( IoT) solutions to develop and run productive and user focused web and mobile applications. If you would be interested in hearing more about IBM and Internet of Things or you would like to discuss prospective research projects that you feel would operate well in this environment, please come along to the seminar!