Proposal/Project Management System (PPMS)

For 2020 and newer grants, please go to https://grants.ipmcenters.org/

Home Current RFAs PD User Guide Projects Login

Funded Project

Funding Program: Regional IPM Competitive Grants - Northeastern

Project Title: Building IPM Capacity in Childcare and Early Educational Environments

Project Directors (PDs):

Edwin Rajotte [1]

Claudia Mincemoyer [2]

Lyn Horning [3]

Lead State: PA

Lead Organization: Pennsylvania State University

Extension Funding: $70,000

Start Date: Sep-01-2010

End Date: Aug-31-2012

Site/Commodity: schools, structural, urban

Area of Emphasis: community, education, curriculum

Summary: Our goal is to reduce risks to young children by increasing the capacity of educators, facilities managers and pest management professionals to teach and implement IPM in early educational settings. Such settings include public and private elementary schools, childcares, Head Start, and faith-based early learning programs. Successful IPM implementation in educational facilities requires a partnership between multiple individuals including:
* extension educators who provide information and programming to school communities;
* childcare/early education professionals who manage classrooms and children daily;
* facilities managers who assure building safety
* pest management professionals who provide pest management services.
The project develops innovative, targeted IPM programming for each of these groups, utilizing existing networks to reach new audiences.

Objectives: Objective 1: Adapt IPM modules for incorporation into existing regional, state and national professional development programs for childcare professionals and facilities managers.

Objective 2: Deliver IPM education via pre-existing networking systems across the region.

Objective 3: Develop Train-the-Trainer materials for Cooperative Extension to add IPM to community programming on health and well-being.

Objective 4: Work with Pest Management Professionals (PMPs) to articulate IPM protocols and sample contracts for accounts in childcare/early education (C/EEE) and other sensitive areas.

Proposal

USDA CRIS extension data

Final Report:

Outcomes
The Penn State Better Kid Care program's (BKC) reach extends to child care providers in 48 of the 50 states, and all of the BKC training modules fulfill child care licensing requirements in fourteen states, including Pennsylvania, and are accepted for the national Child Development Associate national credential formal education hours. In partnership with BKC, we created the Healthy Air plus Healthy Spaces equals Healthy Children (H3) module, which explores the connections between children's health and indoor environments for childcare facilities. It covers Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and green cleaning and includes an instructor manual with script, a PowerPoint presentation, activities, handouts and an evaluation. It's designed for Extension Educators to deliver to childcare staff.

To promote the H3 module, we delivered one webinar to sixteen Extension Educators in PA and a second webinar hosted by the Iowa State University for CYFERnet (Children, Youth, and Families Education and Research Network). One hundred-four individuals across the country participated in this webinar which provided information on IPM and how to use the module. The webinar was evaluated using SurveyMonkey. We also traveled to Maryland to give a train-the-trainer workshop on using the module to Extension Educators in Maryland. The H3 module was presented to childcare providers at the Early Years Are Learning Years Conference (two times), a modified version of the module at the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAECY) annual conference, and at the Building Blocks to Early Learning Conference. In addition, Maryland Extension Educators also presented the module three times and Pennsylvania Extension Educators from Luzerne, Lehigh, and Westmoreland counties presented the module for a total of nine times. Evaluations were collected at all workshops.

Three online, on demand modules were developed from H3 module. The first module, Healthy Child Care Environments: Pest Prevention Using IPM, was launched in the online system in May 2012. This lesson explores the connection between children's health and pest control in a childcare facility and safer pest control practices to help assure the indoor environment for children is safe using Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The second module developed was Healthy Child Care Environments: Pest Treatment Using IPM. This module was added in June 2012. Because children spend many hours in childcare, center directors and staff need to know how to properly manage pests and protect children from the risk of pesticide exposure. Participants learn about common pests found in childcare facilities, how to manage them safely and effectively using IPM, and about using pesticides safely. Over the last year, video footage was taken to include in these two on demand modules. The third module covers using greener cleaning practices in a childcare setting and was just made available in mid-December. Filming continues for the second part of the H3 project addressing directors and facility managers. A monthly article (Go Green for Kids) covering IPM and other relevant topics is written for the BKC e-newsletter reaching over 10,000 people.

Impacts
Because of this project, childcare providers are becoming more aware of the relationships between pests, pesticides and children's health. Many childcare staff are still unaware of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and there haven't been many trainings on IPM offered in the past. CYFERnet Webinar survey results: Before the presentation on IPM and the module only 12.9 percent (pct) had received prior training on IPM and only 11.9 pct had received training on green cleaning. Rating knowledge on IPM before presentation: None 5.9 pct; below average 26.5 pct; average 43.1 pct; above average 16.7 pct; very high 7.8 pct. Rating knowledge on IPM after presentation: None 0.0 pct; below average 3.9 pct; average 16.5 pct; above average 65.0 pct; very high 14.6 pct. Rating knowledge on green cleaning before presentation: None 3.9 pct; below average 28.2 pct; average 45.6 pct; above average 16.5 pct; very high 5.8 pct. Rating knowledge on green cleaning after presentation: None 0.0 pct; below average 3.9 pct; average 20.4 pct; above average 61.2 pct; very high 14.6 pct. How likely to offer this module within the next year to child care staff in your state: definitely won't 7.0 pct; probably won't 20.0 pct; maybe 31.0 pct; probably will 31.0 pct; definitely will 11.0 pct. Evaluation results from workshops (248 participants): Participants who indicated an increase in knowledge about IPM as a result of the presentation: 206 (83 pct); an increase in knowledge about green cleaners as a result of the presentation: 175 (71 pct); intend to change their behaviors related to pests and pest control as a result of the presentation: 226 (91 pct); intend to change their behaviors related to cleaning products as a result of the presentation: 229 (92 pct). Most of the participants were childcare providers, but other attendees include Extension Educators, and childcare directors, administrators, and facilities managers. The total number of children cared for from all surveys was over 7000, although we hypothesize this number is a high estimation. However, the number of children cared for by any given participant indicated on the evaluation ranged from 2-300 (if they answered the question). For the online on demand lessons - Healthy Child Care Environments: Pest Prevention Using IPM: In only three months, 210 childcare professionals have successfully completed the 2-hour lesson. An assessment at the end of the lesson indicated a mean of 3.4 for knowledge gained using a likert-type scale of 1 equaling no knowledge gained to 4 equaling much knowledge gained. Participants also indicated their intent to use the information in their centers/homes with the children. The mean response for intent to use information was 3.5 (1 low/4 high). Healthy Child Care Environments: Pest Treatment Using IPM: In the first two months of availability, 55 childcare professionals have successfully completed the module. The mean for knowledge gained was 3.6 and intent to use the information was 3.7. Over time, information from this project learned by childcare staff has the potential to directly affect the health and environment of thousands of children in childcare facilities.

Report Appendices

PDF

Close Window


Northeastern IPM Center 340 Tower Road Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 NortheastIPM.org		Developed by the Center for IPM © Copyright CIPM 2004-2026