Continuation of Community Outreach: Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
Daniel J. Lago, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
HUD COPC Grant Program Director
Office: 121 Hawthorn Building
Phone: 814-949-5524
E-mail: djl@psu.edu
Dr. Lago teaches Adult development and aging, research methods and introduction to human development and family studies. Areas of interest/research: Applied issues in the delivery and evaluation of services to the elderly in community-based and long-term care settings, staff development issues, and the experience of family caregivers and consumers in working with providers of aging services.
HD FS 312W Empirical Inquiry in Human Development: Introduction to the skills involved in critical thinking in general and the methods of empirical inquiry in particular. Open to HD FS majors only.
Students assisted with the Blair County Human Services Office and Blair County United Way needs assessment process. Students looked at draft materials, helped to identify social indicators with data from the Center for Rural PA and the U.S. Census Bureau, and created picture boards to display the information. Once data analysis has been conducted and findings reported, the completed work will be on the Blair County Human Services Office website with a link from the HUD COPC homepage to that site. Dr. Lago, Chairman of the Data Analysis Committee, will continue working with the needs assessment process.
HD FS 434 (SOC 435) Perspectives on Aging: An analysis of the demographic, social, and cultural factors affecting the aged population in American society.
As part of the course requirement, students worked with representatives of Blair Senior Services, Inc. to conduct and analyze fall-risk assessments as part of a statewide Department of Aging initiative. Residents of the Eleventh Street and Green Avenue Towers of the Altoona Housing Authority were asked to undergo a series of obstacles whose results were recorded. Students were provided with content information and then a set of behavioral assessments which enabled them to provide residents with a detailed estimate for falls.
Brain Power: An informational program that was developed by students who helped older adults gain experience using cell phones, computers, and wii systems for entertainment and cognitive stimulation. Program goal was to convince older adults that there are things on a computer of interest to them.
With the help of the Altoona Area School District, students advertised AASD’s adult education programs at Steven’s School and assisted older adults in signing up to take the courses.
In coordination with Penn State Altoona’s Continuing Education Program, undergraduates administered an aging simulation exercise with 20 tenth grade students from the Altoona Area School District. Through various demonstrations students were able experience what having disabilities associated with aging might be like.
HD FS 401 Project Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation in the Human Services: Exercises and activities related to the design, planning, implementation and management, and evaluation of projects and programs in the human services.
In this course undergraduates are responsible for planning their own internship experience. Students are required to write an intervention program manual about how their efforts will help a specific population in a specific area. Fall 2008 interns will develop programming for older adults who use the Altoona Area Public Library. Nine individual sessions are in the works and should be ready for presentation by Spring 2009.
HD FS 445 (PSYCH 416) Development Throughout Adulthood: Processes of development and change of behavior from early adulthood through old age, emphasizing theory, method, and empirical research.
Students will continue to serve as tutors in the Senior Computer Program at Stephen’s school. Two wii entertainment and wii fit systems have been purchased with HUD COPC funds to be used with older adults to promote exercise as well as cognitive stimulation.
Lauren P. Jacobson-McConnell, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer in Human Development and Family Studies
Office: 123 Hawthorn Building
Phone: 814-949-5333
E-mail: lpj100@psu.edu
Dr. Jacobson teaches adolescent development, methods, and interventions, and oversees internships. Areas of interest/research: adolescence, with interests in area of athletics and competence, diversity attitudes, service learning and effects of community service; also effects of and attitudes toward co-sleeping and breastfeeding.
HDFS 311 Human Development and Family Studies Interventions: Survey of individual and family formal and informal intervention efforts; historical and current perspectives and approaches.
Students worked in groups to develop nutrition and exercise themed-programming in coordination with the Fairview Hills after school program administered by Altoona Housing Authority staff member Joseph Campbell.
HDFS 414 Resolving Human Development and Family Problems: Strategies for, and roles of professional specialists in, the solution of problems in human development and family functioning.
As part of this course requirement, Penn State Altoona HDFS student Courtney Dixon will be working at the Altoona Area Public Library to provide after school program support. Ms. Dixon is required to spend 3 hours a week developing, preparing and administering adolescent programming for area youth.
HDFS 433 Developmental Transition to Adulthood: Conceptual analysis and empirical investigation of interrelationships between developmental processes during the period of pubertal growth.
Undergraduates planned and implemented a series of Friday night social gatherings targeting adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15.
YELL (Youth Empowerment: Living and Learning), an adolescent youth program, developed out of the work done by HDFS 311 students at Fairview Hills. The purpose of the program is to get kids connected to the community in positive ways earlier in their development to increase the likelihood of successful engagement in the education process through high school and college. Our goal is to allow them to see the benefits of being positively connected to other people and institutions in the community.
YELL has expanded from the Fairview Hills site to include the Altoona Area Public Library after school program participants. Collaboration with the public library enables Penn State Altoona students to create programming for all adolescents regardless of their economic, social or cultural backgrounds.
The process has been “institutionalized in the sense that most people are willing to give a little money here and there for students to buy supplies.”
-Lauren P. Jacobson-McConnell, Ph.D.
