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Goal 1: Increased proportion of TCC tribal youth with leadership abilities, high self-esteem, solid decision making skills, and improved technical skills in culturally relevant areas. <BR> 1.1: Increase tribal youth access to research based curricula and programs that emphasizes decision-making and leadership skills.<BR> 1.2: Increase tribal youth knowledge of principles and techniques of risk management associated with ATVs & snow machines, tobacco use, alcohol abuse, and illegal drug use. <BR>1.3: Provide opportunities for technical skill development and building self-esteem (i.e. ski camps, 4H projects). <BR>1.4: Increase the proportion of youth that participate in physical activity.<BR> 1.5: Provide continuity to youth development projects by supporting at least five community-based and school-based Extension programs, annually.<BR><BR> Goal 2: Increased efficiency, sustainability, quantity and security of local, village food supply. <BR>2.1: Assist at least three tribal staffs each year in assessing community need for basic agriculture supplies as well as with procurement. <BR>2.2: Increase knowledge and skills for efficient, sustainable village based agriculture, by 5% annually.<BR> 2.3: Increase proportion of locally grown or obtained food by 5% annually.<BR>2.4: Increase knowledge and skills for safe, efficient food preservation methods to reduce incidences of food-borne illnesses and contaminants, by 5%. <BR><BR>Goal 3: Increased tribal input in management and protection of natural resource base and environment. <BR>3.1: Assess tribes' needs for formation of Tribal Conservation Districts with Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to reach natural resource and environmental protection goals in year 1. <BR>3.2: Partner with NRCS to increase accessibility of programs to TCC region. Assist at least one tribe in forming a Tribal Conservation District by year 4. <BR><BR>Goal 4: Increased individual and community energy efficiency. <BR>4.1: Partner with other CES experts and TCC Housing Department to increase knowledge and skills in improving home energy efficiency. <BR>4.2: Increase number of energy efficient residents in TCC region by 5%. <BR><BR>Goal 5: Increased tribal capacity to assess and respond to youth, food security, and natural resource needs and goals. <BR>5.1: Increase function of the advisory committee by meeting quarterly rather than annually. <BR>5.2: Increase contact with village residents by 5% annually. <BR>5.3: Increase relevance and usefulness of online and website program delivery to reach a 5% larger audience. <BR>5.4: Increase tribal capacity to assess need for, knowledge of, and ability to apply for appropriate funding opportunities. <BR>5.5: Increase leveraged activities that support tribally-driven objectives by 5% annually.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Tribes Extension Program has improved access to research based knowledge and skills for more than 20 years in remote, Interior Alaska. The TCC FRTEP Agent serves 37 Federally Recognized tribes, 33 of which are not accessible by road and must rely on small aircraft or boat for transportation to and from their village. Fuel prices in the summer of 2008 were felt more acutely in villages because of their high reliance on non-renewable energy. In spite of these challenges, the Athabascan people have a rich cultural history of self-reliance and knowledge of their land which has historically provided all that they need to survive. The PD supports these cultural traditions and promotes continued, village sustainability Youth development programs promote healthy decision making skills and improved technical skills in activities that are ideal for villages such as skiing. Gardening and safe food preservation workshops promote improved food security, in conjunction with traditional subsistence activities. New program areas such as energy Extension and tribal management of natural resources via Tribal Conservation Districts will be addressed by TCC FRTEP in the next four years. Although new technology has provided numerous methods of program delivery, on-site delivery is still preferred by most Alaska Natives in the TCC region. Without TCC FRTEP, the tribes in the TCC region would be extremely underserved by Extension. The TCC FRTEP Agent receives more requests for workshops and other assistance than can be met inside the TCC region as well as requests for assistance outside the TCC region, especially concerning assistance with food security. Food security is an increasing concern for most remote locations in Alaska.
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APPROACH: Programs such as the Alaska Master Gardener course are delivered online while some programs such as Health Rocks! are delivered via videoconference. A TCC newsletter with an audience of over 9,000, faxes, mail-outs, and web-sites are used to reach out to individuals, tribal councils, and the TCC region as a whole. A farm supply directory with businesses who ship to the bush, and a calendar with TCC FRTEP specific dates and photos are prepared annually by the PD. The PD also provides technical assistance to both tribal staff and members via electronic mail, fax, telephone, office visits, and on-site visits. Assistance includes questions concerning pest management, farm supply procurement, safe food preservation, and information on securing grant funding assistance. This regular contact is part of building a relationship with tribal communities. On-site Extension delivery is still the preferred method, according to past agents, personal experience, and current surveys, so the PD will strive for a maximum number of on-site programs. Baseline information will be collected in March and April 2009 that will be used to evaluate changes in knowledge, action, and conditions of Alaska Natives residing in the TCC region. Surveys will quantify garden size, production level, and needs of gardeners. Workshops participants will be evaluated pre and post workshop when possible. Workshop participants will be surveyed before, right after, and several months after workshops when feasible. A web-survey may be developed with the Indian Country Extension Web-Site to provide further evaluations of TCC FRTEP programming. Photos are taken at most workshops and anecdotal evidence also provides informational impact assessment. Partnerships such as the Tribes and Villages, K-12 Schools, UAF Centers, other USDA Agencies and Federal Agencies, the Alaska Ski Go Club, and others will all be important in maximizing the impact of the TCC FRTEP project. Program objectives are reasonable and based on past PD experience as well as records of prior FRTEP PDs. Funding, of course, will play a major role in providing Extension activities on-site. Program areas that are in the development stage will also depend on additional funding for full objectives to be reached. Many of the proposed methods can be done remotely, but on-site activities, as stated before is often more effective. Needs assessments and evaluations are often difficult to secure. New ways of securing this information will continually be evaluated for more effective documentation and project evaluation. External factors that will affect program objectives being reached are scheduled programs coincide with inclement weather, other popular events, and particularly busy times.