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Reimagining Learning Outdoors: How Active Outdoor Play-Based Learning (AOPL) Supports Student Growth and Academic Success - A White Paper for School Leaders and Classroom Teachers
Full text linkActive Outdoor Play-Based Learning (AOPL) is an evidence-based approach that integrates active play, outdoor environments, and academic goals. It supports not only curricular learning but also students’ physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. This white paper shares practical insights from a systematic review of 21 empirical studies (2008-2024) on AOPL implementation in formal school settings.
AOPL is a pedagogical strategy that uses play and the outdoors as meaningful contexts for learning. Teachers who implement AOPL build connections between curriculum and students’ natural curiosity while leveraging the benefits of being outside1.
This paper highlights practical strategies and compelling outcomes to guide implementation
Commodity Diversification, Technological Innovation, and Market Dynamics: Insights Into Beef Cattle Production and Feeder Cattle Basis in the United States
Full text linkThe beef cattle industry plays an important role in the agricultural economy, contributing to both domestic food supply and global trade. The United States is one of the world\u27s largest producers of beef, with production systems varying widely across regions largely due to differences in available resources and market structures. Market conditions, technological advancements, and policy interventions shape the way producers operate, making research into these factors essential for both industry stakeholders and policymakers.
Producers are continuously adapting to changing economic conditions, environmental challenges, and evolving consumer preferences. By analyzing these factors, researchers can provide insights to support informed decision-making in the beef cattle sector as we attempt to increase profit. This research contributes to a broader discussion on how agricultural producers respond to risk, policy, and economic shifts, offering valuable implications for producers looking to enhance their management strategies and overall performance.
This thesis brings together the work of two separate research projects, each focused on the beef cattle sector. Chapter two seeks to understand how commodity diversification strategies, farm characteristics, producer perceptions of risk, information sources, climate adaptation, and producer characteristics are associated with technology adoption among beef cattle producers in the Southeast United States. Utilizing data from an online survey distributed by Qualtrics and an ordered probit model we find that producers who allocate their land to other commodities in addition to beef cattle, may show both increases and decreases in the probability of technology adoption depending on the combination of commodities produced.
Chapter three examines feeder steer and heifer basis from 2012-2023 in nine Western states to identify market trends and patterns. Friedman and post-hoc pairwise Nemenyi tests are used to guide more formal analysis. This research was conducted after experienced periods of contraction and expansion against the backdrop of severe drought, a global pandemic, and regional differences in cattle quality, combining to create diverse local market conditions. We find that some historic patterns persist, but also new patterns based on season, region, weight class, and gender, which could be used to improve ranch-level decision-making and marketing
Impact of Activated Carbon on In-Situ Reductive Dechlorination of Chlorinated Ethenes in the Presence of Perfluoroalykl Substances
Full text linkPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and chlorinated ethenes are frequently co-detected at contaminated sites, yet little is know about how PFAS influence the performance of in-situ reductive dechlorination processes, particularly in systems amended with activated carbon.
The objective of this research was to study the impact of PFAS on in-situ reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes using activated carbon. This research aims to characterize the sorption behavior of PCE and TCE (and its daughter products) and PFAS (PFOS and PFOA) onto activated carbon, and to assess how this sorption influences PCE and TCE removal from contaminated media in the presence of activated carbon.
This study utilized activated carbon suspensions and experimental batch studies in contaminated aquifer and SDC-9 culture to determine the interaction between chlorinated ethenes, PFAS, and activated carbon, with the goal of advancing the understanding and application of in-situ activated carbon for remediation of co-mingled plumes.
Reductive dechlorination was most effective in aquifer treatments using 1.0 mg/g colloidal activated carbon (CAC) with emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) and in SDC-9 treatments using granular activated carbon (GAC) pre-sorbed with PFAS and amended with a mixture of lactate, acetate, and formate. Results indicate that excess surfactants and smaller activated carbon particles (PAC or CAC) may inhibit complete dechlorination, particularly in the presence of PFAS. The use of mixed electron donors outperformed lactate alone, and larger activated carbon particle sizes (GAC) were more conductive to full dechlorination
Mammal Use of Crossing Structures on Highways In the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains
Full text linkRoad networks are a major driver of habitat fragmentation and wildlife mortality. Wildlife crossing structures (WCS) are a common mitigation strategy with the goal of maintaining landscape connectivity, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, and facilitating safe passage across highways. Most research on WCS prioritize large ungulates or carnivores, leaving potential gaps in our understanding of how diverse mammalian communities interact with these features. We investigated spatial, temporal, and behavioral patterns of small-, medium-, and large-bodied mammals using WCS in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Using remote camera data from structures on I-40 and I-26 collected from 2018 to 2023, we assessed visitation and successful crossings across a range of carnivore species. We then monitored a subset of WCS (including US-276) from 2024 to early 2025 and examined how fear-based behaviors (e.g., flight, pausing) varied with traffic, structure features, and natural disturbance events, like Hurricane Helene. We first evaluated interspecific interactions and modeled visitation intensity using N-mixture models for focal carnivore species (black bear, bobcat, coyote, red fox). We then modeled successful crossing events using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) and included river otter, American mink, and long-tailed weasel. We conducted behavioral analyses using video footage categorized into fear-based (pausing, fleeing) and neutral (foraging, non-reluctance) behaviors for black bear, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and coyote with univariate linear models and beta GLMMs. We observed no strong evidence of spatial or temporal avoidance between carnivores at crossing structures, though carnivores used different structures from large ungulates. Visitation and crossing patterns, however, were strongly species-specific: black bears visited WCS near forest cover, bobcats were associated with prey activity, and red foxes selected WCS farther from water. Successful crossings were more likely when animals traveled in groups and were less likely in structures inundated with water and with higher human activity. Fear-based behaviors were associated with traffic for bears and deer consistent with the Risk Disturbance Hypothesis. Raccoons and deer showed fewer fear-based responses at both the highest- and lowest-trafficked roads, consistent with the Predation Risk Allocation Hypothesis. Coyotes did not exhibit significant behavioral shifts, reflecting their unique adaptability and behavioral plasticity. Following Hurricane Helene, when roadways were temporarily closed, we observed increases in fear-based behaviors among deer and raccoons indicating that extreme climate events can also shift behavior. Collectively, these findings highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of wildlife behavior on roadsides. Structural design, landscape features, social behaviors, and external stimuli all influence species’ use of structures. Broadening WCS evaluation beyond large target species and incorporating behavior can improve the effectiveness of highway mitigation strategies, making roads safer for both people and wildlife
Spatially Mapped Statewide Estimated Potential Evapotranspiration using an Efficient Surface Interpolation Method: A Case Study of South Carolina
No full textPotential evapotranspiration (PET) exhibits substantial spatial and temporal variability across large landscapes, necessitating site-specific estimation for accurate environmental and water resource assessments. However, obtaining PET or ET data for specific locations across an entire state remains challenging due to the limited number of weather stations and associated environmental datasets. This study aimed to develop an automated geospatial modeling framework to map PET distribution across South Carolina, USA, using PET estimated by the temperature-based Hargreaves–Samani (H–S) method with daily weather data from 59 NOAA stations. Because the accuracy of spatial interpolation depends on both the target variable and the desired spatial resolution, we focused on high-resolution (1 m) surface mapping of PET. Four interpolation algorithms—Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), Spline, Kriging, and Bayesian Kriging—were evaluated for their performance in mapping H–S PET. The models were assessed both visually and statistically using regional datasets on land cover, elevation, and precipitation across five ecoregions (Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Southeastern Plains, Middle Atlantic Plains, and Southern Coastal Plains). Multivariate regression analyses of 200 randomly sampled points indicated that the IDW method outperformed the other approaches, yielding higher R² values and lower standard errors. In addition to this comparative evaluation, the study presents a review of interpolation techniques, discussing their theoretical foundations, advantages, limitations, and potential environmental applications. The final PET maps were produced through automated geospatial models developed in ArcGIS ModelBuilder using Python scripts. These models, available in Toolbox (*.tbx) and script formats upon request, provide a practical framework for researchers and land managers to efficiently generate PET and other environmental variable maps for site-specific planning and analysis
From 4-H to Higher Education: College Enrollment Among Indiana 4-H Alumni by Demographics
No full textEvaluating the long-term impact of college readiness programs on diverse youth presents unique challenges, particularly as youth navigate the complex and often transient path of postsecondary education. Instrumentation limitations and resource constraints can further blur the positive contributions of such programs. In an inaugural study, Indiana 4-H leveraged the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to assess the postsecondary educational journeys of its alumni across diverse demographic groups. Data from the NSC were analyzed using descriptive frequency test, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis. Key findings reveal that Indiana 4-H alumni enroll in postsecondary institutions at significantly higher rates than the state average, highlighting the program’s role in fostering college readiness. Moreover, this study demonstrates the value of the National Student Clearinghouse as a reliable data source for youth-serving organizations. By providing actionable insights, this research empowers youth development practitioners and stakeholders to validate the effectiveness of their efforts, improve programming, explore variations in college enrollment across demographic variables, and advocate for increased support for Positive Youth Development initiatives
Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Mentoring in Alternative Education
No full textThis Program and Practice article provides a comprehensive overview of a university-school mentoring program specifically designed to address the school-to-prison pipeline by supporting youth in a disciplinary alternative school setting. The purpose of this article is to offer a detailed description of the program’s structure, components, and implementation strategies, with the goal of providing practitioners with a replicable model that can be adapted for use in similar school environments. This program matches undergraduate students with high school youth removed from traditional schools due to behavioral or justice-related challenges. Grounded in a strengths-based framework, the intervention incorporates a structured mentor training curriculum, an intentional matching process, and a weekly semi-structured mentoring model that combines group lessons on life skills with one-on-one support. Preliminary findings from interviews with student participants suggest high levels of satisfaction and relational support. All respondents reported that their mentors listened when they had concerns and celebrated their successes, while most indicated trust and comfort in the mentoring relationship. These early results point to the promise of structured, time-limited mentoring in alternative education contexts as a relational intervention to counteract the effects of exclusionary discipline. The article offers practical guidance for implementing similar programs and discusses the broader implications for practice and future research
Research Note: Research Literacy
No full textCamp healthcare providers must rely on current, rapidly changing, and discipline-specific scientific evidence to care for individuals, families, and communities. Healthcare providers for camps face challenges in finding and using research evidence to inform their practice in the moment of need, in part because of the unique characteristics of their care settings. In fall of 2023, the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH) Research Committee conducted a study to determine the most frequent barriers to research utilization reported by camp healthcare providers and administrators. The study identified barriers that the researchers then classified into four categories: personal characteristics of the providers, limitations of the setting, qualities of the research, and accessibility of the research. Specific findings related to characteristics of the camp healthcare providers included their being unaware of the existing evidence and unable to understand the results or evaluate the quality of research reports (Garst et al., 2025).
This Research Note column and those in subsequent issues focus on demystifying research reports so that camp healthcare providers feel more confident in their ability to evaluate available research evidence and translate it to practice
Camp Staff Self-Care: What are We Encouraging, What are We Observing?
No full textSelf-care is widely discussed within nursing literature, most often referencing a patient’s ability to care for themselves or address their own needs when dealing with chronic illnesses and diseases (Kickbusch, 1989; McCormack, 2003). Social movements related to women’s empowerment, health and wellness, and the COVID-19 pandemic expanded this research toward understanding how self-care practices combat stress and negative emotions among employees in helping professions (Martinez et al., 2021). Summer camp work may be considered a helping profession given the level of care and responsibility attributed to camp staff