Sean Brotherson, associate professor and Extension family science specialist, gave four presentations at the Extension Family Science Network conference held in April in New Orleans.
Brotherson gave a panel presentation, titled “The Extension Human Response to Natural Disasters in North Dakota,” which included an overview of recent flood conditions in North Dakota, community needs and responses and the role of the NDSU Extension Service in responding to community needs during the natural disaster.
He also delivered “Parents Forever and Other Adventures in Assessing the Value of Divorce Education for Adults," which addressed the importance of evaluating educational programs for divorcing adults and the Parents Forever program in North Dakota. “Research on the program indicates that even brief educational experiences can have a positive impact in changing the trajectory of an adult's response to the divorce experience,” Brotherson said.
“Father Times, FRED, and Other Approaches to Working with Fathers in Extension" focused on educational approaches to working with fathers in parent education and high-quality educational resources, such as the Father Times educational newsletter developed by the NDSU Extension Service. Brotherson’s research with this program indicates that fathers prefer resources that target them directly, value the educational materials highly, and report moderate changes in knowledge and behavior as a result of using the materials.
Along with Sharon Query, Extension 4-H youth development specialist, Brotherson also gave a poster presentation titled “Gearing Up for Kindergarten: A Parent Education and School Readiness Program.” The presentation offered participants an overview of the Gearing Up for Kindergarten program and its effectiveness in helping parents to prepare their children for the transition into kindergarten. “A child's entry into school is a transition period in which parents are more highly interested in parent involvement and more receptive to education to benefit themselves and their child,” Brotherson said.