Read the case study below and answer ALL the questions that follow.
**Tarah Alfredson Case Study Background**
Tarah Alfredson is an Extension Agent and County Director assigned to Family and Consumer Sciences (80 percent) and Administrative/Executive (20 percent). She has 12 years of experience, with the last two years serving as County Director. She is the leader of a countywide Tennessee Shapes Up program, which is one of the state’s best with numerous businesses, churches, schools, and public agencies involved. Tarah has shown incredible organizational and teaching skills, as the county has had a Tennessee Shapes Up course or activity every week for the past two years.
Tarah measures results through multisession Tennessee Shapes Up courses. This year, 495 people participated with these results:
- 450 (90 percent) participants now eat more whole grains.
- 425 (85 percent) now eat more fruits and vegetables.
- 450 (90 percent) participants decreased consumption of high-sugar foods.
- 240 (48 percent) participants now eat at least six meals together as a family each week.
- 350 (70 percent) participants engaged in physical activity for at least 30 minutes five or more days during most weeks.
- 390 (78 percent) lost weight; 1,950 total pounds were lost for an average of five pounds per participant.
- 400 (80 percent) participants reported improved blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and/or triglyceride levels.
Tarah implements Tennessee Shapes Up so that it reaches many diverse audiences, including senior adults, food stamp recipients, and families. She has conducted programs at every school and senior center in the county and many workplaces. She carefully considers her program results and works to figure out how to improve outcomes. She has strong partnerships with the Head Start in her community, where she has taught Head Start teachers to use the Healthy Steps curriculum, and she has reached parents with numerous programs.
This year was her second year as a member of the State Nutrition and Food Safety Leadership Team, which developed a number of educational resources. Tarah’s individual annual plan was acceptable, composed of action agendas in Tennessee Shapes Up and Tennessee Saves. Based on the needs of the county she serves, Tarah places most of her effort on Tennessee Shapes Up. However, the Tennessee Saves program she delivers has achieved similar success. In Tennessee Saves, she coordinates efforts with the Extension 4-H Agent.
Other information about Tarah’s work this year follows:
- She co-taught a Tennessee Saves in-service in her region, where she demonstrated the use of money management apps for consumers.
- The county population is approximately 20 percent minority. Tarah’s direct contacts are 25 percent minority.
- The questions she receives from the general public seem to become more varied every year. This year, Tarah noticed an increase in questions related to the physical effects of poor indoor air, proper ventilation, asthma, and natural cleaning products. She feels marginally competent with questions about the physical effects of poor indoor air, proper ventilation, asthma, and natural cleaning products.
- She involves approximately 40 individual volunteers in numerous programs. The volunteers represent Family and Community Education Clubs, parents, and others she meets through her programming, such as Parenting Apart: Effective Co-Parenting. Tarah primarily manages this cadre of volunteers to fully implement base programs, such as pressure canner testing and Farmers’ Market Fresh. She works to recruit numerous minority leaders to serve as volunteers in programs and advisory councils.
