March 28, 2003

CENTER TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE RECEIVES GATES FOUNDATION GRANT
Congratulations to the Center to Bridge the Digital Divide (CBDD) on receiving the good news of $2.2 million in gift/grant funds to support the Connecting Schools and Communities projects. Congratulations to Bill Gillis and all of the Extension faculty and staff involved in this endeavor.

EXTENSION ENGAGED ON NON-PHYSICAL FORMS OF AGGRESSION IN SCHOOLS
In recent years, the problem of non-physical forms of aggression in schools has received increasing attention by the media and the popular press. In April and May of 2002 alone, numerous journalists and talk show hosts were talking about destructive forces in peer relationships including social exclusion, malicious gossip, and the formation of campaigns designed to destroy a child's reputation. Authors of the books "Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls" (Simmons, 2002) and "Queen Bees and Wannabees: How To Help Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence" (Wiseman, 2002), went on the talk show circuit claiming that covert aggression is widespread, far more common among girls than boys, and as damaging to a child's well-being as physical forms of aggression.They also asserted that these "alternative" forms of aggression have been all but ignored by researchers in developmental and clinical psychology.

The April 4 Extension Engaged will feature Dr. Nicole Werner, Assistant Professor of Human Development at Washing State University, who will discuss the accuracy of these claims by sharing her knowledge and experience conducting research on non-physical forms of aggression over the last seven years. Specifically, she will discuss relational aggression - a form of aggression characterized by attempts to harm others through damage or manipulation of peer relationships. She will relate what researchers have discovered about relational aggression: how it is similar to and different from physical aggression; developmental and sex differences in relational aggression; and factors associated with children's use of relational aggression.In addition, she will discuss her involvement with the Ophelia Project, a non-profit organization that has developed a school-based prevention program targeting relational aggression.The segment will conclude with suggestions and resources for schools interested in the prevention of non-physical forms of aggression.

The program will take place on April 4, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. For those on campus in Pullman, you are invited to be a part of the studio audience in room T-101 of the Food Science and Human Nutrition Building. For those watching via satellite, the program can be viewed on G3-03C. This satellite is located at 95 degrees west and the downlink frequency is 3760. If you need satellite tuning assistance, please call Jim Shelden at 509-335-9290. A test signal for the broadcast will be available at 8 a.m. The program can also be viewed as a videostream on the Internet by going to the CAHE Information Department and clicking on the link for: "Extension Engaged: Non-physical forms of aggression in Schools." The videostream signal will not be available until 8:20 am, 10 minutes before the broadcast. For more information, contact Scott Fedale at 509-335-2952.

WASHINGTON COUNTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
This series of bulletins, authored by Dr. Annabel R. Kirschner, will be published online over the ensuing months through the Information Department, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, Cooperative Extension. Washington Counts in the 21st Century examines changes in Washington counties and how these changes conform to or diverge from broader state and national trends. The first bulletin in the series, entitled "Changing Age Structures in Washington Counties," portrays how the age structure in Washington and its 39 counties have changed between 1990 and 2000.

Series Titles:
Changing Age Structures in Washington Counties (EB1944e) Changes in Race and Hispanic Origin in Washington Counties Growth of Hispanic Origin Population in Washington

If you would like to be notified when each edition of Washington Counts is placed online, please send your email address to: ruralsoc@wsu.edu

MASTER GARDENERS FOUNDERS DAY CELEBRATION
We are pleased to announce that details of the Founders Day Celebration plus registration options are now on-line. Please join us on July 20th, 2003, as we honor the founders of the internationally recognized Master Gardener movement. This public event features talks by widely-acclaimed garden authors and educators followed by tours and an evening banquet. The featured speaker during the banquet is Jim Wilson, former host of The Victory Garden. Ed Hume and Ciscoe Morris will also be on hand.

For a listing of other events occurring in Washington to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the WSU Master Gardener Program, go to the Master Gardener Web site, and click on "Celebrating 30 years".

MARY DEEN LEADS NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Mary Deen, family and youth development specialist, has accepted a 40 percent appointment to direct the National 4-H Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship Program for one year.

The program trains professional youth workers through apprenticeship, which include instruction and on-the-job training. Youth workers develop the skills they need to effectively serve youth in their communities. This Department of Labor program targets front line workers who deliver comprehensive services to youth. The National 4-H Council and the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents received funding to initiate this project with 4-H youth development professionals nationwide.

SCHEDULE
Next week, Mike will be in Washington DC, Monday through Wednesday. Linda will be in Pullman only on Monday and then in Olympia the remainder of the week. Both Mike and Linda will be participating in the Westside County Chairs conference in Olympia, Thursday and Friday.

Mike Tate
Dean and Director
Linda Kirk Fox
Associate Dean and Associate Director
Cooperative Extension
PO Box 646230
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-6230
Ph 509-335-2933
Fax 509-335-2926
lkfox@wsu.edu