Family, Youth and Community Sciences

Dr. Dale Pracht

Associate Professor

Biography

Dr. Pracht is an Associate Professor and 4-H Youth Development Specialist for the University of Florida/IFAS and has been a faculty member in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences since 2007. His FTE appointment is 55% Extension work, 35% teaching, and 10% Research. He has worked 18 years in Extension 4-H programming in Florida and 4 years in Kansas working at both the County and State levels of Cooperative Extension.

Dr. Pracht provides research-based support to youth development professionals in the 4-H Youth Development Program conducting scientifically based needs assessments, planning and developing training materials, securing external funding, and evaluating program effectiveness. He provides organizational support for promoting positive youth development through offering education and in-service trainings for county 4-H Extension faculty and youth development professionals across Florida, nationally, and internationally while working cooperatively with state, regional, and county UF/IFAS Extension faculty and youth development professionals. He teaches FYCS courses preparing future UF students to be successful in their chosen career fields.

Dr. Pracht integrates his Teaching, Research, and Extension Programs and uses his transformational leadership and experiential learning to facilitate collaboration and organizational change in youth programs in rural and urban communities.

Dr. Pracht smiles in front of a gray backdrop.

Contact Information

dpracht@ufl.edu

(352) 273-3533

Office:

3005 McCarty Hall D

Education
- Ph.D. Agricultural Education Leadership Studies, Texas A&M University, 2007
- MS Student Personnel Services, Kansas State University, 1999
- BS Agricultural Education, Kansas State University, 1996

Professional Experience
- Associate Professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, 2013 - Present
- Assistant Professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, 2007 - 2013
- 4-H Youth Development Specialist, Community Based Organizational Systems for Youth Program, 2007 - Present
- Affiliate Faculty Member, University of Florida Master of Sustainable Development Practice Program, 2019 - Present

Teaching
- FYC3401: Introduction to Socio-Economic Perspectives
- FYC4301: Engaging Communities for Decision Making and Action
- FYC4126: Urban and Rural America in Transition
- FYC4950: UF in Ireland Field Study
- FYC4951: Youth Development, Service-Learning and Irish Culture

Research
Departmental Research Areas:
- Youth Development
Research Focus:
- I am engaged in basic and applied research on community-based organizational systems for youth programs focusing on positive youth development (PYD). My work informs and provides curricula and in-service training that allows PYD professionals to be successful at their jobs. The research I do on my UF/IFAS Extension program, Supporting Youth Development Professionals’ work in 4-H Youth Development Programs is informed by Positive Youth Development/Prevention Science and service-learning theories that help 4-H Extension faculty to create youth outcomes and bolster youth resilience.

Extension
Extension Focus:
- Youth Development and 4-H
Summary:

I provide research-based support to youth development professionals in the 4-H Youth Development Program. My work includes conducting scientifically based needs assessments, planning and developing training materials, securing external funding, and evaluating program effectiveness. Since 2019, I have served as Co-Pi on four, federally funded research and extension grants totaling $892,176 and as a member of the Youth Retention Study multistate HATCH project, securing funding to support integrated research, development, and implementation of my Extension program, “Supporting Youth Development Professionals’ Work in 4-H Youth Development Programs”. I provide organizational support for promoting positive youth development through offering education and in-service training for county 4-H Extension faculty and youth development professionals across Florida, nationally, and internationally while working cooperatively with state, regional, and county UF/IFAS Extension faculty and youth development professionals.

My Extension program uses a positive youth development (PYD) framework, particularly the 4-H Thriving Model (Arnold & Gagnon, 2020, See Research Narrative). Applying the Thriving model as a 4-H Youth Development Specialist, my Extension programs focus on three primary areas:
1. PYD/youth leadership/civic engagement.
2. Developing youth development professionals.
3. Risk management for those engaged in youth programming.

Publications
- Sarver, K.(g), Fogarty, K., Johns, T., and Pracht, D. (2024). Volunteer training, tenure, and facilitation of essential elements in 4-H: Examining conditions that promote positive youth development practices. Journal of Youth Development. 19(2) 36-50.
- Toelle, A.(g), Osborne, E., Place, N, Carter, H., and Pracht, D. (2024). Competencies Essential for Early Career 4-H Agent Success. Journal of Extension, 62(4).
- Fogarty, K., Song, J., Counts, T., Grajo, N., Pracht, D., and Diehl, D. (2024). Sports-related concussion among physically active adolescents in the southwestern United States: Effects on mental health during the pandemic. Child Psychiatry & Human Development.
- Doty, J., Lynne, S. D., Yourell, J.L.(g), Smith, S.J., Fogarty, K., Pracht, D., and Taliaferro, L.A. (2023). Adolescent risk and protection profiles for violence perpetration: Insights for family and community-based prevention. Aggressive Behavior. 49(4):396-408.
- Robert, T. G., Cully Garbers, C.(g), and Pracht, D. (2023). Organizations' perception of service-learning study abroad programs and transformational partnerships. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. 11(1): 11.

Awards and Honors
- 2020, National Susan Barkman Research and Evaluation Award, National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development.
- 2020, Florida Extension Agents Family Consumer Sciences Team Award Food Safety.
- 2019, Educator Award, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture.
- 2019, Undergraduate Faculty Advisor/Mentor of the Year Award, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
- 2018, Distinguished Service Award, National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development.

Other Professional Activities
- Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE), 2015 - Present
  - Conference Planning Committee Member
- European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA), 2022 - Present
- North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA), 2019 - Present
- Epsilon Sigma Phi Extension Professionals' Organization (ESP), 2020 - Present
- Family Science Association (FSA), 2023 - Present