About CYFERnet

If you're a professional serving children, youth and families or a parent with your own children, you know that finding reliable, high quality, research-based information on the Web can be a major challenge. That's where CYFERnet can help you. CYFERnet's Web site brings together the best, children, youth and family resources of all the public land-grant universities in the country. Materials are carefully reviewed by college and university faculty. Through CYFERnet you can also interact with your colleagues and share your work nationally.

How Can I Use CYFERnet?

CYFERnet is designed to be used by anyone who needs comprehensive children, youth, or family information including: educators, researchers, parents, youth agency staff, community members, human services and health care providers, students, policy makers, youth, media. CYFERnet can:

provide tools and information for working with youth, parents, families, and communities.
share practical research-based tools, curricula and activities with a national audience.
help locate experts in the areas of children, youth, and family across the country.
provide access to the latest research, statistical, and demographic information.
locate funding opportunities and grant writing information.
provide resources and instruments for program evaluation.
provide information on 3000 community-based State Strengthening programs targeting at-risk audiences

How Can I Contact CYFERnet?

For general questions about CYFERnet, the best way to contact us is to send an email to cyf@umn.edu with relevant background or specific information. Then we can easily forward your question to the person best qualified to answer it. When email doesn't work, our phone is: (612) 624-8181, and US Postal Service Address is: CYFERnet c/o T. Dunham, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, 490 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, Saint Paul MN 55108.

What is the History of CYFERnet?

CYFERnet is a national network of Land Grant university faculty and county Extension educators working to support community-based educational programs for children, youth, parents and families. Through CYFERnet, partnering institutions merge resources into a "national network of expertise" working collaboratively to assist communities. CYFERnet provides program, evaluation and technology assistance for children, youth and family community-based programs. CYFERnet is funded as a joint project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and the Cooperative Extension System. You can read more information on USDA's community projects by visiting the USDA's Children, Youth and Families at Risk Program site. Materials on CYFERnet are screened, peer reviewed and posted by CYFERnet's Editorial Board members from universities across the United States.

The original CYFERnet Internet information site was created in 1992 by professionals working for the Cooperative Extension System (USDA) and the National Agricultural Library (USDA). The current CYFERnet project builds directly on the work of five original human resource networks established in 1993 in the areas of child care, collaboration, family resiliency, health, and science and technology as well as the original CYFERnet Web site and the Children, Youth and Families at Risk Evaluation Collaboration. CYFERnet materials are made available through national conferences, online publications, and electronic technology including web sites, listservs, collaboration tools, video, and other media

As part of USDA's Children, Youth and Families at Risk Program, CYFERnet is committed to the vision that: CHILDREN will have their basic physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs met. Babies will be born healthy. YOUTH will demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior necessary for fulfilling, contributing lives. FAMILIES will promote positive, productive and contributing lives for all family members. PARENTS will take primary responsibility for meeting their children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs and provide moral guidance and direction. COMMUNITIES will provide safe, secure environments for families with children.

Who Maintains CYFERnet's Website?

The CYFERnet Website is maintained by the CYFERnet Technology Team at land-grant university Extension services across the nation. In addition to the Web site, information and communication technology leadership is provided in areas of online collaboration, virtual teams, online learning and teaching, youth online activities and curriculum, and additional services for the USDA Children, Youth and Families at Risk Program. The CYFERnet Technology partners include Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, New Mexico State University, North Carolina State University, and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (USDA).