Patty Merk
- Interim Director, Yavapai County
- Area Agent, Family and Youth Development
- Regional Specialist, Agriculture Education
Contact
- (602) 908-0531
- MARICOPA COUNTY
- PHOENIX, AZ 85040-8807
- pmerk@cals.arizona.edu
Biography
Dr. Patricia (Patty) Merk creates, implements and manages programs for children and families as Area Extension Agent and Regional Specialist for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Maricopa County. Her programs are focused in the areas of early childhood development, preschool environments and curricula, and early childhood teacher education, focusing on early brain development, nature education in preschools, child development and family literacy. Dr. Merk has twenty-eight years of experience in educating parents and early childhood professionals in child development. Dr. Patty Merk incorporates a high degree of community development and outreach into her programs and promotes families making connections with each other. She is the co-author of several peer-reviewed, research-based curricula including Brain Builders for Life: Prenatal to Age 3 and Arizona Community Training, a leadership curriculum. She has served as a member of the First Things First South Phoenix Regional Council for 12 years and contributes in numerous capacities with collaborative groups, alliances and boards.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Family Studies and Human Development
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, US
- Conceptualizing the Relationships Between Grandmothers and the Grandchildren They Are Raising: A Grounded Theory Approach
- M.S. Child Development and Family Studies
- Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States
- B.S. Journalism
- Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States
Awards
- Certificate of Appreciation for Regional Council Service
- First Things First, Summer 2020
- Certificate of Service
- Arizona Association for Family and Consumer Sciences, Fall 2019
- Selected as Featured Speaker for National Center for Families Learning Conference
- Bezos Family Foundation and Vroom, Fall 2019
- Special Award for 11 Years of Regional Council Service
- First Things First, Fall 2019
- Listen 4 Good Community of Practice and Honorarium
- Listen 4 Good, Summer 2019
Interests
No activities entered.
Courses
No activities entered.
Scholarly Contributions
Presentations
- Merk, P. A. (2020, October). The CES Innovation Skill-Building Experience: Is It in Arizona's Future. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Annual Conference. virtual: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoThe presentation introduced participants to the National Cooperative Extension System's Innovation Skill-Building Experience (ISBE). New and reimagined engagement tools were described as well as the opportunity to bring ISBE to Arizona.
- Merk, P. A. (2019, November). Creating a Healthy Relationship With Your Child. Statewide Teen Parent University. Tempe, Arizona: Arizona Department of Children's Services.More infoWorkshop for teen parents in the Arizona foster care system.
Poster Presentations
- Merk, P. A., & Floyd, T. (2020, September 15). Engaging Families in a Diverse Family Resource Center: Building Capacity and Connections. National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Conference. virtual: National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.More infoPoster session staffed for a two-hour period during conference.
Creative Productions
- Tapia, K., Campana, Y., Aborached, H., Nieves, G., & Merk, P. A. (2020. University of Arizona-Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center Early Childhood STEAM Video Series. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/MaricopaFRC/: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoThis series includes short video-recorded readings of books related to STEAM for very young children. A demonstration of an activity related to the book and an explanation of the science is shown. In the series, there are are 30 English STEAM videos, 30 in Spanish and 23 in Arabic.
- Tapia, K., Campana, Y., Aborached, H., Nieves, G., & Merk, P. A. (2020. University of Arizona-Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center Early Childhood Storytime Video Series. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/MaricopaFRC/: University of Arizona-Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center.More infoThis series includes short video-recorded readings of storybooks and demonstrations of an activity related to the book. There are 37 English Storytime videos, 37 in Spanish and 32 in Arabic.
Other Teaching Materials
- Merk, P. A. (2019. Baby Basics for New Parents. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoBooklet of information for new parents.
- Merk, P. A., & Martinez, C. L. (2020. Training Overview, Brain Builders for Life: Birth to Three Curriculum Version 2.0. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoThis work is a 17-page overview of the a 16-hour early brain development curriculum for parents and early childhood professionals. It has been submitted to peer review.
- Merk, P. A., Dixon, D. L., Whitmer, E. B., & Martinez, C. L. (2020. Unit 2. Learning About the Brain, Brain Builders for Life: Birth to Three Curriculum Version 2.0. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoThis work is a 30-slide PowerPoint presentation for the 16-hour early brain development curriculum for parents and early childhood professionals. It has been submitted to peer review.
- Merk, P. A., Martinez, C. L., Wilson, H., Curley, D. L., Wyatt, M. A., & Dixon, A. L. (2020. Unit 1. Nature and Nurture, Brain Builders for Life: Birth to Three Curriculum, Version 2.0. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoThis work is a 27-slide PowerPoint presentation for page the 16-hour early brain development curriculum for parents and early childhood professionals. It has been submitted to peer review.
- Merk, P. A., Whitmer, E. B., & Martinez, C. L. (2020. Unit 3. Social and Emotional Development, Brain Builders for Life: Birth to Three Curriculum Version 2.0. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoThis work is a 48-slide PowerPoint presentation for the 16-hour early brain development curriculum for parents and early childhood professionals. It has been submitted to peer review.
Others
- Merk, P. A., & Floyd, T. (2020, January-December). University of Arizona-Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center website. https://www.facebook.com/MaricopaFRC. https://www.facebook.com/MaricopaFRCMore infoFacebook page for communicating with families and the greater public about the activities of the Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center. Reach: 4848 followers and 1,527 post engagements.
- Merk, P. A. (2019, September). Pre and Postnatal Resource Notebook. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.More infoA selection of research-based information for parents expecting a child or having a newborn.
