Until we meet again, Extension...

It's crazy how fast this Summer has gone. I know the first week I came here, I was a nervous wreck. I knew I wanted to do the best job possible but I didn't yet know how I was going to do that. The first few weeks went slow , just trying to find my place in the Garrard County office. I may have even used the word "boring". I can laugh at that now! This summer has been anything but boring. I've done things I never thought I would be able to and used my own skills in ways I didn't know I could. Extension is very rewarding. This is my last week and I will go back to school in two. Though, I'm ready to catch up on laundry and get my head in a student state-of-mind, I'm not sure how I feel about not coming here every morning. It's very bittersweet but I've learned so much that I can take with me from each and every person in this office.

The question was asked at the Round up : " What did you do this Summer that you never thought you would?" . I thought about that a little more on the ride home and the truth is, I never thought I'd be interested in working in Extension. I'm a Junior at Eastern Kentucky University majoring in Agribusiness Management. I saw myself working in the financial world , with an office and possibly a suit. Then I got the opportunity to apply for the Internship and I had flashbacks of my 4-H days. I absolutely loved 4-H as a kid but I had truly forgotten what it had meant to me to be able to enter things in the fair, or take a lamb to the show, or learn to sew with my friends and pretend we were fashion designers. My mind began to change. After working in the retail world for 5 years and changing my major a couple hundred times, this one sort of snuck up on me and I really wanted to know if this is something I could take on. So when I found out I was able to intern at Garrard County , I was ecstatic! I did learn a lot about my community and the things that are going on in the County very quickly but mostly I learned my own strengths and weaknesses.

I sound like an old Granny when I say, your twenties are a rough age. But Its a complicated time! I'm finishing up school and trying to decide what in the world I can do with my degree. I want a job I can enjoy but also maintain my small family. It's a scary time too, the world of possibilities is endless but yet there's an end. So to be honest, I don't think we ever know what we're doing. So, the best part about this internship is that I'm no longer struggling to find out what I want to do with my life. I want to be a 4-H agent. Plain and Simple. Things may take a different turn come graduation day and life is so unexpected but given the chance to spend time with these kids and see how excited they are to learn new things I feel at home with making 4-H Agentdom a goal for my life. I know its long hours, steamy camp days, and sometimes difficult parents but its very rewarding to be able to teach a kid a "forgotten art" like cooking or growing vegetables. I think our world would be a much better place if we were all a little more self sufficient and 4-H programs teach kids lifeskills to be just that. 4-H also inspires kids to develop hobbies and talents and I know I want to be the one to help them do that.

This has been an amazing experience and I truly appreciate the opportunity. It's going to be strange waking up Monday morning with nothing to do but I've got a lot of good stories, new skills learned and new relationships with some fine people from my hometown. I also have a list of things I'm going to need for Christmas now, if you guys can get word to my husband: a canner, a sewing machine, a way better camera, a barn quilt, some paint, a kayak, a lamb and an application for the Summer 2016 Extension Internship :)

Ending the week in Style

This is my last week working as a 4-H intern in extension at Shelby County and it has been very busy and fun. I started the week out with our Food-A-Rama competition and had 11 kids enter many wonderful dishes. I also got to work on putting together the cookbook from each dish we had entered in Food-A-Rama. We even put in recipes from past competitions and I cannot wait to try them out!

 Although this is my last week and will not get to go to back to school bashes and school clubs int the county, I did get to help out on making a wooden clover that can be taken to these events to promote 4-H in schools. They even let me use power tools and paint!

I also got to help out with Kids in the Kitchen on the 30th of July. At the event kids go to different stations and make different foods, learn how to wash their hands and food safety. At my station I got to show the kids how to make butter, which is very fitting since I grew up on a dairy farm.

I have say working in extension has been a great experience and I have learned so much from the wonderful staff here!

Harrison County Extension: Part 4

I have been able to learn a lot about myself this summer through the Extension Internship Program. While I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into, there were things I was expecting to like that I realized wasn't exactly what I thought they would be and vice versa. Here are 5 things I learned about myself this past summer.

1. Not all 4-Hers are like the livestock judging kids. I have been a volunteer livestock judging coach for around four years now. I have enjoyed it a lot and one of the most rewarding parts of being a coach is the relationships built with the judging kids and watching them improve as a judge. I was used to being around these kids and knew how to work with them, but I soon found out not all kids are like these. The different groups of 4-Hers were all unique in their own way and it was a challenge for me to have to figure the different groups out quickly so I would know how to educate them and keep their attention.

2. It is okay to cut loose and act like a kid every now and then. 4-H camp was what I dreaded the most about this internship. I did not enjoy it all too well when I tried it out as a first year camper. The only person to blame for that is myself, because I was a shy kid that didn't really want to break out my shell at that time. I would be lying if I said that I was miserable at camp the entire time this go around. The mud wars we had at camp were unique to that week because of all the rain we had. During the brawl that it was, I noticed everyone, young and old(er), wasn't worried about keeping up a certain image. Everyone was having a good time literally rolling in mud holes like livestock. It was nice for me to realize that life doesn't have to be taken seriously all the time.

3. It takes an army. There are so many behind the scenes actions that have to take place for an event or program to happen. I think most people see the agents at an event and think that all they do is show up to places, but there is a ton of coordinating and meetings that have to happen for something to be successful. Agents do a lot of work that goes unnoticed and unappreciated in some cases. Even more so, the volunteers are saints for what they do. If it weren't for them, most of the events we had this summer would not have been able to happen.

4. The Harrison County community supports Extension. I grew up in the 4-H program and we sold vegetables in the Farmer's Market when I was young, but it wasn't until being in the office and seeing the people and taking the calls that I realized how many people appreciate the services the extension agents provide. The agents will also drop what they are doing and go out of their way to help a member in the community. They also work together well and aren't too proud to learn something from each other or a member in the community. The staff here is great and I felt like I was at home from the first day I worked here. I have also built some relationships of my own with members of the community that I wouldn't have otherwise without working with extension.

5. I could Extension as a career option for me in the future. I really enjoyed working on the Agriculture and Natural Resources projects and could see that being a good fit for me in the future. I also could see myself applying for a youth livestock coordinator position, or maybe a beef specialist job as well. One thing I am sure of is that I see how much the people in an agricultural community appreciate what extension does, and I would love to be apart of that one day.

I can't say enough good things about the staff here in Harrison County. They seem like family to me as my internship comes to a conclusion. They have all taken an interest in my future and have answered any questions I've had about extension, or life for that matter, and told me like it is rather than saying what they think I want to hear. While I am excited to start my job in South Dakota on Eagle Pass Ranch, I will miss working with the people here in Cynthiana and Harrison County.  

Don't Cry because it's Over, Smile because it Happened

As I finish up my internship I can't help but to think of all the different things I've learned and how much I've grown as a person. Before this internship I was an extremely shy and reserved person. Now, I am more outgoing, I feel comfortable speaking to people I don't know, and I've become a better public speaker. All these skills that I've learned I will use as I become an FCS Agent at Large in Crittenden County. Not only did this internship teach me about myself but it opened my eyes to a career that I can see myself doing in the future. 

Knowing that I have a full time position doing something I love is very exciting. Especially since I graduated in May and had no idea what I wanted to do with my degree. All of these blessings wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for this internship. I have learned countless valuable lessons all thanks to the Christian County Extension office and its very reassuring to know that even though I won't be working in their office, I know I will see them again. 

Harrison County Extension: Post 3

It has been an action packed final month for my internship at the Harrison County Extension Office. Having our county fair and 4-H camp the same week made for an interesting week, to say the least. the first weekend of our fair was the livestock shows. I stayed back to help with them while our 4-H Agent went to Cloverbud camp. I thought that the judges for our shows were very good and worked well with the youth that were exhibiting their animals at the shows. Our largest show was the Beef show with just over 100 animals that were entered. Our fans that we installed in the show barn really helped keep the animals and showmen comfortable. After 4-H camp, family fun night and the tractor driving contest was that evening. we had over 10 4-H and FFA members and 6 adults compete. Family fun night followed the contest. Our Teen Club officers led the games for the children and the participants were able to win cash money to reward their efforts in the contests.

4-H camp started with a bang, of thunder that is. It was a stormy first half of the week at North Central. But, the camp staff and our group of agents, interns, and leaders were all flexible with the original schedule and were sure to keep all the campers entertained with everyone's safety in mind. This was my first time back at 4-H camp since I tried it out as a 9 year old, and it was a better experience for me this time around. We ended the week with a mud fight at the Sallie field because of all the rain we had, which was a North Central first to everyone's understanding. That was my favorite part of camp and it was good for everyone to be able to cut loose and have fun. If it weren't for our camp group I know that I would not have had as good of a camp experience. A big pat on the back is in order for Mike Meyer, Shelley Meyer, Shanon Farrell, Staci Thrasher, Rebecca Neltner, Kelsey Knight, and Katie Conn for being such a great group to work with.

After camp and fair week, things slowed down just a little bit in the office. Last week, I had the pleasure of being able to go on the western Kentucky ag trip that our Ag agent helped coordinate. We were able to see the UK Research center in Princeton, a canola crushing plant, the Fairview produce auction, and many large tobacco and grain farms. All the farmers we visited were extremely nice and hospitable towards our group, and were passionate about what they were doing. It was interesting to learn about how they do things on such a larger scale on that end of the state. This trip was a great way to start to unwind from my internship.

Robotics Camp

My intern project this summer was coordinating a robotics camp. Robotics was a part of 4-H I didn’t learn about until I had aged out, but it was something I was interested in learning about. I think during this process I learned just as much as the kids I was teaching. 

The first step to this project was realizing I was going to need help to teach several kids. I called some of our teen club members that were interested and they agreed to help. However, none of us knew how to use or program the robots. My agent and program assistant had been trained in using the Lego NXT robots, but not enough to lead a workshop or train teens. Therefore, I invited a teacher from a local elementary school, who had a robotics club, to train the teens, my agent and myself. We built our own robots and learned the basics of programming them and all about their different adapters. When the teens came back for a second day they began to program more advanced movements and gained confidence in using the robots. Our teen train was a major success because it showed us we were capable of programming the robots, as well as, we could easily teach it to kids.

For this first workshop, I didn’t know what to expect with the kids’ interest levels and abilities. I decided we should target older kids that would be more interested and patient with the process. I contacted our most active sixth and seventh grade kids and soon I had 20 kids signed up. To start off the workshop, I divided the kids into teams of 3 and had their teen help them build their robot. The youth had to pay careful attention to the detailed instructions on how to build their robot and they learned to take their time and be patient. Once their robots were completed, I gave a simple tutorial on how to use the computer program. Their first task was to complete a “challenge course,” a pathway marked by masking tape on the floor they had to program their robot to maneuver through. 

After lunch, we had several stations where they used the different sensors (like a light sensor, sound sensor, and ultrasonic sensor) to complete challenges. One of the kids’ favorite activities was building an arm for the robot that could hit a red ball. All of the kids agreed that they learned something new and they thought the robots were cool. Some even said they were going to ask for one for Christmas!

I have definitely discovered one of my favorite projects in the 4-H curriculum. Not only are the robots fun to play with, but they also teach a valuable skill that is useful for the kids’ futures, and that in turn proves that 4-H is still teaching relevant life skills to our youth. I learned a lot about creating programming as well as volunteer recruitment and marketing. While it took several weeks and much preparation, it was rewarding to see how much the kids learned and became interested in robotics. My agent plans to start a robotics club this year and most of the kids want to continue and hopefully we will get even more youth involved in this important program.

EVALUATION TIME

I got my evaluation sheets from the group of students that I have been working with over the past 3-weeks, back today. I have to admit that I am very impressed and happy over the results though. Looking at the picture below you will see that I received nothing but great evaluations from the students. So I have been working with Sheila these last couple of days to keep this 3 week program going for years to come.

The first day that I worked with the students, it was about exercise and how important it is to take care of your body to prevent health issues from arising and we also talked about eating healthy.
The second day consisted of us making a meal that included every category from MyPlate, such as protein, dairy, vegetable, fruit, and grains. We cooked spaghetti and meatballs. This was an easy enough recipe that they could make at home but also a meal that satisfied some of the nutrients from MyPlate. We also made fruit smoothies and fruit milkshakes with skim milk to satisfy the dairy and fruit category. On this day we also talked about what exactly MyPlate was and went over proper basic cooking skills and hygiene in the kitchen.
The third day, we talked about the most important meal of the day, which is breakfast. This day we talked about all the benefits that having breakfast could do for you and then we cooked a breakfast meal. Our breakfast meal included a 1/2  multigrain blueberry waffle with scrambled eggs, baked turkey bacon, and a cup of milk. The students really liked making the waffles because I brought in a waffle iron for them to use which some of them had never used before.

My program was an amazing experience, being able to reach out and teach the kids something new not only about health and exercise but also about life and college was just amazing for me.