The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
(Vol. 16 No. 23)
IN THIS ISSUE...
RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR DR. JIM KOELLIKER
The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is
hosting a retirement reception for Dr. Jim Koelliker on Wednesday, May 5. The reception will be in the Cats Pause Room at the K-State Student Union from
4 ' 6 p.m. RSVP by April 26 to Barb Moore, bjmoore2@ksu.edu, 532-2900; or Cindy Casper, ccasper@ksu.edu, 532-2927.
If you
would like to make donations in honor of Dr. Koelliker for Student Scholarships,
please make your check payable to 'Kansas Section ASABE' and send
to Barb Moore, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas
State University, 129 Seaton Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-2906. --Barb Moore
NATURAL RESOURCE STUDY TOUR TO OKLAHOMA
A diverse natural resources study tour for May 18-20 has been planned to visit the Noble Foundation, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City, and the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. We will depart and return from the Sedgwick County Extension office.
At the Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma, we will look at studies of alternative forages and tour their cattle operation, along with agents from Texas. In Oklahoma City we will learn about innovative urban stormwater management, household hazardous waste, and urban riverside tourism development. At OSU we will visit the Crosstimbers Range station to review their prescribed burning systems and wildlife studies. We will visit a state-of-the art swine facility that is improving air quality, and visit a redcedar mulching operation. The tour will make a brief stop at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area to learn about recreation and riparian management.
We will be traveling in 2 large vans, so are limiting this opportunity to just 25 people. Send in your $20 registration fee, and name your roommate soon (If using NR-PFT funds). A registration brochure can be received by contacting Christy Dipman at cdipman@ksu.edu. --Cade Rensink and Charlie Barden, Natural Resource PFT co-chairs
USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
USDA Rural Development Business Programs Director Karissa Berks announced that USDA is accepting applications for business and community development grants to help rural communities create wealth, attract more residents and become economically self-sustaining.
The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development's Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program, which provides grants for technical assistance and planning activities to improve economic conditions in rural cities or towns of 50,000 people or fewer.
Funding under the RBOG program can be used to pay for economic planning, technical assistance, and training for rural communities, entrepreneurs or economic development officials. Under this round of funding, priority consideration will be given to applications that best demonstrate strong regional or multi-jurisdictional collaboration, referred to as 'great regions', leadership capacity, and those that represent varying demographics (including underserved and under-represented communities). The amount of funding available is $2.48 million.
Applications are due June 28, 2010. More information on how to apply for a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant is available at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rbog.htm.
To be eligible for funding, an applicant must be a public body, non-profit corporation, Indian Tribe or cooperative with members that are primarily rural residents. Applicants must also have significant expertise in the activities proposed and the financial strength to ensure the objectives of the proposed grant can be accomplished.
For additional information regarding USDA Rural Development and its programs, log onto the Agency's website, or call the Agency's state office at 785-271-2700. --Steven Graham sgraham@k-state.edu
MARIE'S PICKS...
This week my picks (outcomes and impact - what the clientele have done [NOT the agent'i.e., NOT "I offered / I provided / I taught . . . "], success stories, and public value [benefit to non-participants]) were reported by Deryl Waldren, Northwest Area 4-H Specialist, and Susan Schlichting, Ellis County 4-H Agent for the Youth Development Program Focus Team.
Kansas 4-H has been focusing training for staff, volunteers, and youths using the Kansas 4-H Life Skills model for more than 30 years. Five life skills focus on a positive self concept, an inquiring mind, a concern for the community, healthy interpersonal relationships, and sound decision making. These five life skills represent those enduring qualities that help young people develop competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring for others (The 5 Cs of Positive Youth Development).
Northwest Area 4-H camp counselor trainings were held for the Heart of Kansas and the Great Northwest 4-H Camping groups in June 2009. Ninety-three teen camp counselors attended one of two trainings representing 25 of 26 counties/units in Northwest Area Extension and 10 counties from Southwest Area Extension. One major purpose of the camp counselor training was to help teens and others develop the specific leadership and communication skills to help the campers have a safe and fun experience while at camp.
All camp counselors at the end of the two 4-H camps completed a self-assessment evaluation, using a 5-point Likert scale (5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest) on the application of the 13 issues/topics taught during counselor training. Adult Extension staff and adult 4-H volunteers who were at camp also completed an evaluation of camp counselors based on their observations of the 93 camp counselors performing counselor duties during camp.
Impacts based on medium-term outcomes as reported by the 4-H camp counselors
•The mean of all the participants was 4.55 who indicated they increased their social skills when working with other counselors, campers, Extension staff and volunteer leaders.
•The mean of all the participants was 4.57 who indicated they increased their leadership skills by conducting camp activities from start to finish.
•The mean of all the participants was 4.56 who indicated they used KSRE-approved risk management techniques to better ensure the safety of campers.
Success Stories from Camp Counselors and Staff and Volunteer Observers:
'The most valuable thing I will take home from this experience is being a very responsible young adult and having more patience for people's mistakes. Patience!'
'Learning responsibility to others before themselves. The camp counselor was tired and ready for bed, but made sure that the campers were taken care of first. The camp counselor had to put others' needs ahead of her own.' --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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