The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
(Vol. 18 No. 21)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
I am re-running my March 20 Tuesday message, recognizing that a great number of faculty and agents may have been gone some or most of that week with spring break happening. So, here is that message. If you read it last week, you might read it again. I do think it conveys some important, subtle changes that have occurred in my lifetime as an Extension specialist and then an administrator. Some changes are so gradual that you may not see the change, or might believe that the past remains as our current and future. And, then there are those of you who have not been a part of Extension for decades and you might see it from a totally different point of view. I do appreciate feedback, as was the case from a few of you last week! Thanks!
March 13-15 I was attending the National Extension Directors and
Administrators Conference. Theme for the conference was "Opportunities
of Change for Transformational Education." Throughout presentations a
recurring message was one of embracing change through a willingness to
understand the forces driving the change.
Extension has undergone
substantial change over the past decades. We're no longer the
sole-source provider of information. Technology has flattened the
information pipeline. A greater diversity of research engines and
information sources have emerged. We've had to learn to partner. To
retain respect in today's information age, we must look at ourselves
LESS as "THE EXPERT," and more as a trusted translator, guide, or
facilitator in decision processes and transformational education.
We
can view ourselves in competition with other sources, or we can work
aggressively at being better partners. In the long run, partnering will
be most productive and most helpful for our clientele and all those for
whom we serve. And, "partnering" requires that we show up, invest
ourselves in building relations, and figure out how we can contribute to
solutions by sharing resources and sharing credit. Successful
partnering and engagement were described appropriately as full contact
sports! If we wait for others to come to us, we won't be in the
information and transformational education game in the future.
Lots
of food for thought on how we've changed, and how we need to
aggressively continue to change for our future if Extension is to
continuously improve upon its ability to be a reliable, relevant,
responsive, and rewardable organization. Have a great week! --Daryl
Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
8TH ANNUAL EXTENSION HEALTHFEST FOCUSES ON 4-H HEALTHY LIVING
We invite you to join the leaders of the ten 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador pilot sites for the 8th Annual EXTENSION HEALTHFEST! April 13-14 at Rock Springs 4-H Center. HealthFest! is an opportunity to learn about the 4-H Healthy Living mission area, how to include physical activity and healthy eating in local programming and for everyone to have fun with health!
Activities begin on Friday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m. with indoor physical activities and cafe conversations with the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors. On April 14 (Saturday) we continue with outdoor 'fun and games', introduction of the K-State KNACK and national WE CAN! curricula and brainstorming 'next steps' 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors across Kansas. HealthFest concludes on Saturday by 3 p.m.
Teams of youth (6th grade and up) and their adult mentors are invited to attend HealthFest!. Participants who are not members of the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador pilot groups will need to pay $68/person to attend HealthFest. The fee pays for Friday evening snacks, lodging, breakfast and lunch on Saturday, materials and take home kits. Contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu, 785-532-7720, by April 4 to register for HealthFest!.
For more information about HealthFest or the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador pilots, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; or Linda Biles, sewandsewbiles@aol.com. --Elaine Johannes
FULL CIRCLE...AN AGING EXPO - THE BEST IS YET TO BE
Full Circle...An Aging Expo is ready to go again this year with a new twist. Plan to join us on Friday, April 27, at the Catholic Parish Hall in Hill City, Kansas, located on Highway 24.
Two tracks featuring educational topics on aging are available this year - one for the public (including Extension Staff) and one for professional care givers. The professional track will also provide up to 7 CEU's if desired. This track will emphasize physical activities to do with the aging individual and also will emphasize dealing with Alzheimer's Disease.
The public track will include information on Traumatic Brain Injury, Tiny Garden - Big Reward, Talking With the Alzheimer's Patient, When to Give Up The Keys, as well as other timely aging topics.
The featured noon speaker in both tracks will be Andy Crocker, from the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, discussing caregiving and taking care of yourself while providing care. The public track will close with Larry Hatteberg, noted TV news journalist from KAKE TV, speaking about "People We Should Know."
Registrations are due April 20. For registration brochures from both tracks, visit our website, http://www.northwest.ksu.edu/fullcircle.
If you have questions, contact Libby Curry at 785-462-6281 or Tranda Watts at 785-443-3663. --Tranda Watts
FAIR JUDGES TRAINING IN WICHITA
A 4-H Fair Judges Training will be held on Monday, April 30, at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center in Wichita. This workshop is for judges, potential judges, staff, leaders and junior leaders. Registration is due on Friday, April 20, to the SE Area Office.
Optional early session registration is at 4:30 p.m. Regular registration is at 5:45 p.m. Topics covered: Foods Preservation; Visual Arts: Sketching, Painting and Drawing; Foods; Clothing Construction and Fashion Revue.
This flier is posted on the State 4-H webpage under “What’s Hot.” Thanks for sharing this information with your volunteers, past judges, potential judges and interested teens in your county or district. --Beth Hinshaw bhinshaw@ksu.edu and Jodi Besthorn besthorn@ksu.edu
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