Extension Scholar Internship Position Descriptions

Transcription

1 Extension Scholar Internship Position Descriptions 1. Kent County 4 H Program Dover, DE Mentor: Doug Crouse Kent County Cooperative Extension Office 69 Transportation Circle Dover, DE "1. Assist with camp preparation and help to conduct three summer 4 H day camps that will take place in Harrington (July) and Dover (July and August). 2. Assist with preparation and coordination of events in the 4 H Department at the Delaware State Fair. 3. Assist with summer program activities and events for the Delaware 4 H Military Program. 4. Assist with County 4 H Exchange program activities planned for hosting of 4 H members from another 4 H state." 2. Communications and Marketing Mentor: Katy O Connell Townsend Hall "The focus would be on a Communications major student who would be involved in helping roll out our Ask an Expert and social media support for Extension. Specific responsibilities would be: Ask an Expert marketing materials/state fair exhibit, fair preparations Inventory of Accomplishment stories from educators performance reviews and preparing for quick upload to website over the next year Assist Director and extension educators/faculty in preparing a journal article about the UD Extension Scholar program and impacts Social media support for Extension facebook and twitter" 3. Nutrition specifically for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and 4 H youth programs. (Two scholars requested) Mentor: Sue Snider 1

2 The student interns will work with New Castle County and/or Sussex County EFNEP and statewide with the 4 H and other summer youth camps. Location will be determined by where the student resides. Must have transportation. Specifically, the individual(s) will: Assist in obtaining and organizing materials and supplies for summer nutrition youth programs, Observe and assist in delivery of EFNEP youth program in New Castle County and/or Sussex County, Conduct EFNEP summer youth programs in New Castle County and/or Sussex County, Conduct 4 H nutrition programs at summer camps at the request of 4 H agents in New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties and other nutrition programs, Enter evaluation data from youth programs into WebNEERS and prepare summary report on nutrition education of youth in Delaware, Judge state 4 H food entries, and Participate in other nutrition and food safety activities. 4. Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Mentor: Pat Nelson Edward R. Wilson Farmhouse, University of Delaware campus "The 2013 Extension Just in Time Parenting (JITP) Scholar will work with the Extension Family and Human Development Specialist to: Provide training and support for those using Just in Time Parenting programming including child care providers and home visitors. Explore optimal virtual formats (including texting) for providing information to families,. Network and build partnerships with other family serving agencies and organizations Refine evaluation procedures and assist in qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Facilitate focus groups assessing needs, concerns and mutual goals of stakeholders Develop publicity and marketing materials (including social media such as Twitter and Facebook) for Just in Time Parenting. Enroll families in JITP Identify resources and funders for sustaining Just in Time Parenting efforts. Research best practices on cutting edge issues and preparing brief parent friendly resources." 5. Animal Science, Equine Extension and Outreach Mentor: Carissa Wickens Throughout the state. While the majority of work will take place in New Castle County and on the UD Newark Campus, an intern working under the supervision of the Equine Extension Specialist will be expected to 2

3 travel to locations in Kent and Sussex County periodically during their appointment. "I am writing in regards to the 2013 Extension Scholars Internship Program. I wish to express my interest in having an Extension Scholars Intern assigned to me this coming summer to play a vital role in the University of Delaware s equine extension and outreach programs and activities. There are several equine focused youth events and activities scheduled during the summer months that would provide abundant opportunities for an extension scholar to participate in program planning and implementation. These activities include the New Castle County 4 H Animal Science Camp, and State Fair events such as the State 4 H Horse Show and the 4 H/FFA Horse Judging Contest. This summer, we will be hosting the 2013 International Society for Equitation Science Conference in collaboration with Dr. Sue McDonnell from the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Dr. Camie Heleski from Michigan State University, Dr. Sarah Ralston from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and Angelo Telatin from Delaware Valley College. I am the Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for this conference and have the opportunity to involve an Extension Scholar in the planning and implementation of both the scientific and practical days of the conference. The conference theme will be Embracing Science to Enhance Horse Human Interactions, and it is aimed at those interested in the application of science in equine training, performance and management. This event will gather together influential stakeholders in the equine industry. It will focus on ways of improving horse training as well as encouraging the development of science based criteria to measure the welfare of the horse in its interactions with humans. We anticipate an audience of approximately 200 people, with an expected attendance that is roughly half North American based and half from abroad. Our target audience includes equine scientists, veterinarians, applied ethologists, advanced practitioners (horse trainers, instructors & riders) and advanced students pursuing equine science or related degrees. Assisting with this conference will provide the Extension Scholars intern with excellent networking opportunities while supporting the dissemination of science based information to industry professionals and regional equine constituents. This intern may also be involved in the collection and entry of data associated with a survey project designed to investigate equine owners current knowledge and implementation of Best Management Practices (e.g. nutrient management, air quality, and diet/feeding strategies). Finally, we would like to continue developing the UD Cooperative Extension Equine Blog through the addition of educational posts and factsheets, equine focused links and upcoming events/programs. The Extension Scholars Intern would play a very important role this summer in helping us expand this web based resource for our extension clientele. As UD Cooperative Extension prepares to launch the Ask an Expert feature on extension.udel.edu during the 2013 Delaware State Fair, the intern will be able to contribute to this effort through their assistance in setting up and manning the UD Cooperative Extension Equine Program booth. 3

4 All of these events and activities would involve coordinating and working with volunteers, faculty, extension staff and other agricultural professionals and will require an individual who is organized, highly motivated, and personable. The successful candidate must enjoy working closely with youth and adults in both an outdoor/hands on environment as well as in a classroom/lecture type setting. The intern s work schedule would need to be flexible since many of the events/programs listed may not be held during normal 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. working hours. For example, some of these programs and activities are scheduled during weekend and evening hours. Reliable transportation and willingness to drive to Kent County and other locations in the state on a somewhat regular basis would also be necessary. Certainly, all extension programs need to be evaluated for effectiveness, so interns will also be expected to participate in the design of innovative program evaluations/impact questionnaires. 6. "Apiculture and Beekeeping Mentor: Deb Delaney Newark, DE, Townsend Hall Room 252 I am specifically seeking out an extension scholar to update and maintain the Mid Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium website. This website was established in 1997 in response to the invasion of the parasitic Varroa mite, Varroa destructor, but it has far surpassed this mission and the site contains information on anything bee related and also serves as a regional venue to survey research and extension priorities. The MAAREC task force encompasses the full spectrum of stakeholders in the Mid Atlantic region from representatives from the departments of agriculture, land grant universities, representatives from the USDA, and state and local beekeeping organizations. To date the states involved in the MAAREC mission are Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.Since 1997 MAAREC has been very successful at creating much needed extension material for the beekeeping community outlining current IPM techniques available for pest control in honey bee colonies as well a providing educational material for beekeepers and the general public concerning pollination, beginner beekeeping management and advanced topics in colony management. A large part of MAAREC s success is attributable to the MAAREC website, which houses a diverse array of bee related topics in an easy to use web based platform. This website was housed for many years on the server at Penn State University and content and material was maintained by extension specialists and students. Due to a lack of support and time, in 2011 the website transferred servers and universities and is now housed on the server at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware. Over the past 9 years pollinators and honey bees in particular have received not only mass media attention but also many research dollars due to honey bee population declines. These population declines have wide reaching affects not only on the natural ecosystem services honey bees provide to the natural environment but also to the food security of our agricultural 4

5 sector in the United States. The MAAREC site has tried to stay abreast of the constant influx of new research and information being generated by research facilities and land grant universities about honey bee population health and proper management in the face of the many pests and parasites, but this has proved to be a challenge.this site also provides numerous fact sheets available to the public on various topics from pollination contracts, stinging insect control to IPM for beekeepers. The content for most of these fact sheets was generated in 2000 and is grossly out of date. The MAAREC board has met and discussed the need for updating these fact sheets and we are in the process of creating and updating new content. We are also creating PowerPoint presentations to be used by local beekeeping clubs. This is just the beginning steps towards invigorating this site and making the educational tool we envision it to be.the University of Delaware has been tracking the use of the site using google analytics and the importance of this site, not only to people in the Mid Atlantic region but also nationally is unquestionable. On many occasions the MAAREC site appears in the top 10 of the College s analytic results. In May of 2012 it was #2 after the main college index page, receiving thousands of page views The Information Technology Crew here at the University is constantly impressed with how much the MAAREC site drives the College s web traffic. The MAAREC website annually receives over 23,000 unique users with 12, 545 of these being repeat visitors. Visitation rises to more than 6,000 a month during peak summer production and an average visit lasts over seven minutes. This impressive usage data could be increased many fold if we had the resources to keep this site up to date and were able to have the support of adding new easy to use content and educational material. The framework is here and established now it is time to enhance and to make the content relevant to the year This site is a major educational vehicle for the dissemination of information about pollinators, let s keep it that way. Use the already existing wordpress dashboard for the MAAREC site and update the site as new content comes in from the MAAREC task force. The site also needs to be cleaned out for broken links and updated as well. The site also needs daily engagement on the live twitter feed and more postings highlighting pollinator related events occurring in the Mid Atlantic region. The addition of new extension material from research conducted at land grant universities in the Mid Atlantic region needs to be highlighted with a new page on the site. The list goes on and on. Ideas! Ideas! 7. Agriculture and Natural Resources Crop Production The Extension Scholar will be exposed to the many disciplines of local crop production, such as irrigation, weeds, insects, diseases, and agronomic practices. The primary focus of programming activities will be in corn and soybean, but there will be opportunities for the student to experience other crops grown in Delaware. The focus of the internship will be based on Extension and Outreach programming to the Agricultural Community, however, the scholar will also have an opportunity to experience applied agricultural research that could impact local production practices. Mentors: Cory Whaley/James Adkins/Phillip Sylvester 5

6 Carvel REC, Georgetown "Extension and Outreach Utilizing Soil Moisture Monitoring Equipment to Improve Irrigation Management (NE SARE Funded) An Extension project that will be conducted with 20 crop producers in their corn and soybean fields. The objectives of this project are to increase crop producer s knowledge of irrigation management, educate growers on using soil moisture sensors to schedule irrigations, improve water use efficiency, increase yields, and increase profitability. Data generated by the soil moisture sensors will be wirelessly transmitted to a data logger and then sent by a cellular network to a server. The crop producers will have access to real time moisture data through the internet. This data can be used to determine when and how much to irrigate. The student will be involved in determining sensor locations in each field by consulting with the crop producer, installing soil moisture sensors, operating the soil moisture sensor equipment, and working with crop producers to interpret the data. Troubleshooting In Season Crop Production Problems Work with crop producers, crop consultants, and industry personnel to troubleshoot in season field problems. Spend time researching production problems to develop an environmentally and economically sound solution. Consult with local specialists in a variety of disciplines such as agronomic crops, vegetables, irrigation, weeds, insects, and diseases to solve in season field problems. The student will gain knowledge of utilizing a network from within and outside of our organization to answer local questions and to troubleshoot crop production problems. Summer Field Days The student will be involved in the preparation and implementation of educational field days for the agricultural community. Applied Research Projects include: Evaluating the Response of Full Season and Double Cropped Soybeans in Narrow and Wide Rows to Various Soil Moisture Levels (Delaware Soybean Board Funded) Determining the Ideal Irrigation Strategy for High Intensity Corn Production (Maryland Grain Producers Funded) Managing Sub Surface Drip Irrigation for Maximum Profitability in Corn (Maryland Grain Producers Funded) The student will gain experience in applied agricultural research that could impact local corn and soybean production practices. 6

7 The student will be involved in laying out research plots, installing soil moisture sensors, collecting data, and interpreting soil moisture sensor readings. 8. Agriculture and Natural Resources Nutrient Management Mentor: Amy Shober Newark "The incumbent will work with the Nutrient Management Extension specialist to update training materials related to the Phosphorus Site Index (PSI). The PSI is a field scale nutrient management tool used to assess the potential for transport of phosphorus from agricultural fields. The PSI assigns a relative risk rating to a given field, which is then used to determine the required P management practices. The PSI training manual and spreadsheets have not been updated since Since that time, all Delaware soils have been reclassified. As a result, both the manual and spreadsheet tools are now significantly out of date.the incumbent will update the manual with new soils data and make any other updates or additions as required by the Nutrient Management Extension Specialist. In addition, the incumbent will help revise or develop a new spreadsheet tool for calculating the PSI. Also, PSI training has not been conducted in many years. As a result, there are consultants that have not received proper training using the PSI. The incumbent will also assist with revision of the training slides and development of evaluation materials. The incumbent will also have the opportunity to participate in the planning, conducting, and evaluating a PSI training session." 9. Horticulture/Agriculture Mentors: Carrie Murphy New Castle County "I would like to request the assistance of an Extension Scholar during the summer of Below is a list of possible job responsibilities: Assist and cooperate with the Kent County Agricultural Agent and the Extension Agronomy Specialist to cover program needs. Assist with ag/hort phone calls in the office. Assist in designing and delivering educational programs in the community garden setting. Advise community garden leaders and participants in the following community garden efforts: Delaware Health and Social Services, Delaware Psychiatric Center Therapeutic Garden, Nemours Mansion and Gardens 4 H and MG vegetable garden, Southbridge Community Garden, and Duffy's Hope Community Garden. Help Master Gardeners to maintain and implement programming in our county office 7

8 demonstration and display gardens. Provide advice and assistance to emerging community gardens, organizers and participants, new and current school gardens, and home vegetable gardeners in the county Plant diagnostics; assist in evaluating plant specimens dropped off at our office, and work with the plant diagnostic lab. Create and update existent horticulture fact sheets and bulletins and update website and facebook page as needed." 10. Vegetable and Small Fruit Extension Program Mentor: Gordon Johnson Carvel Research and Education Center, Georgetown "The vegetable and fruit program is interested in having an extension scholar work with developing the outreach part of our program this summer. This would include: Setting up and promoting field days, tours, and meetings; Setting up, promoting, and assisting with the delivery of workshops and short courses (grapes for example); Improving the web presence, blogging, and promoting electronic resources; Helping to write factsheets; Setting up on farm workshops and meetings (Bennett's and Smith's orchards); " 11. Agriculture and 4 H Youth Development Program areas Animal Science (to include beef, sheep/goat, swine, dairy and equine) Mentor: Susan Garey The extension scholar would work from Kent County with potential for travel to all three counties as needed. There is the possibility for some work to be able to be completed from a remote location. The extension scholar would have workspace and a laptop available for use in the agent's office as needed. "As summer is a very busy time for the Extension Animal Science program area, there are many opportunities for an extension scholar to participate in program planning and implementation of programs. Statewide overnight camps, day camp programs, many state fair activities, farm visits and educational programming are just a few areas in which an extension intern could gain valuable experience. Some of the summer activities in which an intern could assume some 8

9 guided leadership and planning responsibilities include: Extension Dairy Team Activities Harness Horse Camp(not yet confirmed 2013) Potentially assist with the ISES (International Society of Equitation Science) meeting that Delaware is jointly hosting in July 2013 NCC 4 H/Smyrna FFA Livestock Show Cow Camp Quality Assurance Training and Certification Special Day camp programs relating to animals State Fair Events: 4 H /FFA Livestock Judging Contest 4 H/FFA Dairy Judging Contest 4 H /FFA Poultry Judging Contest 4 H/ FFA Horse Judging Contest Junior Livestock Auction Junior Dairy Futurity State 4 H Horse Show 4 H Avian Bowl 4 H building display extension ""tent"" state fair activities All of these events involve coordinating and working with volunteers and other agricultural professionals and require an individual to be organized, thorough, and flexible. The intern s work schedule would need to be flexible since many youth activities go beyond the normal 8:00 am 5:00 pm working hours and many take place on the weekends. An intern would have an excellent opportunity to network with other professionals within Delaware s Agriculture industry. As all extension programs need to be evaluated for effectiveness and success, an intern could benefit from learning about and helping to design innovative and workable program evaluations. Planning for fall educational programs begins in the summer months so some work in designing and implementing programs would also be required. Reliable transportation is a necessity for an intern working in this program area. The intern would have a supervised experience with time for open discussion and guidance. I believe strongly in the value and contributions that guided internship programs provide for undergraduate education and I thoroughly enjoy working with our college s undergraduates. " 9