Nov. 7, 2013
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Extension summer internships for college students
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
Piggy bank contest underway
4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Be the E: Entrepreneurship
Extension summer internships for college students
Source:Martha Thompson, extension personnel director
The Extension Summer Intern Program allows college students to work in a professional role in one of our county or state Extension offices during the summer. By working closely with County extension Agents or extension Specialists, students learn if Cooperative Extension is a career they would like to pursue upon graduation. The program's success is enhanced by the inclusion of a diverse group of students, some who have prior knowledge of our programs and some who do not.
There is an Extension office in every Kentucky county.In each office, the professional positions include agents for family and consumer sciences, agriculture and natural resources and 4-H youth development.Some counties also have extension agents for horticulture and/or fine arts.County-based interns are assigned a supervising agent according to their background and interest.
The internship may also be in a state or area office working with extension specialists in the area of agriculture, 4-H, family and consumer sciences or community resource development.
Agriculture and family and consumer sciences are required to have majors in those areas. The 4-H youth development positions do not have a required major.An interest and desire to work with young people is most important.In addition to family and consumer sciences and agriculture, some of the other students have had majors in education, social work, recreation, public relations and psychology.
Interns are selected for their potential to work in Extension after graduation..Many of our current extension agents were summer interns at one time.
Internships are full-time positions with a monthly salary of $1,700 plus reimbursements for job-related travel expenses. The hours will be the same as the extension professional with whom they are working.They will likely average 50 hours per week.
Students can go through their college’s co-op/experiential education department or through a sponsoring faculty member to earn college credit hours for the internships.
Interns must have completed at least four semesters of college (sophomore or junior status.)Preference is given to juniors and seniors.
Depending on their placement, interns’ roles will greatly vary.Interns can expect that as a part of their professional role, they may be interacting a great deal with the public, giving presentations, producing radio programs, writing newsletters or news articles, attending a week of 4-H Camp and/or participating in extension-sponsored meetings and field days.
Review of applications will begin Dec. 2.Application deadline is Dec. 31.Applicants should know by mid-March if they are selected for a position.
To learn more about the internship and to access the application visit:
For more information about Cooperative Extension, visit our web site at or contact the (COUNTY NAME) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Piggy bank contest underway
Source: Jennifer Hunter, UK extension specialist
Offices of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service are accepting entries for the 2014 Kentucky Saves’ Piggy Bank Design Contest. The contest is the youth component of Kentucky Saves, a program that encourages all Kentuckians to save money and build wealth. The design contest gives Kentucky’s young people the opportunity to display their creative skills by building piggy banks, and in the process become more aware of ways to build wealth and reduce debt.
The piggy bank competition begins at the Cooperative Extension district level, where a panel of judges will pick the top two entries based on originality, creativity, artistic design and attractiveness. The winning piggy banks from each district will be on display in February at the state Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.
The deadline for contest entries varies by county. Please contact your local Extension office for your county’s specific deadline. Those wishing to enter the contest must be enrolled in kindergarten through 12thgrade at a Kentucky public, private or home school. Entries should be submitted to local Extension offices.
To receive an entry form and for contest rules concerning Kentucky Saves’ Piggy Bank Design Contest,contact the (YOUR COUNTY) Cooperative Extension Service.
Kentucky Saves Week begins Feb. 24 and ends March 1. For more information about Kentucky Saves, visit
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
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Be the E: Entrepreneurship
Source: Kimberly A. Foster, extension specialist for 4-H youth development
Despite a lengthy educational process, many youth lack knowledge of basic financial management, money handling, customer service and general business concepts. The 4-H Be the E Club addresses these gaps in learning, providing a framework in which youth experience entrepreneurial skills, management, marketing and fundamentals such as planning, making change, placing orders and record keeping. While the 4-H’ers can earn money, the club is not a venue for money-making, but rather a way for youth to gain financial skills through hands-on experiences.
Through the 4-H: Be the E: Entrepreneurship clubs, youth learn the fundamentals of operating a business and product development. In the end of the educational process youth complete a business plan for their respective businesses. Through these direct, creative experiences, youth learn about decision making, marketing, product development, pricing, customer relations and other vital skills that apply to life regardless of career path.
Some 4-H Entrepreneurship projects have included:
- Notecards with original photography
- Scrabble tile jewelry
- Cookie cutters ofvarious shapes
- Goat’s milk soap
- Baby bows and products
- Sand art products
The success of the entrepreneurship projects lies in “teachable moments,” or those instances in which a member comprehends an intrinsic business truth. For instance, it may be grasping that even if a product sells well, profits might not exceed its cost, leading to a financial loss. This can create an avenue for problem solving, and a new method or skill is necessary, or even that more employees are needed at the booth to ensure customer satisfaction. Youth might even come to the realization that entrepreneurship is not the best avenue for them.
It is these moments, experienced in real situations that make the 4-H: Be the E: Entrepreneurship clubs such a compelling learning experience for youth, preparing them to participate in and understand business transactions successfully.
For more information about 4-H entrepreneurship programs, contact the (YOUR COUNTY) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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