November 12,
2004
Topics in today’s issue of Extension Update:
4H AND OPERATION MILITARY KIDS
Last week, November 10, I had the
pleasure of attending a portion of 4-H and Office of Superintendent
of Public Instruction and other
collaborators training for “Operation: Military Kids.” (OMK).
Congressional Representative Adam Smith kicked off the training
event at Puyallup. The OOMK initiative has grown rapidly since
its inception in January 2004. In addition to the original 5 pilot
states (including Washington State), another 12 states have been
selected to be part of OMK and have developed state teams that
are building statewide infrastructures to support youth of National
Guard and Army Reserve in their communities.
As OMK has evolved, there has been a realization of the need to
expand the partnerships beyond Army, 4-H, Guard and Reserve.
Schools are a critical element in successfully reaching the children.
The Military Child Education Coalition has been brought in as
a national partner to strengthen the ties to schools in OMK states.
Boys and Girls Clubs of America have established Army youth programs
and have much to offer to Guard and Reserve children as well.
Veterans groups and other community organizations have a natural
interest in supporting this effort and should be brought into
the state teams at early stages of planning.
In addition to expanding the partners in OMK, there is a need to
expand the program components beyond those spelled out in the
OMK Manual and Speak Out for Military Kids. New program options
include Operation Proud Partners of the Boys and Girls Clubs;
Operation: Child Care babysitting provided by 4-H youth and adults;
4-H camping programs and staff collaborating on Purple Camps
in the states; programs assisting children and teens in coping
with the stresses of deployment; and finally, Mobile Youth Technology
Labs in each of the OMK states.
A training for state team directors is slated for December in Kansas
City. I think we can all be proud of the WSU 4H Youth Development
staff supporting the current OMK and working to expand the partnerships
and the content. Keep up the good work!
WSU, WEYERHAEUSER REACH AGREEMENT ON BONNEY LAKE TRANSACTION
As
many of you may know, Washington State University and Weyerhaeuser
Co. have reached an agreement in principle to allow the company
to take back a 147-acre site in the city of Bonney Lake now occupied
by the 4H Challenge Course and environmental education programs.
In return, the university would receive a 104-acre parcel of land
located in King County, new ropes course facilities and other benefits.
WSU and 4H will continue to occupy the current site until the 4-H
facilities are relocated and the property is sold by Weyerhaeuser.
A full story can be found at WSU
Today.
Weyerhaeuser originally donated the Bonney Lake land to the university
in 1941 to be used for experimental and demonstration purposes,
including forestry education and 4-H club activities. Under terms
of that donation, the property would revert to Weyerhaeuser if
the university ceased using it for these purposes. A 4H ropes Challenge
Course is located on one part of the property. 4H will continue
to operate at the Bonney Lake site until other courses are built
in King and Thurston counties and the move to other site(s) are
arranged. Please dispel any rumors that we have closed the programs
or not available for Challenge course activities. That is not the
case.
If you get questions on the sale and plans for use of the property,
please refer people to Mel Taylor, Director of Special Projects
for WSU at 509-335-5524 rather than trying to answer questions
yourself.
2005 STATE 4H CONFERENCE POSTPONED
It was announced this week
that after reviewing the purposes, mission and attendance of the
State 4H Conference in recent years,
it has become apparent that we do not have a clearly defined focus
for State 4H Conference has resulted in declining participation
by members. Consequently, the 4H staff, with support of Extension
Administration, have chosen to postpone the 2005 State 4H Conference.
This does not mean that teen programming is being de-emphasized.
What is does mean is that over the months ahead, expect to hear
exciting new details and opportunities as we strive to strengthen
our 4H programs for teens. The State 4H Ambassadors and their Advisors
are meeting this weekend to keep moving our State 4H Teen Program
moving forward. In addition, invitations from Idaho and Oregon
who would welcome youth from Washington attending their respective
state 4H conferences in 2005. Watch for more details as this opportunity
becomes available.
Let us to reassure you and the young people in your county that
State 4H Conference will return in 2006, strengthened, refreshed
and even more exciting. Please do not hesitate to direct any
of your questions or concerns to Pat BoyEs and the 4H Youth Development
faculty and staff.
AFRICAN LEADERS VISIT CBDD FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION EVENT
On Thursday, November 18, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., sixteen African
leaders representing higher education and the four major African
regional telecommunications regulatory authorities will meet
in room T-101 of the Food Science and Human Nutrition building
to take part in a discussion about opportunities for mutually
beneficial collaboration with WSU faculty. The visitors are from
several African nations, including Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana,
Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and
Nigeria.
The two hour forum include will include brief presentations from
African higher education and telecommunications regulatory
leaders and live interviews with a panel of selected African leaders
highlighting lessons learned from the NetTel@Africa initiative
of the Center to Bridge the Digital Divide (CBDD). This case
study will be discussed to illustrate the power of higher education
partnerships in creating collaborative post-graduate degree
programs
addressing a specific goal of African nations to build more
efficient information systems that are broadly accessible to ordinary
people.
An open discussion with members of the studio audience will
follow.
For the past 3 years, the WSU Center to Bridge the Digital
Divide has been actively engaged with the facilitation of
African and
US higher education partnerships focused on two areas particularly
important to the development of African nations. The first,
NetTel@Africa, seeks to strengthen the capabilities of policymaking
and regulatory
bodies, private sector operators, consumer advocacy groups
and academic institutions that can assist with sustained
capacity building in the Information Communication Technology (ICT)
sector.
A second newly developing initiative (Malawi NetTom) is aimed
at building human capacity with both the government and private
sectors for effective transportation operations management
and policy.
EXTENSION
STAFF SUPPORT TRAINING ON NOVEMBER 30TH
The next in our series of
videonconference/videostreaming Extension Staff Support Training
is scheduled for November 30, 9:00 am to
11:00 am. The topic is “Compliance Top Issues.” All
Extension and CAHNRS staff and supervisors are welcome to attend
in person in Food Science & Human Nutrition (FSHN) T-101, available
on WECN and by Videostream.
Instructors: Norm Coffman, WSU Internal Auditor, and Mary Hoffman
Assistant Director, CAHNRS Budget and Resource Planning and other
BFO Staff
Have you taken the time to protect yourself and your staff from
audit findings? Norm Coffman and Mary Hoffman will stress the importance
of understanding your responsibilities, and the implementation
of good internal controls to prevent misuse of state funds. BFO
staff will discuss the high risk areas for sponsored programs,
travel, purchasing and personnel and provide tips and resources
for minimizing chances of an audit finding.
Class materials available
on the BFO Web site under the heading "Compliance Top Issues."
RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION GRANTS PREPROPOSALS DUE DECEMBER
17TH
The Western Center for Risk Management Education
(Western Center) announces a funding opportunity for projects that
train western
agricultural producers and their families to use improved risk
management practices. Note the pre-proposal due date is December
17th. For further information go to http://westrme.wsu.edu/funding or
send an email. Phone assistance
is available at 509-477-2168.
CSREES WELCOMES NEW EDUCATION PROGRAM LEADER
The Higher Education
Programs unit is pleased to announce that Dr. Audrey A. Trotman
has joined CSREES as of Monday, October 18th,
as National Education Program Leader, with the Graduate Fellowships
and Multicultural Scholars programs as part of her portfolio. Dr.
Trotman comes to us from Tuskegee University where she served as
a member of the Graduate Faculty and as a researcher since graduating
from Texas A&M University in 1990 (Ph.D., Soil Microbiology).
CSREES REQUESTS PUBLIC COMMENT ON EFNEP, CYFAR, AND 4-H
REPORTING
Three Federal Register Notices where published (Vol. 69, No. 188,
58122-58125) on September 29, 2004 establishing information collections
for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP),
the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Year End Report,
and the 4-H Youth Development Annual Enrollment Report. They are
available for public comment and can be reviewed at the above links.
Written comments on these notices must be received by December
3, 2004, to be assured of consideration.
COMMUNITY MAPPING PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICANTS
The 2005 ESRI GIS Grant
Program for 4-H clubs is seeking applicants. The Program, open
to 4-H clubs, was announced this week at the
National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Meeting by Environmental
Systems Research Institute (ESRI). The goal of the program is to
foster and support the integration of geo-spatial applications
in U.S. 4-H clubs. Seventy-five (75) grants for software, introductory
training, and other materials will be awarded to 4-H clubs completing
successful applications by the March 31, 2005 deadline. For more
information contact: Tom
Tate, Economic and Community Systems,
202-720-2727.
PERSONNEL
New Chancellor Named at WSU Spokane
Dr. Brian Pitcher, who has served as provost at the University
of Idaho for seven years, has been named the new chancellor for
Washington State University Spokane. Pitcher’s start date
is January 17, 2005. He will take over for Nicholas Lovrich, director
of the Division of Governmental Studies and Services at WSU, who
became interim chancellor at WSU Spokane July 1. Lovrich succeeded
Rom Markin, who had served as interim chancellor since February
2003. For more, please see the complete article at WSU
Today online.
Part Time Support Staff in Extension Dean and Director’s
Office
We wish to welcome Tiffany Boswell who will be working in
the office of Dean and Director of WSU Extension from 3:00 to 5:00
pm every afternoon except Wednesday, effective immediately. She
is filling in after Christy Fitzgerald took a new position elsewhere
on campus.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 13, through Wednesday, next week,
Linda will be in San Diego attending the annual meeting of National
Association
of State Universities and Land Grand Colleges (NASULGC) in San
Diego. She will be back in Pullman Thursday and Friday. Next week
Ed will be in Pullman on Thursday next week.
Linda Kirk Fox, PhD
Interim Dean and Director
Washington State University Extension
411 Hulbert Hall
PO Box 646230
Pullman, WA 99164-6230
509-335-2933 Office
509-335-9223 Desk/Voicemail
509-335-2926 FAX
lkfox@wsu.edu
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