District Trainings for County Judges and Commissioners Critical Component of Program Interpretation Initiative

One of the components of the 2010 County Programs Interpretation Initiative are District Judges and Commissioners Conferences that will be conducted in eleven of our twelve Extension Districts in 2010. The following is a list of these events;

• District 1- September 9, 2010- Amarillo, Texas
• District 3- November 4, 2010-Vernon, Texas
• District 2- November 5, 2009- Lubbock, Texas
• District 8- November 10, 2010- Waco, Texas
• District 5- December 1, 2010- Nacogodoches, Texas
• District 4- December 2, 2010- Mt. Pleasant, Texas
• District 12-December 3, 2010- Kingsville, Texas
  
• District 6 -December 7, 2010- Fort Stockton, Texas
• District 10-December 8, 2010- Uvalde, Texas
• District 7- December9, 2010- San Angelo
• District 11-December 14, 2010- Edna
  

These conferences provide a tremendous benefit for both our County Commissioner Court members and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. The following are some of the reasons that this component of our interpretation plan is critical;

• Enables District Extension Administrators to solidify partnerships with County Commissioners Court members in their District.
• Demonstrates Texas AgriLife Extension Service's commitment to county government.
  
• Provides an opportunity for Texas AgriLife Extension Service to showcase effective educational programs conducted in the District.
• Provides customized professional development for County Commissioners within a District.
• Provides a venue for quality interpretation.

All District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should be reminded that he 2010 County Programs Interpretation Initiative includes the following;

• District Judges and Commissioners Conferences hosted by District Extension Administrators.
• Utilization of the Extension Making a Difference Newsletters that communicates Texas AgriLife Extension's public value. This newsletter will be published on an annual basis.
  
• Utilization of an Urban County Capacity Report for County Commissioners and key stakeholders.
• All Counties conduct formal interpretation events with County Commissioners Courts annually that communicates Texas AgriLife Extension's public value.
• All Counties involve elected officials in Extension "showcase" events.
• All Districts will have a Marketing and Interpretation Committee.
  

In addition to interpretation efforts that District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors provide leadership to, it is imperative that every county has an interpretation plan that is systematic and comprehensive in nature.

Steer Validation Video Excellent Resource for Agents

Texas 4-H Steer Validation Demonstration is available in live streaming media at http://agrilife.tamu.edu/livestock101/

The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program in cooperation with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Animal Science Extension Unit has worked together to offer online resources to support the Texas 4-H Youth Livestock Project. The Steer Validation video is designed to assist agents to become proficient in the procedures for validating show steer projects through the Texas Steer Validation Program. This video are no substitute for reading the validation guidelines, but they should add visual references to the techniques used in the validation process. These videos would also serve as a great resource for training County Steer Validation Committees.

Please ensure that County Extension Agents are aware of this resource.

4-H Outdoor Education and Leadership Development Series in San Jacinto County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the 4-H Outdoor Education and Leadership Development Series was planned and implemented in San Jacinto County.

Youth development and leadership development are focal points for AgriLife Extension in San Jacinto County. With this in mind, program area committees explored avenues to address this issue without introducing a financial requirement for families. The tool identified to accomplish this task was through outdoor education and awareness. Outdoor education is a great avenue to build leaders through hands-on educational opportunities.

In order to implement a quality program, key topics were identified and implemented. The program topics included hunter safety education, outdoor ethics, wildlife population dynamics, population modeling, outdoor safety, farm pond management, and marine fisheries. The Extension Office provided facilities, off-site locations, speakers, and necessary supplies to present a safe and effective learning environment. The educational activities were presented as field days, tours, camp trips, lectures, hands-on learning and newsletters. There were over 125 youth participating in this series of activities.

This series allowed youth to obtain and exhibit leadership qualities through outdoor opportunities. The youth experienced a tremendous gain in knowledge and skills as indicated in survey results. Also, outstanding strides were indicated in a better understanding of the out-of-doors environment. The greatest stride, however, observed within the participating youth was that of the impact human activity places on the environment and the opportunity to alter that impact.

Outdoor education and youth leadership development activities will continue in San Jacinto County during 2010.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Library LITE and WAT in Montgomery County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the Library LITE & Walk Across Texas Program was planned and implemented in Montgomery County.

Chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, place a significant burden on the entire state of Texas. Many of these diseases could be prevented by regular physical activities, such as walking, along with an improved daily diet and routine health screening.
As a result of this growing concern, the Montgomery County Library System Outreach Director Devery Johnson and Marketing Director Melissa Baker created the concept of a Library LITE wellness program which emphasized a theme to help participants Lose weight, Increase confidence, Tone your body, and Exercise & energize.

The Linda Mock, CEA-FCS, along with Lilly Dorney, BLT Program Assistant, were asked to be major partners in the educational focus of Library LITE. Mock and Dorney planned thirty-two educational presentations using eleven different curricula offered by Texas AgriLife Extension specialists. In addition, Marilyn Kasmiersky, FCS Committee members, was recruited to teach several “Financial Fitness” classes.

Each of the branch library coordinators selected their own educational presentations from a curriculum list. The Extension presentations served as single one-shot programs by Mock and Dorney from January to March and were an avenue to market the importance of participating in WAT as well. Topics of the presentations included:

• Dinner Time Dilemma
• Portion Distortion
• Myths & Realities About Maintaining Healthy Weight
• Getting the Skinny on Fad Diets
• Watching the Waistline When Eating Out
• BLT Better Health with Better Choices
• Cooking with Herbs and Spices
• Heart Smart Series (Heart Health, Bone Health, Cancer Health, and Food Safety)
• Coloring Our Children’s Plates With Fruits and Vegetables
• Eating Behaviors of the Young Child
• Growing Healthy, Happy Babies: Infant and Toddler Nutrition
• Let’s Get Moving!
• Promoting Healthy Weight In Young Children: Best Practices for Encouraging Physical Activity
• Get Moving: One Step at a Time
  

A total of about 225 adults and children participated in one or more of the presentations held at the various branches and reported positive comments on their written evaluations. There were a total of 425 registered participants for the Walk Across Texas programs but only 296 (253 females and 43 males) of those actually reported their weekly mileage to their specific branches. Compiling all of the data from each branch, the Montgomery County Memorial Library System logged in 27,246 miles from 40 different registered teams.

The potential economic impact of Library LITE/Walk Across Texas in Montgomery County during 2009 was most significant. According to the post survey, 84% (248 of 296) of the participants reported that along with their families, Library LITE/Walk Across Texas had helped them to form several new positive health habits. 24% (64 of 296) of the participants reported being able to avoid or delay developing diabetes. All in all, the total potential impact for Montgomery County Memorial Library System employees and their patrons was $4,461,809.

Health education, wellness education, and promoting physical activity will continue to be strong programs with outreach audiences in Montgomery County.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service

4-H Livestock Ambassador Program in Madison County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Increase Capacity to Allocate Resources to Maximize County Program Effectiveness the 4-H Livestock Ambassador Program was implemented in Madison and surrounding counties. The program is designed to teach senior age 4-H youth advanced animal science while expanding their leadership capabilities to assist other 4-H members with the management of their livestock projects.

The program includes a 3-day 4-H Livestock Ambassador Short Course to teach livestock production and management principles and a commitment by the participant to return at least 20 hours of service in helping 4-H members with their livestock projects and teaching animal science at 4-H Club Meetings. The Short Course provides the participants with the necessary tools to educate new 4-H members on the fundamentals of livestock project management and showing.

During 2009, 26 4-H members completed the 4-H Livestock Ambassador Short Course in College Station and have begun to return their 20 hours of service. The participants were from Madison, Grimes, Liberty, Brazoria, Harris, and Walker Counties. The students completed 45 hours of instruction in livestock nutrition, reproduction, management, anatomy and physiology, health, selection, fitting and showing. Additionally, the students completed a training concerning youth leadership and identifying critical livestock issues.

The participants were asked questions about the effectiveness of the short course, his/her perceptions of the 4-H livestock experience and what he/she hoped to accomplish as a Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador. From the data, it was determined that five separate themes emerged. The themes in the highest frequency order to lowest were: a) newfound ability or qualification, b) importance of teen/peer leaders, c) better understanding of career aspirations, d) teaching providing leadership e) and understanding of higher education.

This program has been very successful in Southeast Texas. In 2010, the program will again be offered at College Station and will be expanded to Lubbock.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service

New Volunteer Management Resources Announced

On behalf of the Extension Volunteer Steering Committee, Courtney Dodd, Extension Program Specialist announced some new volunteer management resources that are available to agents. These resources are as follows;

• Economic Impact Brief for Volunteerism in the Texas AgriLife Extension Service-This one-page document provides an overview of volunteerism in Extension, highlighting the economic value of our volunteers' contributions in 2009. The 104,000+ volunteers contributed more than four million hours throughout 2009, which is valued at $84 million (using the current rate of $20.85/hour). The direct link to this and other economic impact briefs is located at: http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/about/strategyimpact/economicimpact/index.php. County volunteer reports for 2009 are still accessible at volunteerreport.tamu.edu.
• New Volunteer Resource Website- With the transition of Extension's web sites, the volunteer resources site has also been updated and changed! We are still working on it, but invite you to take a look! The address is: http://od.tamu.edu. Click on the Volunteerism link on the right-hand side of the page for resources that have been developed and are specific to the role of the volunteer manager. Additional resources, such as those for National Volunteer Week and the "Making a Difference Through Volunteers" interpretation piece are available on this site as well. As new resources become available, they will be posted on this site!
• "Empowering Volunteers" Publication Released- A new publication, Volunteer Administration in the 21st Century: Empowering Volunteers, has been developed and is now available as a resource to you. This resource is attached, available online via the AgriLife Bookstore and will be posted on the Volunteer Resource web site (referenced above) very soon. While there is no clear cut formula for empowering volunteers, as all volunteers have their own unique traits and personalities (as we do), we hope that the publication will provide you with tools and ideas to help with empowerment.
  

District Extension Administrators and County Extension Director should ensure that all agents are aware and are utilizing these resources.

Content for this article was provided by Courtney F. Dodd, Extension Program Specialist-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Health is Rock'n in Grimes County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the Health Rocks! curriculum was implemented in Grimes County. Health Rocks! brought youth, families and communities throughout Grimes County together with the aim to reduce tobacco, alcohol and drug use by youth. Health Rocks! facilitated youth’s development of life skills in the area of critical thinking, decision-making, communication, managing feelings, stress management, and goal setting to encourage resistance of risky behaviors through interactive games and activities.

The 81 participants from Navasota Jr. High and Stoneham Elementary were provided with accurate health information regarding statistics and consequences of youth tobacco, alcohol, and drug usage. The Day Camp format’s success was attributed to being taught by the Grimes County Youth Board members who were the participants’ peers. Texas AgriLife Extension provided the training of the instructors, partnered with Twin City Mission who provided school supplies and workshop materials, Navasota ISD allowed facility usage, and Lee Tabernacle United Methodist Church supplied meals and snacks.

The participants demonstrated knowledge of the difference between legal and illegal drugs, the effects of tobacco and smoking on the body, the need for considering options before making decisions and evaluating decisions, and noted the advantages of setting goals. Each participant completed a retrospective evaluation. Personal testimonies included “I will never smoke in my life.” , “I’ve learned which drugs are legal and illegal and how much they harm our bodies.” , “The experience changed my life in so many ways.” , and “I have learned that stress is good and bad depending on the situation.”

Health education and youth development will continue to be strong programs with outreach audiences in Grimes County.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Program Planning Task Force to Provide Training During Mid-Management Centra On May 11, 2010

Program Planning Conferences are one of the most important meetings conducted by a District Extension Administrator/County Extension Director and Regional Program Directors. This process provides an excellent venue to coach, motivate and encourage County Extension Agents.

As District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors begin thinking about establishing a Program Planning process that is part of a performance management system it is important remember that a program planning continuum is a series of related activities which includes the following;

• Distribution of Program Planning documents that provides expectations for programming, outlines key elements of plan (planning tasks with committees and task forces, marketing tasks, a series of sequential educational events, outlines evaluation methodologies, and outlines interpretation of results to elected officials and stakeholders, etc).
• Program Development Trainings and Workshops.
• Specialist Scheduling.
• Program Planning Conference.
• Plan review and feedback.
• Plan approval.
• Coaching and Feedback by District Extension Administrators and Regional Program Directors during the implementation of programs.
• Program Appraisal- this is where accomplishments are reviewed and goals for improvement in the future are established.
  

In an effort to improve processes related to program planning a program planning conference task force has been appointed. This task force has conducted a comprehensive review our program planning conference process and will be providing middle managers with recommendations during the Mid-Management Centra on May 11, 2010. The task force members include the following;

• Dr. Elaine Fries- Chairperson
  
• Hurley Miller
• Miles Dabovich
• Vincent Manniino
• Marvin Ensor
• Dr. Ruben Saldana
• Dr. Galen Chandler
• Dr. Susan Ballabina
  

This task force has been asked to accomplish the following;

1. Establish agency goals and objectives for program planning. These goals needs to be clear and concise and aimed to move our agency to the next level not just "we are going to plan good programs".
2. Review all current pre-conference documents developed to assist agents in preparation for program planning and establish consistent documents or templates to assist agents.
   
3. Review all current agendas and areas of emphasis for program planning and establish a consistent set of agendas and points of emphasis.
4. Review all processes associated with program planning and establish some best practices that are designed to ensure quality control.
   

As District Extension Administrators /County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors work with agents in developing programs in the future it is important to ensure that we are...

1. Focusing our efforts.
2. Developing our agents.
3. Optimizing our results.
4. Communicating our results to decision makers.
   

Remember, success in Extension is by design--it just does not happen! Extension Program Planning Conferences are the venue that District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors utilize to establish plans that will result in success.

Hurricane Ike: Landscape Recovery and Renovation Project in Galveston County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Increase Capacity to Allocate Resources to Maximize County Program Effectiveness the Hurricane Ike: Landscape Recovery and Renovation Project was initiated. Soon after the storm, Dr. Johnson, CEA-Horticulture, and the Galveston County Master Gardeners were asked to partner with the Texas Forest Service (TFS) to conduct a survey of damaged trees on Galveston Island. Over 40 Master Gardeners responded to the call for assistance. A day-long training session was conducted by TFS to prepare these master volunteers on the data collection process. Over the next two days teams conducted the survey, covering 9.47 miles, or roughly 5 percent of the 204 miles of streets in the study area.

Results from the study indicated that approximately 11,000 public right-of-way trees were dead or likely to die and another 31,000 trees on private property were in the same condition. Dr. Johnson and the Galveston County Master Gardeners also participated in a series of videos detailing the situation.

Throughout much of the recovery process, Dr. Johnson served as a liaison between Galveston County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). At the County Commissioners' request, he conducted the initial tree assessment on Bolivar Peninsula. He then prepared documentation to support requests for tree/debris removal for the City of Galveston. These requests totaled in the millions of dollars and FEMA looked to him for the definitive word on the appropriateness of the applications. Dr. Johnson, working with Extension colleagues, has prepared numerous articles documenting the ecological disaster following Hurricane Ike. His collaboration with the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association has been instrumental in drawing the attention of industry professionals to the task of rebuilding the landscapes of Galveston County.

Replacing much of the landscape throughout the Texas Upper Gulf Coast represents a significant challenge. To address this critical issue, Dr. Johnson and the Galveston County Master Gardeners launched an initiative to rate more than 800 plant materials on their ability to withstand storm damage. These ratings were added to the Earth Kind Plant Selector Database - providing a comprehensive listing of adapted plant materials for the area. This tool will play an important role in ongoing efforts to rebuild Galveston County.

On September 26, 2009, the Galveston County Master Gardeners Association conducted an Extension Educational Seminar focusing on Landscape Recovery and Renovation. The program, held at the Galveston Convention Center, was attended by over 284 participants. This Landscape Revival focused on a wide range of adapted plants, soil preparation and installation techniques. With an overall satisfaction rating of 80% and increase in knowledge/intent to adopt practice values well over 50%, the program was considered highly successful at meeting strategic educational goals and objectives.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service continues to serve the residents of Galveston County as they rebuild from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike. Our Extension Office and the Galveston County Master Gardeners are committed to providing relevant, high quality Extension educational information to support the rebuilding process.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Monofilament Line Recycling Program in Chambers and Jefferson Counties

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the Monofilament Line Recycling Program was planned implemented in Chambers and Jefferson Counties. The target audience was local fishermen.

Fishing is popular in the coastal counties of Chambers and Jefferson and from time to time the fishing line will break and need to be discarded. Improperly discarded fishing line can remain in the environment for hundreds of years. Even though fishing line has been discarded in the garbage, it can still end up in the environment due to the coastal wind and birds use of the line as nesting material. Fishing line is both a pollutant and a potential hazard for fish, birds, and wildlife. Therefore, a monofilament line recycling program was established in Chambers and Jefferson Counties.

Such a recycling program has been successful in other coastal counties. Therefore, the project was initiated in the fall of 2009 in Chambers and Jefferson Counties. Collection containers have been constructed by volunteers and included branding for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Sea Grant Program in Texas. News releases and signs have been created to notify the fishing public about the recycling project. Containers will be emptied by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Agent and/or volunteers and contents sent to a local recycling center. Final results will be a cleaner fishing area and reduced entanglement problems for fish, birds, and wildlife.

As of November 2009, six outdoor recycling bins have been placed in Jefferson County and six outdoor recycling bins have been placed in Chambers County at public boat ramps. Inside collection bins are also located at the County Extension Offices in these two counties. A total of 3 news releases and 1 television spot have been used to promote the program. Also, announcement of this program was made at other Extension educational activities. Over 2 pounds of line and a 600 foot gill net have been collected in late 2009.

This program will continue into 2010. More bins will be placed throughout the counties as volunteers and locations become available. Local sporting goods stores will be recruited to participate in the program as well.

This program will continue to address key environmental and recycling issues and reach out to the fishermen audience.

Women's Forum in Burleson County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the annual Women's Forum in Burleson County addresses key topic areas specifically for women. The Women’s Forum is an educational event filled with a variety of educational topics from which participants choose to attend. The day of learning and fun includes a luncheon and a fashion show, and is topped off with a keynote speaker. A committee, of 12-15 people, meets during the first few months of the year to plan and organize the event and identify topics and potential speakers.

The keynote speaker for the 2009 Forum was Michelle Bright, Director of Education, St. Joseph Health System. Concurrent sessions included the following:

• Dealing with Diabetes
• Gold Medallion Club (Opportunities for Seniors)
• Home Care for the 21st Century
• Operating a Bed and Breakfast
• Ms. Do-it-Yourself
• Preparing Your Family for Pandemic Events
• Self Sufficiency and Saving Money at Home
• Super Scrapbooking
• Looking Your Best for Less
• Toss It Up
• You Should Be On Stage
• Livin’ Simple, Livin’ Green
• Landscaping
  

The 2009 Women’s forum was well received with over 100 attending. Participants were very complementary of the topic areas and overall program. The overall rating of the forum was 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.

This program will continue to address key issues and concerns of women and reach out to audience.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Networking Conference Addresses Basics of Seeking External Funding

In support of the Administrative Priority to Increase and Diversify funding the Tarrant County Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) planned a networking conference for County Extension Agents in surrounding counties. The topic of the conference was “External Funding”. The LAB was instrumental in recruiting an excellent panel of speakers that provided an overview of external funding opportunities. The panel included Mr. John H. Robinson, Amon G. Carter Foundation, Ms. Linda McMillan, Funding Information Center, and Ms. Ellen Ray, Private Consultant.

Mr. Robinson provided information from the standpoint of the funder, what he is looking for in a grant proposal and steps one should take prior to and during the proposal process in order to be successful. A couple of specific things he mentioned that are quite important in the grant seeking arena are to do the research on the funder and to develop a relationship with the funder. You should know who and what the funder has supported in the past. It is also important to make the phone call and seek their suggestions for proposals.

Ms. McMillan provided information on the services that are provided to the non-profit sector by the Funding Information Center. They provide non-profit agencies access to a data base which includes donors across the U.S. who support a wide range of programs, projects and activities.
Ms. Ray is a consultant in the field of fundraising and has extensive background in working with non-profit agencies. She provided information to the group related to seeking local donors and sponsors who will support our efforts. In her message to the group two points which she emphasized, ask for support and build a relationship with potential donors.

Following lunch, Mr. Clint Wolfe, Grant and Program Coordinator of Texas AgriLife – Urban Solutions Center provided an overview of seeking grant funding opportunities, tips for success in the proposal process and guidelines for working with Texas AgriLife Contracts and Grants. Mr. Wolfe pointed out that “the best proposals we can submit are those that build on or expand the programming that we have in place” and don’t think that obtaining funding is the biggest challenge – successful management of funding is a challenge and how you manage and report to the funder will impact future success in seeking grant funds.

As the conference concluded some things were worth repeating

• Build relationships with potential donors.
• Grants are one source of funding but seek other opportunities through local partnerships, donors and sponsors.
• Build on the successful programming that is already in place – could funding help expand the program and reach more people.
• Last but not least – ask!
  

Helpful websites shared by Mr. Wolfe:

• Grants.gov http://grants.gov
• Texas Register http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/index.shtml
• AgriLife Contracts and Grants http://agcg.tamu.edu

Content for this article was provided by Dana Tarter, County Extension Director-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

4-H Veterinary Science Program in Brazoria County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the 4-H Veterinary Science Program was implemented in Brazoria County. The 4-H Veterinary Science Program is a 5-year curriculum with 100 lessons and 50 activities. The program is career-oriented and job-training so students can determine if this is a career field they would like to pursue. Students who participate in this program will work with a licensed veterinarian at their practice. By doing this hands-on training they learn the knowledge and skills that are expected of a veterinary assistant.

In preparation for implementing this program, CEA Miles and two 4-H leaders attended a 4-H Veterinary Science Project Seminar in Montgomery conducted by Floron Faries, DVM. 4-H Club Manager training and aid in promoting and forming a new 4-H Vet Science Club was provided by CEA Miles.

At the introductory meeting of the new group, 27 prospective youth members attended with their parents. In addition to all participants receiving program information and resources, older youth who will not have time to finish the 5-year standard course of study were identified for “fast-track”status to accelerate their educational opportunities. Fifteen students were identified as accelerated students.

From the earliest days of program inception, contacts by youth and adult volunteers yielded ten county veterinary clinics into cooperative status with the program. These participating clinics are located county-wide and additional contacts are being made to increase the number of cooperating veterinary clinics. A group order of scrub tops (maroon of course) were ordered and made available to students for their clinical hours.

The Brazoria County Vet Science program began in August, 2009 with only a few students interested in studying for their Veterinary Assistant certification. By November, 2009, the club had grown to 40 members: 37 Jr. High or High School aged students and 3 adult volunteers. As of November, most of the students had been placed in local veterinary clinics to work toward the program requirement of gaining approximately 2400 work hours in small animal and large animal vet clinics. All students work as volunteers, however, by November the first student had been offered full-time, permanent employment.

Upon completion of the program, students will be considered Veterinary Assistants, and after the age of 16, they may test for three levels of certification to become Certified Veterinary Assistants. Students may also then complete a Veterinary Technologist course at a local Jr. College and become a Registered Vet Tech upon successful completion of the exam, with the ultimate goal of gaining admission to a Veterinary Medicine program at the university level.

This program will continue to provide an avenue for 4-H members to learn about veterinary science and consider a career as a Veterinary Assistant or Technologist.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Money Smart Program in Brazos County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the Money Smart Program was planned and implemented to reach limited resource families. Many families face the constant challenge of managing limited resources to meet everyday expenses. The increasing complexity of the financial system and the lack of formal financial literacy education further burdens families who are trying to make ends meet, particularly low income families.

Money Smart is a financial management program developed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). While targeted at adults outside the financial mainstream, this curriculum can be used with adults who have low financial knowledge and skills to help them build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, and use banking services effectively. The Money Smart program includes 10 modules, exercises, and participant guides. Each module includes an evaluation instrument that measures participant’s knowledge of the concepts taught before and after the class.

In 2009, Money Smart was used by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to increase the financial literacy of a variety of Brazos County residents, including the general public, adult probationers and participants of United Way’s Individual Development Account (IDA) program.

Money Smart topics included:

• Introduction to Banking Services
• Your Rights as a Consumer
• Credit and Credit Cards
• How Your Credit History Affects Your Credit Future
• How to Choose and Keep a Checking Account
• How to Keep Track of Your Money
• What Home Ownership Is All about
• Loans
• Saving for the Future
  

In Brazos County, 47 educational contacts were made by conducting 30 educational sessions using the Money Smart curriculum. The CEA-FCS taught Money Smart Classes for adult probationers at the Brazos County Adult Probation Department in two lunch and learn series. An evening class was also conducted at the Brazos County Extension Office for families participating in the IDA program in partnership with United Way and Citibank as well as the general public. Participants were very position about this curriculum and improved their knowledge of financial management.

This program will continue to address its goal to increase financial literacy and reach out to limited resource families.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Enabling Garden in Brazoria County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion an Enabling Garden concept was established in Brazoria County. Gardening is known to be therapeutic for improving both physical and mental health. However, many of those who would benefit most from gardening are restricted by their disabilities or by their lack knowledge of alternative, enabling methods and tools. There are hundreds of individuals in Brazoria County with disabilities. Also, the aging of our population means that many avid gardeners will begin to experience limited mobility, strength and range of motion. To address this need, a Planning Group within the Brazoria County Master Gardeners Association was formed to develop plans and goals for an enabling garden at the Extension Education Center.

Four goals were identified for the enabling garden concept: 1) construct a model enabling garden with elements to include ADA approved paths, seating, garden beds and tools, propagation area and accessible composting area, 2) provide information on simplified gardening techniques that anyone can use, 3) construct a website where people can go to view the gardens and access information on how to construct beds, paths, ponds, etc.; where to obtain special tools, plant materials and other garden supplies; and resources for lesser-enabled individuals, 4) train volunteers to present the information to support organizations, assisted living communities, schools, and community officials. The ultimate goal for this project is to provide a model for other groups throughout Texas.

2009 was the year of construction and publicity. Drainage, wiring, sprinkler system and raised bed construction were completed. Blueprints for three enabling raised beds were developed and are available at the Extension Office for individuals and groups. The website, www.enablinggardens.com, is currently under construction and when completed will be a source of information to others. Articles on the various components of enabling gardens were prepared and have appeared in MSConnect, The Facts newspaper, and the Brazoria County Master Gardener newsletter. Master Gardener Jennifer Northrop has spoken about the gardens at two Multiple Sclerosis conventions and other Master Gardeners are being trained to present enabling garden information to other groups.

This program will continue to address its goals and reach out to disabled and limited mobility gardeners.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Debriefing New Agents Following Extension Foundations

This week new County Extension Agents participated in Extension Foundations in College Station. This training venue provided these new agents with in-depth training that will enable them to be more effective earlier in their career. Some the the highlights to Extension Foundations include;

• 4-H Livestock 101 which provides agents with training to enable them to effectively manage a 4-H livestock program.
• 4-H Family and Consumer Science 101 which provide agents with training to enable them to effectively manage a 4-H Family and Consumer Science program.
• Program Development training that will enable new agents to have a working knowledge of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Development Model.
• Evaluation training that will enable new agents to become familiar with evaluation methodology.
• Volunteer Management training that will enable new agent to have working knowledge of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service volunteer management model.
• Extension accountability and TeXas System training that will enable new agent to have a working knowledge of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service accountability system.

While this on-boarding component was conducted in College Station , it is important that District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors recognize that they are the catalyst for all on-boarding functions in the Region. District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should debrief new agents and reinforce principles covered during Extension Foundations. This debriefing can provide the opportunity for District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors to clarify any element that the new agent may not understand or may not understand how to operationalize these concepts as they begin their Extension career.

The following premises must be embraced if Texas AgriLife Extension Service's on-boarding system is going to be successful;

• All members of Regional Teams are responsible for new agent on-boarding.
• New agent on-boarding is a sequential learning process where one event establishes the knowledge base for future learning activities that provides progressively more complex training.
• All on-boarding experiences have specific teaching points that are designed to increase knowledge, develop skills, encourage adoption of best practices or lead to the refinement of best practices.
• All on-boarding experiences are designed to give agents "early wins"!
  

Other components that makes up the Texas AgriLife Extension Service on-boarding system includes...

• District Extension Administrator Orientation Agendas that provide core teaching points.
• Regional Program Director Orientation Agendas that provide core teaching points
• A On-boarding continuum that provides a roadmap for on-boarding new agents.
• Online learning modules that provides agents with a introduction of Extension program management topics.
• Excellence in Programming Academy that provides new agents with in-depth experiential learning experiences related to program planning, teaching effectiveness, program implementation, and evaluation and interpretation.
• The Texas AgriLife Extension Service Mentoring Program.
• First Step.
• Extension Fundamentals letter series designed to reinforce topics covered during orientations, face to face trainings and online modules .
• Revised New Agent Self -Study Guide.

Resources that will assist middle managers in the on-boarding process can be found at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, New Agent On-boarding Web Site. This web site includes...

• On-boarding flowcharts and time-lines.
• District Extension Administrator and County Extension Director Orientation Agendas.
• 4-H Regional Program Director Orientation Agenda.
• 4-H Specialist Orientation Agenda.
• Agriculture and Natural Resource Regional Program Director Orientation Agenda.
• Family and Consumer Science Regional Program Director Orientation Agenda.
• District Extension Administrator and County Extension Director Task Check List.
• First Step Journal.
• New Agent Study Guide.
• New Agent Note Pages.
• Mentoring In Extension Guidelines.
• Extension Fundamentals educational letter series.

These resources can be obtained at;http://extensiononboarding.tamu.edu/. These systematic trainings are designed to provide the sequential learning experience that will enable new agents to...

• Gain knowledge of the organization.
• Gain knowledge of organizational procsses.
• Develop skills.
• Adopt best practices.
• Refine best practices.

Quality time in effectively on-boarding new agents that could potentially result in increased retention should be viewed as an investment in the future of Texas AgriLife Extension Service. District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should plan on visiting with agents who attended Extension Foundations this week when they return to their county to reinforce principles covered during this on-boarding activity. Remember, District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors are the catalyst for all on-boarding functions in the Region.

Program Excellence Academy Critical Component to New Agent On-boarding

Professional development for County Extension agents is essential to Texas Agrilife Extension Service's County Programs administrative priorities related to improving recruitment and retention. It has been historically recognized that professional development is essential to the success of Extension. Prawl, Medlin, and Gross (1984) reported that Extension faculty training and development is critical because the effectiveness of educational programmatic outreach efforts is linked to the abilities of the Extension agent.

Program excellence is predicated on the fundamental principle that agents have the capacity to effectively identify issues, prioritize these issues, develop sequential learning experienced designed to address these issues, evaluate program efforts and utilize the results of these evaluations to refocus and redirect programming efforts to ensure program relevance.

In order to more effectively equip agents to implement the program development process that is paramount to effective programming, an innovative professional development activity will be implemented statewide entitled the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Excellence Academy. The first session will be held on April 26-30 at the Texas 4-H Conference Center in Brownwood. This professional development course focuses on principles, theories, techniques, and applications for program development within educational programmatic environments. Program development strategies, focusing educational programming in relation to issues identified by clientele, and program planning to assist people and organizations succeed will be the focus of this course.

It is expected that by the time a county Extension agent has completed the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Excellence Academy, the agent will be able to...

• Define and use terminology associated with Extension Program Development.
• Demonstrate the core competencies critical for agents as they are related to the program development process.
• Understand the importance and necessity of planning and program development within programmatic environments.
• Use planning and program development principles, theories, techniques, and applications to assist Texas Agrilife Extension Service achieve strategic objectives.

The topics for this Session will include the following;

• Overview of Program Development Model.
• Getting to Know Your County.
• The Importance of Relevance.
• Group Presentations of County Assignments.
• Who are Your Stakeholders?
• Creating Your Visibility.
• Reaching Diverse Audiences.
• Identifying and Recruiting Planning Group Members.
• Training LAB and PAC Members.
• Effective Meeting Management.
• Identifying, Prioritizing, Analyzing and Describing Issues.
• Target Audience.
• Outcome Indicators/Objectives (Outcome vs. Output, Accountability).
• Educational Design.
• Volunteer Management.
• Facilitation Skills.
• Program Area Committee Simulation.
  

The basic premise of this academy will be to take the Texas Agrilife Extension Service Program Development Model and break it down into manageable components. A variety of teaching delivery methods are being utilized to prepare new agents for this Academy including online self directed lessons and assignments designed to add value to agents county programs.

Reference

Prawl, W., Medlin, R., & Gross, J. (1984). Adult and continuing education through the Cooperative Extension Service. Extension Division, University of Missouri, Columbia.

Meeting Provisions of Fair Labor Standard Act with Unpaid Internships

In the summer of 2010, Texas AgriLife Extension will host a number college interns. These unpaid interns are a tremendous value to Texas AgriLife Extension Service but there are several factors that must be met in order for these students to be classified as interns rather than employees. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has developed six factors below to evaluate whether a worker is a trainee (intern) or an employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act;

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic educational instruction;
2. The training is for the benefit of the trainees;
3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under their close observation;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees, and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded;
5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period; and
6. The employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.
   

If all of the factors listed above are met, then the worker is a “trainee”, an employment relationship does not exist under the FLSA, and the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime provisions do not apply to the worker. Because the FLSA’s definition of “employee” is broad, the excluded category of “trainee” is necessarily quite narrow. Moreover, the fact that an employer labels a worker as a trainee and the worker’s activities as training and/or a state unemployment compensation program develops what it calls a training program and describes the unemployed workers who participate as trainees does not make the worker a trainee for purposes of the FLSA unless the six factors are met.

The following are some websites where needed forms related to internships can be retrieved;

• Fact Sheet #40: Federal Youth Employment Laws in Farm Jobs- http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs40.pdf
• Intern/Volunteer Waiver- http://www.tamus.edu/offices/hr/forms/205.pdf
• Waiver of Liability and Hold Harmless Agreement- http://agservices.tamu.edu/forms/liawaiv.pdf

District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should ensure that host/mentor agents are trained regarding these provisions and that all interns complete appropriate forms before any internship begins.

Content for this article was provided by Jennifer M Humphries, Texas A&M AgriLife Human Resources.

Preparing to Host Unpaid Interns

In a recent employer survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 82.5% said they offer internship and/or co-op programs. Not surprisingly, the same NACE study found that 22% of new hires were from employers' own internship programs. In today's competitive labor market, offering such programs can be a significant way to attract talented prospects. In addition, student interns can meet short-term needs for extra assistance and infuse enthusiasm into a County Extension Office.

In the summer of 2010, Texas AgriLife Extension will host a number college interns regardless to the fact that all these interns will be unpaid. Research indicates that providing college students with meaningful internship opportunities with employers increases the chance that they will stay in that career field after graduation.

It is important that Extension take the time to carefully plan an effective internship program, even if the internship is unpaid. Listed below are several key elements that are crucial to a successful internship program;

• Effective Supervision- Due to the training nature of an internship, it is imperative that interns are provided with sufficient supervision. Considerable time investment will be needed, especially on the front-end, to plan for and implement necessary training. It is also recommended that the host/mentor agent plan ongoing weekly meetings to stay up-to-date with the intern's progress. Use care in identifying a seasoned staff member who "buys in" to the importance of utilizing interns. The host/mentor agent should realize that the purpose of an internship is two-fold. Interns will provide some useful assistance for Texas AgriLife Extension Service while also gaining on-the-job training that will assist them with their future career(hopefully as a County Extension Agent).
  
• Meaningful Assignments- Gone are the days of using interns as simple "go-fers". Students are seeking opportunities that will stimulate them and provide real experience. A good internship program will ensure the assignment of challenging projects and tasks. Effective assignments are coupled with adequate supervision so as to provide an information resource and to ensure interns are keeping pace. Host/Mentor agents should be sure to have some additional projects available in case an intern successfully completes a project ahead of schedule. Whenever possible, interns should participate in events such as staff meetings and should be provided opportunities for networking and informational interviewing with key personnel such as Agents, District Extension Administers, County Extension Directors, Regional Program Directors and Specialists .
• Appropriate Documentation- Documentation is very important for effective learning to take place. It is strongly advisable that an host/mentor agent and intern create mutually agreed upon learning objectives. Well documented learning objectives provide clear direction and targeted goals for the intern. This ensures both parties envision the same experience and reduces the possibility of misunderstanding and disappointment. Effective learning objectives are concise and measurable.
• Ensure Interns Feel Welcome- Just as you would a new full-time employee, it is very important that interns be provided with a warm introduction to Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Not only are interns new to Extension, in many cases, they are new to the professional world of work. Once interns start, they should review necessary policies. Acquaint them to their work space and environment by introducing them to co-workers. Interns should become familiar with Extension's communication process and chain of accountability. You may even want to plan lunch activities with various staff members for the first week. Many organizations plan intern group outings and special events to recognize interns’ accomplishments.
• Evaluation- An internship can only be a true learning experience if constructive feedback is provided. An effective evaluation will focus on the interns’ learning objectives that were identified at the start of the internship. Supervisors should take time to evaluate both a students positive accomplishments and weaknesses. If an intern was unable to meet their learning objectives, suggestions for improvement should be given.
  

Utilizing interns in Texas AgriLife Extension Service can result in many benefits. It is important that District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors who are supervising internships in their District or County work with host/mentor agents to ensure that the agency realizes benefits from our summer internship program. District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should also be sure to continue recruiting from this pool of interns when vacancies occur in their respective Districts or Counties.

Resources:

Employers use experiential education to combat recruiting blues. [3 paragraphs]. National Association of Colleges and Employers: Job Outlook 2000 Online Version [Website]. Available: http://www.jobweb.org/JobOutlook/exp_ed.html

Internships, co-op programs gain popularity. [3 paragraphs]. National Association of Colleges and Employers: Job Outlook '99 Online Version [Website]. Available: http://www.jobweb.org/pubs/joboutlook99/intern.htm

Internships: Tips for employers on starting an internship program. [10 paragraphs]. National Association of Colleges and Employers: Jobweb, HR/Staffing Professional's Desktop, Tools and Publications [Website]. Available: http://www.jobweb.org/hr/interntips.htm

Patterson, V. (1997). The employers' guide: Successful intern/co-op programs. Journal of Career Planning and Employment, Winter, 30-34, 55-56, 58-59.

Extension Foundations Critical Component in Agent Development

There is no argument that there is a direct correlation between quality of on-boarding and agent retention. “Effective onboarding is one of the keys to employee retention,” says Dr. Michael Wesson, Department of Management, Mays Business School, at Texas A&M University. Dr. Wesson emphasized that, “The more quickly employees adapt to your culture and become fully productive, the better chance you have that they will become long-term employees.”

During the week of April 19, 2010 new County Extension Agents will participate in Extension Foundations in College Station. This training venue will provide these new agents with in-depth training that will enable them to be more effective earlier in their career. Some the the highlights to Extension Foundations include;

• 4-H Livestock 101 which provides agents with training to enable them to effectively manage a 4-H livestock program.
• 4-H Family and Consumer Science 101 which provide agents with training to enable them to effectively manage a 4-H Family and Consumer Science program.
• Program Development training that will enable new agents to have a working knowledge of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Development Model.
• Evaluation training that will enable new agents to become familiar with evaluation methodology.
• Volunteer Management training that will enable new agent to have working knowledge of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service volunteer management model.
• Extension accountability and TeXas System training that will enable new agent to have a working knowledge of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service accountability system.
  

Other learning components that collectively makes up the Texas AgriLife Extension Service on-boarding system includes...

• District Extension Administrator Orientation Agendas that provide core teaching points.
• Regional Program Director Orientation Agendas that provide core teaching points.
• A On-boarding continuum that provides a roadmap for on-boarding new agents.
• Online learning modules that provides agents with a introduction of Extension program management topics.
  
• Excellence in Programming Academy that provides new agents with in-depth experiential learning experiences related to program planning, teaching effectiveness, program implementation, and evaluation and interpretation.
  
• The Texas AgriLife Extension Service Mentoring Program.
  
• First Step.
• Extension Fundamentals letter series designed to reinforce topics covered during orientations, face to face trainings and online modules .
• Revised New Agent Self -Study Guide.

Resources that will assist middle managers in the on-boarding process can be found at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, New Agent On-boarding Web Site. This web site includes...

• On-boarding flowcharts and time-lines.
  
• District Extension Administrator and County Extension Director Orientation Agendas.
• 4-H Regional Program Director Orientation Agenda.
• 4-H Specialist Orientation Agenda
• Agriculture and Natural Resource Regional Program Director Orientation Agenda.
• Family and Consumer Science Regional Program Director Orientation Agenda.
• District Extension Administrator and County Extension Director Task Check List.
• First Step Journal.
• New Agent Study Guide.
• New Agent Note Pages.
• Mentoring In Extension Guidelines.
• Extension Fundamentals educational letter series.
  

These resources can be obtained at;

http://extensiononboarding.tamu.edu

These systematic trainings are designed to provide the sequential learning experience that will enable new agents to...

1. Gain knowledge of the organization.
2. Gain knowledge of organizational processes.
3. Develop skills.
4. Adopt best practices.
5. Refine best practices.
   

Quality time in effectively on-boarding new agents that could potentially result in increased retention should be viewed as an investment in the future of Texas AgriLife Extension Service. District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should plan on visiting with agents who are attending Extension Foundations next week when they return to their county to reinforce principles covered during this on-boarding activity. Remember, District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors are the catalyst for all on-boarding functions in the Region.

Reference

Executive Education-onboarding for employee retention. Smart Business. retrieved at http://www.sbnonline.com/Local/Article/12074/73/5
/Onboarding_for_employee_retention.aspx

“Mr. Etouffee” - Agriculture Awareness in Southeast Texas

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the "Mr. Etouffee" Agriculture Awareness Program was conducted to introduce students to agriculture and the origin of their food. The geography and specialized agriculture in far Southeast Texas was highlighted through a local dish (crawfish etouffee) that included the commodities of the area. Thus, the agents in Jefferson County introduced “Mr. Etouffee” to 348 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders and 15 teachers at Lee Elementary in Port Arthur. This program received an AgriLife Extension grant for Urban Program Projects.

Each agent focused on an ingredient within the recipe to provide information about the ingredient and to introduce the importance of agriculture to the students. The Agriculture Agent focused on rice. Horticulture focused on herbs and spices. Crawfish production was covered by the Coastal and Marine Agent. The 4-H Agent concentrated on dairy production, specifically cream and butter. The Family and Consumer Sciences Agent focused on how the agriculture based ingredients blend together to make this local dish and the nutritional content of that dish. The Economic Development Agent discussed the economics of the various agriculture commodities to our area.

This educational activity included six sessions of 20 minute rotations to present their assigned topic. Many methods were used including lectures, discussion, PowerPoint presentations, displays, and hands-on activities. At the end of the six sessions the students and teachers were treated to Crawfish Etouffee on rice!

Three weeks prior to the “Mr. Etouffee” Day, the teachers developed curriculum and incorporated information about rice and crawfish into the students’ English, Math and Science classes. The students did journals which chronicled the information they gained and learned. They also researched the local commodities and agriculture. The journals generated knowledge and excitement for “Mr. Etouffee” Day.

To evaluate the program, the students were given a pre and post-test. The test consisted of twenty questions covering general information about the commodities and agriculture. The primary objectives were for the students to understand that farmers and ranchers produce our food and to gain awareness and knowledge of the importance of the products and agriculture to our lives. Based on scores on the pre and post-test, the “Mr. Etouffee” program did help students achieve these objectives.

This program was an exciting new twist on agriculture awareness efforts.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Program Area Committee and Leadership Advisory Board Centra Trainings Scheduled

A series Centra trainings for County Extension Agents have been planned that relate to working with Program Area Committees and Leadership Advisory Boards. These trainings are appropriate for new County Extension Agents as well as those with several years of experience. District Extension Administrators should promote this with Agents could benefit from this type of training. Do NOT encourage those Agents who are participating in the upcoming Program Excellence Academy, as most of the topics will be covered fully at the Academy. Details of the four scheduled Centra's are outlined below:

May 3-2010, 10:00 Central Time (US & Canada);

• Selection, Rotation and Training of PAC Members- (HFS153187) Event ID: HFS153187

June 21-2010, 10:00 AM Central Time (US & Canada);

• Selection, Rotation and Training of LAB Members(PPN497890) Event ID: PPN497890

July 12 2010, 10:00 AM Central Time (US & Canada);

• Identifying Issues with the Leadership Advisory Board (HKT149078) Event ID: HKT149078

August 9 2010, 10:00 AM Central Time (US & Canada);

• Engaging Planning Groups in Program Development (JDH030125) Event ID: JDH030125
  

In order for agents to enroll in these sessions, participants need to go to the Centra site at : http://webconference.tamus.edu/main/tce and search for the Event ID for the session they choose to attend. All of these are public events and are located in the event folder "Program Development -2010". It is important that all District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors work with agents who need this type of training and ensure that they participate.

Content for this article was provided by Dr. Jeff Ripley, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Extension Can't Afford to Cut Corners on Training During Economically Challenging Times

Research by elearning and advanced content solutions provider, IMC (UK) Learning (Thissen, 2008), reported that 88% of the Human Resource professionals surveyed believe properly planned training can play a significant role in addressing challenges created by economic challenges. However, 57% of those questioned indicated that training is one of the first budget to be cut during economically challenging times (Thissen, 2008). Thissen (2008) concluded, that during economically challenging times more than ever it is essential to have a competent, skilled workforce.

Brady (2008) reported that the most progressive law firms recognize the while cutting training programs appears to be a quick, easy way to save money, not training associates will ultimately have a greater negative impact on a firm's bottom line. In the legal field failure to training associates results in client dissatisfaction because attorneys are ill equipped to effectively represent their clients (Brady, 2008). Brady (2008) reported that while it may appear to be counter intuitive, during difficult economic times, investing in training programs is more important than ever.

Thissen (2008) and Brady (2008) examined professional development from a general human resources standpoint and in the legal profession respectively. However, as middle managers and administrators of Texas AgriLife Extension Service it is imperative to determine if we can afford to cut corners on training during these economically challenging times. In order to determine if professional development should be targeted in cost cutting strategies middle managers and administrators the following questions;

• Is having well trained County Extension Agents more critical or less critical during economically challenging times?
  
• How will new agents become equipped to effectively identify issues, develop educational interventions to address these issues, evaluate these educational interventions and interpret the value of these interventions without a systematic training program?
• How will more tenured agents continually upgrade their skills to ensure that they have the capacity to be effective in a ever changing society?

If middle managers and administrators carefully reflect on these questions it will underscore the importance of nurturing the agencies most valuable asset-its human resources- which will have profound influence on the future overall health of Texas AgriLife Extension Service. If we cut corners on training some of the potential consequences include less effective programs. On August 31, 2009 District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors were trained to implement a new systematic on-board system that will be utilized to on-board new agents with Texas AgriLife Extension Service. As we operationalize this systematic more sequential on-boarding process it is critical that everyone who will be involved in on-boarding understand their role and focuses these efforts to ensure effectiveness during these economically challenging times. One of the advantages of this systematic approach is that it involves various Extension professionals in the on-boarding process. The involvement of District Extension Administrators, County Extension Directors, First-Step host agents, mentors, coworkers, Specialists and Regional Program Directors certainly has great advantages in terms of mobilizing resources to address on-boarding needs. However, there is one danger of having the involvement of this many people is that on-boarding becomes "everyone's job and no-one's job".

As Texas AgriLife Extension fully implements this new systematic on-boarding system it is important that our middle managers have ownership in this process. While the Extension Foundations (formerly NEO), New Employee online modules and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Program Excellence Academy are components of the on-boarding system that our Organizational Development Group provides leadership to, it is important that District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors serve as the catalyst for all on-boarding functions in the Region. The following premises must be embraced if this new on-boarding system is going to be successful;

• All members of Regional Teams are responsible for new agent on-boarding.
  
• New agent on-boarding is a sequential learning process where one event establishes the knowledge base for future learning activities that provides progressively more complex training.
• All on-boarding experiences have specific teaching points that are designed to increase knowledge, develop skills, encourage adoption of best practices or lead to the refinement of best practices.
  
• All on-boarding experiences are designed to give agents "early wins"!
  

Some of the learning components that collectively makes up the Texas AgriLife Extension Service on-boarding system includes...

• District Extension Administrator Orientation Agendas that provide core teaching points.
• Regional Program Director Orientation Agendas that provide core teaching points.
• An On-boarding continuum that provides a roadmap for on-boarding new agents.
• Online learning modules that provide agents with a introduction of Extension program management topics.
  
• Extension Foundations to replace New Employee Orientation that will provide experiential learning experience for new agents related to program development, subject matter program management, 4-H livestock project management, and reporting and accountability.
• Excellence in Programming Academy that provides new agents with in-depth experiential learning experiences related to program planning, teaching effectiveness, program implementation, and evaluation and interpretation.
  
• The Texas AgriLife Extension Service Mentoring Program.
  
• First Step.
• Extension Fundamentals letter series designed to reinforce topics covered during orientations, face to face trainings and online modules.
• Revised New Agent Self -Study Guide.

These systematic trainings are designed to provide the sequential learning experience that will enable new agents to...

1. Gain knowledge of the organization.
2. Gain knowledge of organizational processes.
3. Develop skills.
4. Adopt best practices.
5. Refine best practices.
   

Public or private organizations report that they spend as much as 150% of the employee's salary to hire another individual (Friedman, Galinsky, & Plowden, 1992). Dr. Galen Chandler (2005) estimated it could cost Extension from $7,185 to $30,000 to replace an agent who had an annual salary of $30,000. Therefore, quality time in effectively on-boarding new agents that could potentially result in increased retention should be viewed as an investment in the future of Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

References:

Brady, K. "Invest in training programs during tough economic times". The Complete Lawyer. May 17, 2008. Retrieved from http://www.thecompletelawyer.com/human-resources/invest-in-training-programs-during-tough-economic-times-3887.html

Chandler, G. D. (2005). Organizational and individual factors related to retention of county Extension agents employed by Texas Cooperative Extension. Dissertation Abstracts International, 65(12), 4432A. (UMI No. 3157047).

Friedman, D., Galinsky, E., & Plowden, V. (1992). Parental leave and productivity: Current research. New York: Families and Work Institute.

Thissen, D. "Fight recession by training". Training Press Releases. November 7, 2008. Retrieved from http://www.trainingpressreleases.com/newsstory.asp?NewsID=4041

Taking the Utilization of Social Media to the Next Level

Texas AgriLife Extension recently launched an initiative to utilize Facebook as a recruiting tool to enhance our recruiting efforts. This effort has also evolved to utilizing Facebook to market Texas AgriLife Extension Service as an organization that provides a wide range of research based resources through community based educational programs.

Now that Texas AgriLife Extension Service has a presence in the social networking arena, the question is how we utilize this venue beyond recruiting and marketing. Christ (2005) predicted that social networking sites would force public relation professionals to rethink how they approach relationship development with their stakeholders. Research in the Public Relations Review (Waters, Burnett, Lamm & Lucas, 2009) reported that social networking sites can be an effective way to reach stakeholder groups if there is some understanding of how the stakeholders use the site. Waters, Burnett, Lamm and Lucas (2009) also reported that as social networking sites become more ingrained in daily life, they will soon see a more diverse audience in terms of age, culture, and socio-economic status. Waters, Burnett, Lamm and Lucas (2009) indicated that organizations will need to begin using more social networking applications to meet the growing needs and expectations of their stakeholders.

Here are a few facts about Facebook that is our motivation to explore this as a venue to recruit future employees, market Texas AgriLife Extension and interpret Texas AgriLife Extension (Facebook, 2010):

• Facebook has more than 400 million users.
• 50% of the active users log on to Facebook in any given day.
• More than 3 billion photos are uploaded to the site each month.
• More than 5 billion pieces of content (weblinks, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) is shared each week.
• More than 3.5 million events are created each month.
• More than 1.5 million local businesses have a active Page on Facebook.
• More than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day.
• Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans.
• Average user has 130 friends on the site.
• The average user sends 8 friend requests per month.
• Average user becomes a fan of 4 Pages each month.
• Average user is invited to 3 events per month.
• More than 70 translations available on the site.
• About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States.
• There are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devises.

Some specific demographics related to Texas AgriLife Extension Service's Facebook page is as follows:

• Texas AgriLife Extension Service's page has more than 1,800 fans.
• 64% of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service fans are female.
  
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service fans range in age from 13 years of age to over 55.
• 74% of fans are 18 to 44 years of age.
  
• There are 1,781 fans from the United States.
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service's page had 819 visits this past week.
  
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service page has fans from Canada, India, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Spain, Greece, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan and Turkey.
  

As an agency, Texas AgriLife Extension Service has a challenge in terms of where do we go next related to the utilization of social networking. In a recent article that has been circulated among Extension professionals that examines a 2009 Journal of Extension article entitled "Extension: A Modern Day Pony Express?", the relevancy of Extension in the future was challenged in terms of Extension's capacity to evolve to meet the needs of a changing society. The following are some ideas that District Extension Administrators and County Extension Directors should consider related to how Texas AgriLife Extension Service can utilize social media to enhance program delivery, market educational programs, and interpret Extension programs to targeted stakeholders which will assist in ensuring that Texas AgriLife Extension Service remains a relevant educational agency;

• Utilization of blogs to deliver educational content which can be delivered to clientele's mobile devise.
  
• Utilization of social networking as a platform for interactive learning related to the management of diabetes.
• Utilization of social networking as a platform to provide leadership lessons to 4-H youth.
  
• Utilization of social media to interpret programs to legislative staffers who routinely use social media personally and professionally.
  
• Utilization of social media as a component of a systematic educational strategy which uses social media to introduce basic information followed by providing a link to a more in-depth online learning module followed by the utilization of both social media and on-line learning modules to announce a more comprehensive face to face educational event.

One of the new and innovative approaches utilizing a form of social networking to interpret programs and increasing Extension visibility is the utilization of short videos attached to an electronic post card that is sent to elected officials and elected officials staffers. This innovative interpretation methodology is currently being pioneered in Travis County. To view an example of one of these videos click on http://traviscountyextensionoffice.createsend5.com/T/ViewEmail/r/C66341E542926DE2/CFE05E22D4B1F796C5EC08CADFFC107B

Now that Texas AgriLife Extension Service has its foot in the door in the utilization of blogs, electronic post cards, and Facebook- careful consideration needs to be given to how these tools can increase our capacity to deliver programs, communicate with clientele and interpret our programs.

Reference

Christ, P. (2005). Internet technologies and trends transforming public relations. Journal of Website Promotion. 1 (4) , 3-14.

Waters, R.D., Burnett, E., Lamm, A., & Lucas, J. (2009). Engaging stakeholders through social networking: How nonprofit organizations are using Facebook. Public Relations Review.

West, B.C., Drake, D. & Londo, A. (2009). Extension: A Modern Day Pony Express? Journal of Extension. [On-line] . (47) 2. Available at http://www.joe.org/joe/2009april/comm1.php