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.