Extension/Outreach
Virginia Youth Observe National
4-H Week
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| Virginia Cooperative Extension leaders pose in front of the university flagpole, holding an official governor’s proclamation declaring National 4-H Week, which marks the 4-H program’s 105 year of existence. To commemorate the week, the 4-H flag flew outside Burruss Hall on the Virginia Tech campus for the entire week. |
From contributing to a county heritage festival to learning about agricultural production to visiting the county government, youth throughout the commonwealth used this year’s National 4-H Week, Oct. 1-7, in a variety of ways to learn while being engaged in their local communities.
Page County 4-H’ers planned a 4-H heritage day as a part of the county’s weekend heritage festival, which coincided with National 4-H Week. “We researched 4-H’ers from the 1950s and 1960s and pasted photos of them on posters at the festival,” said Kevin Cubbage, 4-H youth development agent for Page County.
“The idea was for community members to identify people they know in the pictures and make note of it on the posters at the festival,” Cubbage added.
Meanwhile, about 500 fourth-graders in Tazewell County had a chance to learn about food and fibers during a field day where they visited 18 to 20 educational stations related to agricultural production.
“We are looking at all sorts of foods and fibers, whether that’s cotton used for clothing or beef cattle used for meat,” said John Blankenship, 4-H youth development agent for Tazewell County. He added that this program not only involved local students in 4-H but also aided the area’s public schools with science education preparation for the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments.
Students in Surry County’s public school system also benefited from programs during National 4-H Week. According to Billie Jean Elmer, 4-H youth development agent for that county, local students received informational materials about the county’s 4-H programs and even distributed 4-H footballs to kick-off the week.
The Surry County 4-H teen club also experienced local government first-hand. “The 4-H students made a presentation to the Surry County Board of Supervisors about the 4-H program,” Elmer said. She added that the board made an official declaration of National 4-H Week during the meeting.
More than 20,000 adults and teens annually volunteer their time and energy to help youth, ages 5 to 18, experience 4-H. Virginia programs assist more than 160,000 youth in their efforts to make good decisions, manage resources wisely, work effectively with others, and communicate successfully.
The Virginia 4-H camping program is one of the largest in the country and provides character-building experiences to more than 25,000 participants at the six 4-H educational centers.
AgrAbility Project Helps
Arthritis Sufferers
AgrAbility Virginia, a farm safety project guided by Virginia Tech research, received an $800,000 grant to improve the lives of Virginia’s farmers, their families, and those who live in rural communities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the four-year grant allows project leaders to better serve their Virginia clientele. During this funding cycle, the main focus of the grants is on helping those with arthritis, the chronic inflammation of the joints.
AgrAbility Virginia helps individuals with disabilities overcome barriers to continue their chosen profession in agriculture by modifying farm and ranch operations, adapting equipment, increasing farmstead accessibility, providing financial counseling, identifying funding sources, and coordinating community services.
Bobby Grisso, professor of biological systems engineering and Virginia Cooperative Extension farm safety specialist, noted that AgrAbility Virginia does not provide financial reimbursement for its clients. Instead, the project offers research-based educational support and needs assessments.
“If we cannot find a piece of equipment or assistive technology that’s already on the market, we will use our engineering skills to develop one,” Grisso said. But he added that these products are typically available from commercial vendors.
According to preliminary results in a survey conducted by AgrAbility Virginia, more than 30 percent of Virginia’s farmers and ranchers suffer from arthritis. Information from the Arthritis Foundation shows this figure is in line with the national average.
“Farmers and those working with large livestock who have arthritis are four times more likely to be injured on the job than those without arthritis,” Grisso said.
But arthritis is not AgrAbility Virginia’s only research focus. According to Grisso, researchers will use USDA funds to deliver their services to the Shenandoah Valley’s Old Order Mennonite population and to find innovative ways to reduce secondary injuries for agricultural workers already suffering from a disability.
New Faces for Virginia Cooperative Extension
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| Karen Gehrt |
Virginia Cooperative Extension has two new administrators to lead its efforts around the commonwealth. Karen Gehrt from Champaign, Ill., is the associate director of family and consumer sciences programs. Ray Ali from South Charleston, W.Va., is the associate director of field operations.
In her new position, Gehrt is a state program leader for the development and delivery of educational programs that meet the needs of Virginia’s families and communities.
“I am both pleased and excited to have Karen join our administrative team,” said Mark McCann, the director of Virginia Cooperative Extension and associate dean of the college. “She brings a unique combination of talent and experiences to the position.”
She previously worked for the Food and Nutrition Service at the United States Department of Agriculture, where she served as a WIC program specialist in the Midwest Regional Office. Before that, she worked at Lifespan Wellness as a program development and marketing consultant for nutrition and wellness education. She also did program consulting with Caterpillar, Inc., where she collaborated with University of Illinois Extension to establish an employee/spouse health promotion program.
Gehrt also served as associate director of the Fisher Institute for Wellness at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and for 23 years as an Extension educator for University of Illinois Extension. She earned her doctoral degree in adult and continuing education and her master’s degree in Extension education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received a bachelor’s degree in home economics education from Illinois State University.
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| Ray Ali |
In his position with field operations, Ray Ali will support the work of field faculty and district directors across Virginia. “Ray’s experience developing and leading educational
outreach programs will make him a great addition to our team,” McCann said. “He will use his people skills and extensive background in higher education to lead Virginia Cooperative Extension’s large network of district and unit offices throughout the commonwealth.”
Prior to accepting his new position, Ali headed the Department of Adult and Family Education at West Virginia State University. Over the years, Ali filled a number of other roles at that institution, including head of the Department of Educational Services and Life-long Learning, adjunct faculty member in the Education Department, associate director of Extension programs, and a workforce preparation Extension specialist.
Before moving to West Virginia, Ali worked as an educator in Pennsylvania, where he developed and implemented a new science-based curriculum for inner-city youth. Ali was also an Upward Bound instructor at Chatham College, a high school biology teacher, and an instructor in financial literacy and entrepreneurship for urban high school students.
Ali earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Marshall University after receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master of arts degree in teaching degree in secondary science education from the University of Pittsburgh.