Six grants focused on community outreach will benefit several organizations in the greater Manchester area in the coming months.

With funding from UNH Cooperative Extension, UNH’s Office of Outreach Scholarship and UNH Manchester, the $40,000 in grants will touch such diverse organizations at the Manchester Area Homeschoolers, YWCA of Manchester and the Hillcrest Terrace Retirement Community.

These awards stem from the “engagement and outreach” priorities of the UNH Academic Strategic Plan, as well as academic program goals in UNH Manchester’s and Cooperative Extension’s Strategic Plans.

Projects funded include the following:

Reaching Green through Service Learning, with UNH Manchester Assistant Professor Dr. Sarah Kenick as team leader. Other team members include Extension Educator Michael Koski, Karen Acerno, director, Massabesic Audubon Center, and Melissa Drury, coordinator, Manchester Area Homeschoolers.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Center for Innovation in Family Education and Support, with Dr. Malcolm Smith, Family Life and Family Policy Extension Specialist, as team leader. Other team members include Extension Educators Sharon Cowen and Thom Linehan, YWCA Executive Director Monica Zulauf, UNH Associate Prof. Dr. Kate Hanson, chair, UNH Community Leadership Program, and Dr. Patrice Mettauer, Community Outreach Scholarship coordinator from UNH Manchester.

New Hampshire Citizen Planner, with Extension Educator Dan Reidy as team leader. Other team members include Michele Gagne, representing Cooperative Extension and UNH’s College of Life Science and Agriculture, Extension Educator Mary Tebo and Extension Specialist Dr. Charlie French, UNH Associate Prof. Dr. Kate Hanson, chair, UNH Community Leadership Program, Kerrie Diers, assistant director, Nashua Regional Planning Commission, and Joanne Cassulo, senior planner, Municipal and Regional Planning Assistance.

An Evaluation of Real-Time Distance Learning Practices for Use in Online Geospatial Training, with UNH Manchester Assistant Professor/Computer Information Systems Program Coordinator Dr. Mihaela Sabin as team leader. Other team members include Extension Specialist Shane Bradt, Adam Kurowski, regional planner, Lakes Regional Planning Commission, Rachel Ruppel, GIS analyst, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, and Jo Anne Carr, senior planner, Southwest Region Planning Commission, rounding out the community partners.

Reconfiguring Computing Curriculum with Community Service Projects, with UNH Manchester Assistant Professor Dr. Mihaela Sabin as team leader. Extension 4-H Youth Development Educator Michael Koski also is on the team, along with Karen Acerno, Massabesic Audubon Center, Greg Hartshorn, Manchester Salvation Army, Dominique Rust, NH Catholic Charities, and Jeremy Hitchcock, Dynamic Network Services, representing the community partners.

Whole Grain Foods: Developing a Curriculum with and for Older Adults, with Dr. Catherine Violette, Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist, as team leader. Other team members include UNH Manchester Associate Professor Dr. Alison Paglia, Kerry Olson, director of Dining Services, Hillcrest Terrace Retirement Community, RSVP Program Coordinator Shirley Frost, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, and Barbara Vigneault, director, Senior Services Dept. of the City of Manchester.