Extension Update: April 2006 Archives

Collaboration and coalition building are essential for positive youth development programming. Ideally, this includes partnerships among community organizations, individual youth and parents, and the university community.

In Rockingham County, UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development program is busy working with a number of youth coalition efforts to promote cooperation and resource development to benefit all partners. They include the Raymond Coalition for Youth, the Lower Seacoast Youth Coalition , and the Sanborn/Timberlane Safe and Drug Free Community Coalition.

These youth coalitions’ goals are to enhance and expand activities, services and supports for children, youth and families, involving both public and private organizations, as well as youth, parents and professionals in respective communities. As separate youth coalitions in distinct areas of Rockingham County, each effort has been successful in developing positive youth development programs, securing new funding and mobilizing effective youth and adult partnerships.

These local youth coalition efforts, however, continue to experience challenges to meet the need for comprehensive youth programming in their areas. Through conversations with Extension’s 4-H Youth Development staff, these youth coalitions decided to work together to expand their opportunities through larger coalition building with the establishment of the Rockingham County Youth Coalitions (RCYC) partnership.

The new partnership of the Rockingham County Youth Coalitions (RCYC) will connect and share resources among existing or emerging area youth coalitions. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed to establish RCFY and move forward with mutually beneficial activities. It outlines key areas for partnership and collaboration, including the following:
• Strengthen area youth coalition efforts and more effectively develop and provide activities, services and supports through cooperative program planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Increase the quantity and quality of available youth development resources, while reducing possible duplication of efforts among organizations involved
• Specifically express partnership and collaboration through:
o Board development, recruitment and enhancement
o Organizational development, training and sharing of strategies
o A resource library
o Training and technical assistance expertise
o Program development
o Joint funding efforts
o Evaluation design and implementation
o Networking and communication support
o Volunteer management, including, recruitment, orientation, and training
o County-wide celebrations and recognition events

While early in its development, RCYC holds great potential to expand the effectiveness of area youth coalitions and to foster partnerships with UNH. Opportunities abound for placement of undergraduate and graduate interns, research projects, training events and joint pursuit of funding opportunities. Any interested parties within the UNH community should contact Rick Alleva, 4-H Youth Development, Rockingham County at 679-5616 or rick.alleva@unh.edu

Charlene Baxter was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Brookdale Foundation for its "Relatives As Parents Programs" (RAPP) initiative. RAPP encourages and promotes the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting.

The program awards seed grants of $10,000 over a two-year period in two categories: local agencies and state public agencies. The grant to Cooperative Extension is for developing statewide programs. Thom Linehan will provide leadership to this initiative, Claudia Boozer-Blasco and Gail Kennedy will provide program support, and Emily Douglas will provide evaluation support.

Michael Sciabarrasi, Extension Professor and Specialist in Agricultural Business Management, will receive the UNH Presidential Award of Excellence at the May 5 honors ceremony. He also will be recognized for 25 years of service to the University the same day.

Mike is well-known for his efforts on and off campus, teaching risk management strategies and agribusiness management programs. He also focuses on farm transfer issues, often working across the state with fellow Extension Specialist John Porter, offering guidance to farm families in transition. He serves on a number of steering committees across the region, including one for the New Hampshire Center for a Food Secure Future and another for the Agricultural Innovations program.

Mike continues to win the hearts and minds of his constituents and his co-workers with his abiding willingness to lend support where it is needed. His contributions to New Hampshire and New England agriculture through his teaching, his multi-state Extension programs, and his acumen at successfully competing for grants are noteworthy. But it is perhaps his sense of being part of a team effort that makes him stand out. When asked if he had any thoughts on receiving this distinguished honor, he emphasized that it is working with one’s colleagues that brings success in Cooperative Extension. “We all work with and support each other’s efforts. This is the primary factor that makes any of us successful.” In the true spirit of team work, please join me in congratulating Mike.

Welcome to Sue Cagle who joins UNH Cooperative Extension as an Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Resources, Belknap County. Sue begins her responsibilities on Monday, April 17 in a full time position. Sue holds a Master of Education degree in Human Resource Education from Boston University and a B.A. in Psychology from UNH. Sue has worked for over 20 years in the human services field, with individuals, groups and families to overcome financial, educational, medical and environmental obstacles in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Sue has been involved in development and presentation of trainings including management and supervision, facilitation and team management, conflict resolution and stress management. In February, 2000, Sue had the unique opportunity to participate in the design and presentation of a program to develop foster care programs for social workers in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Welcome Sue!

UNH Cooperative Extension is the recipient of the following new grants:
• Bob Edmonds, three grants from the NH Dept. of Resources and Economic Development, $17,897 for “Urban and Community Forestry,” $34,060 for “Forest Stewardship," and $46,953 for “Forest Land Enhance Program”
• Rollie Barnaby, a $60,000 grant from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for creation of a collaborative fisheries research newsletter. The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and the Northeast Consortium also are participating in the grant efforts.
• Sadie Puglisi, $4,983 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for an “IPM Turfgrass” website
• Juli Brussell, four grants from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, $3,809 for “IPM Concepts Carroll & Belknap Counties,” $3,823 for “IPM Concepts Sullivan & Merrimack Counties,” $4,508 for “IPM Concepts Coos & Grafton Coutnies,” and $4,779 for “IPM Education for Homeowners”
• Becky Grube, $2,779 from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, for the “IPM for Organic Growers” workshop
• George Hamilton, three grants from the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets and Food, $4,963 for monitoring Fall Armyworm, $4,988 for monitoring European Corn Borers and $4,987 for monitoring Corn Earworm for Hillsborough County sweet corn growers
• Wendy Brock, $10,000 from the National 4-H Council, to participate as a state pilot site for Organizational Change in Youth in Governance, in partnership with the National 4-H Council and the Surdna Foundation
• Suzann Knight, $25,000 from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, to expand access to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, conduct outreach to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) eligible population, increase the number of regional VITA coalitions and establish an EITC Alliance to share best practices.

You can get a $50 per session discount to UNH 4-H Camps this summer, but don't delay.

UNH 4-H Camps offer a $50/session discount to UNH employees with a maximum discount of $350 per family for 2006. Campers experience all the great things camp should be -- old and new friends, camp songs, wooded paths and rustic cabins. UNH 4-H Camps, a component of UNH Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program, promote positive youth development by providing a camp experience that encourages independence, generosity, mastery and belonging.

Registrations must be received by May 1, 2006, and paid in full by June 1, 2006 to receive this discount. The discount does not apply to Family Camp Weekend.

For more information on 4-H camps, visit our web site call 862-2184 or email 4hcamps@unh.edu.

The Rockingham County Nursing Home atrium was the site Monday night for the second round of County Conversations with President Ann Weaver Hart. Over 80 people attended, including 18 legislators.

Legislators, collaborators and others heard from a panel that featured participants from UNH faculty, Cooperative Extension specialists and educators, and local fishermen during last night's session. This panel discussion illustrated how UNH is working with Cooperative Extension, local fishermen and the federal government to address one of the most pressing topics of concern in the region, the future of the marine fishing industry.

Panelists included Rollie Barnaby and Brian Doyle from Extension, Dr. Richard Langan, Director, Cooperative Institute for New England Mariculture & Fisheries, Dr. Christopher Glass, Northeast Consortium Director & UNH Research Professor, Peter Kendall, Rye, Manager of the Portsmouth Fishermen’s Cooperative and Andrew E. Lang, Commercial Fisherman, New Castle.

The next County Conversations II is scheduled May 8 in Grafton County.