Extension Update: July 2008 Archives

Congratulations to the following Extension staff who were approved for promotion at a recent meeting of the USNH Board of Trustees:

Full Extension Educator: Nancy Berry, Sue Buteau, Geoffrey Njue and Lisa Townson

Extension Professor/Specialist: Julia Peterson

Associate Extension Educator: Carl Majewski

Extension Associate Professor/Specialist: Matt Tarr

Val Long, FSNE Nutrition Coordinator and Martha Judson, Nutrition Connections consultant, gave a presentation recently at the National Association of School Nurses conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The presentation titled: Helping Schools Make the Grade, focused on providing ideas for schools to improve their nutrition and physical activity environment and showcased the UNH Cooperative Extension Changing the Scene program.

Conference participants were from the United States and other countries.

UNH Cooperative Extension recently received the following grants and awards:

Malcolm Smith, Extension Specialist, Family Education and Policy, will serve as project director for an interdisciplinary team of UNH policy analysts and researchers who received $120,489 to conduct a comprehensive analysis of New Hampshire’s child-support guidelines. The contract funds a federally-mandated review of economic and policy guidelines used to establish child-support payments for children. The project is funded by the N.H Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). Dr. Michael Kalinowski, an associate professor of family studies at UNH, will join Smith as primary co-investigator. Dr. Reagan Baugman, assistant professor, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, will serve as economic analyst.

Three awards went to Matt Tarr, Extension Specialist, Wildlife. He received the final award of a $50,569 grant from the NH Dept. of Fish and Game for the "Taking Action for Wildlife" project. The $31,500 payment goes toward providing and enhancing private landowner assistance leading to the protection, restoration and management of habitats that benefit species at risk, as identified in New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan. Frank Mitchell and Amanda Stone are working with Matt on this project.

Tarr also received $65,000 from the NH Dept. of Fish and Game to continue providing technical training and information on wildlife habitat conservation to landowners, natural resource management professionals, community leaders, regional planners and other conservation groups. Another $30,000 from Fish and Game went toward the NH Landowner Incentive Program efforts.

Julia Steed Mawson, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, received a $5,000 grant from the NH Charitable Foundation for the project, "Cultivating Community Capacity: Nurturing an Action Committee." The money will be used towards hiring a consultant to work with the NH Common Ground Garden Project steering committee to develop a plan and support materials to enlarge and recruit the project's volunteer corps.

Mark Wiley, Extension Specialist, Marine Science Education, received $20,271 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in support of Sea Grant marine education programming efforts.

Julia Peterson, Extension Specialist, Water Resources, received $15,394 from NOAA in support of Sea Grant coastal communities programming efforts.

Brian Doyle, Program Leader, Sea Grant Extension and Water Resources, received $64,800, and Extension Educator Rollie Barnaby, an additional $18,000, from NOAA in continued support of the Sea Grant program.

Carl Majewski, Extension Educator, Agricultural Resources, received a $10,000 grant from the University of Vermont and USDA, for his project, "Assessing Pasture Grasses, Legumes and Pasture Blends for Varying Soil Conditions in New England and Pennsylvania."

Suzann Knight, Extension Specialist, Family Resource Management, received $2,000 from the National Endowment for Financial Education, for the High School Financial Planning Program.

Fourteen afterschool programs in New Hampshire will receive mini-grants totaling $271,527 for 627 program slots from National 4-H Council for the 2008-09 school year. Funded by the JC Penney 4-H Afterschool Fund, these awards are designed to increase access for youth currently not in after-school programs, or on the verge of leaving after-school programs due to a lack of funds. A total of $1 million was available nationally to fund 2,000 slots for school-age children. New Hampshire’s awards are 27 percent of available funds and 31 percent of the projected slots.

In addition to the financial support, each youth supported by these awards will also receive a JC Penney gift card, courtesy of JC Penney Co, to use in purchasing back-to-school clothing and supplies. To be eligible, each program must be within 20 miles of a JC Penney store or unit, operate Monday-Friday throughout the school year, provide a 100 percent cash match, and partner with the county 4-H program.

This is the third year our county Extension Educators, 4-H Youth Development, have helped community programs receive these awards. This year’s awards are an increase of almost 10 percent in both number of youth to be served and dollar amount.

Programs receiving awards include Ossipee School’s Out in Carroll County, Gorham Family Resource Center in Coos County, and Plymouth A+PLUS in Grafton County. Also, Hillsboro-Deering KIDS IN GEAR in Hillsborough County, Newport Enrichment Team in Sullivan County, Seymour Osman Community Center in Strafford County, and Franklin Celebrates in Merrimack County.

Five Cheshire County programs will receive awards including Hinsdale HOPE, Winchester ACCESS, Keene MANY Options, Marl-Harris program serving Marlborough and Harrisville, and Monadnock MOSI serving Troy, Sullivan and Gilsum. Rockingham County programs include Epping Recreation Center and Seacoast Youth Services in Seabrook.

Do you think one of your colleagues is doing an amazing program this summer? Did someone in your office really make your day?

Don't wait until the next UNH Cooperative Extension annual conference to nominate these people for an award. You can do it right now.

The Recognition Team has put the nomination ballots for Performance Beyond Expectations, Professional Courtesy, Diversity and Pluralism, and Program of Distinction awards on our web site.

If you want to see one of your peers get recognized for their hard work and excellent efforts, then nominate one today. It just takes a few minutes to let someone know you recognize their accomplishments, and now you don't have to wait until spring.

You also can learn more about the awards on our Staff Recognition web page, or to see who received past awards.