Quarterly Highlights of OSU Extension Programs in Franklin County
The following are selected impacts of OSU Extension programs conducted in Franklin County January through March 2015.
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Agriculture & Natural Resources Impacts
- Nearly 40 Franklin County farm managers recertified their private pesticide applicator license by completing a three-hour pesticide recertification workshop taught by Extension. Participants learned how to reduce pesticide use, reduce production costs, and safeguard the environment through proper use of restricted pesticides.
- Twenty Franklin County Master Gardener Volunteers increased their knowledge about integrated pest management for apple trees and conifers at two IPM webinars taught by Extension.
- Thirty Franklin County farm managers became certified fertilizer applicators by completing a three-hour Fertilizer Certification Workshop taught by Extension. This new fertilizer certification program allows farm managers to comply with a new Ohio law designed to reduce phosphorus entering surface water.
- More than 490 gardeners increased their knowledge related to consumer horticulture topics at the Ask A Master Gardener booth at the Dispatch Home & Garden Show in Columbus.
- Twenty-three church leaders learned how to develop community gardens for their congregations at a day-long Community Gardening Workshop for Faith Based Communities. As a result of the workshop, several churches are developing new community gardens with technical assistance from Extension.
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More than 144 school leaders and community supporters learned how to procure locally produced foods for school food service operations at a workshop taught by the Franklin County ANR Educator at OSU Extension’s statewide Farm to School Conference held in Columbus.
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More than 75 Franklin County Master Gardener Volunteers increased their knowledge about the environmental benefits of gardening at the 2015 Master Gardener Volunteer Graduation Workshop. Thirty-seven new Master Gardener Volunteers were accepted into the Franklin County Master Gardener program at this workshop.
4-H Youth Development Impacts
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Twenty-seven teen 4-H members learned the benefits of sound record-keeping practices and impactful writing for college and workforce entrance and preparation by participating in a Teen Opportunities Workshop. As a result of participating in the workshop, 21 youth completed the Ohio 4-H Achievement Record Application, and 17 youth were selected for statewide recognition of their 4-H achievements.
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More than 80 teen 4-H members and adult volunteers increased their leadership and team-building skills by participating in the Ohio 4-H Conference. Participants learned new ideas for 4-H programming. The Franklin County 4-H Program had the largest delegation at this conference for all 88 counties in Ohio.
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More than 110 adult 4-H volunteers learned about new child protection policies and a new team-building curriculum at the annual 4-H Advisor Appreciation and Enrichment Night.
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Nearly 200 individuals learned about educational opportunities available through the 4-H program by participating in the Franklin County 4-H Winter Fair. Sixty-seven 4-H members developed public speaking skills at the event by presenting their state fair winning projects to participants and answered questions about their 4-H project experiences.
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Two hundred and fifty-five youth at one school and one afterschool program participated in a STEM workshop presented by the 4-H Educator at their respective sites. The youth created “lava lamps” in a test tube, learning about carbon dioxide in the process.
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Seventy-five youth and seventy-five parents participated in a 4-H CARTEENS program, a diversion program for juvenile traffic offenders. The program is court-mandated, and youth are referred to the program by court personnel by the Franklin County Juvenile Court, as well as Upper Arlington, New Albany, Delaware and other courts. Personnel from the Columbus Police Department, OSU Wexner Medical trauma center, and 4-H teens provide instruction during the program. The juvenile traffic offenders learn best safety and driving practices.
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Fifty-two teen 4-H members are developing leadership and life skills by serving as 4-H Camp Counselors. These youth are completing 24 hours of training over a five month period to become certified as 4-H camp counselors. Participants are increasing their knowledge and skills related to team-building, program planning, child protection policies and procedures, child development, conflict resolution, and other topics.
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Forty-two teachers increased their knowledge about chick embryology by participating in a day-long 4-H ChickQuest workshop. This 4-H STEM curriculum focuses on the life cycle of the chick embryo, and includes classroom science lessons which correlate with the 21 day lifecycle of a chick. A teacher who completed the program last year and used the lessons with her students said that it was “the most significant thing I have done as a teacher.” Seventeen teachers who participated in a previous 4-H ChickQuest workshop implemented the curriculum with their students in the past year.
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Nearly 100 4-H youth learned how to become effective club leaders by participating in the 4-H Officer Training event. Individual workshop sessions were taught for each office, and the 4-H youth also participated in a mock meeting using parliamentary procedure.
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A school garden advisory committee for central Ohio has been established by Extension. Area teachers, non-profit personnel and others are serving on this committee led by the 4-H Educator. The objective of the committee is to increase the number of school gardens in central Ohio, and specific preliminary goals were established at the first committee meeting.
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More than 50 youth in the Linden neighborhood of Columbus increased their knowledge and skills related to financial management by completing a Real Money, Real World financial management education program taught by Extension. Participants changed their attitudes about the use of money; increased their awareness about the correlation between higher education and income, the cost of childcare, and other costs.
Family & Consumer Sciences Impacts
- Nearly 100 adults increased their knowledge related to healthy eating by participating in Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) classes. Additionally, more than 400 family members benefitted from the knowledge gained by program participants. As a result of participating in these workshops, 92% of participants improved one or more nutritional practices; 82% improved in one or more food resource practices; and 46% improved one or more food safety practices.
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More than 500 youth in Franklin County increased their knowledge and skills related to healthy living by participating in Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) classes taught by Extension. As a result of participating in these programs, 95% of youth in grades K–2 improved their knowledge and skills related to choosing nutritious foods and 65% of youth in grades K–2 increased their knowledge about the importance of being physically active. Additionally, 83% of participating youth in grades 3–5 increased their knowledge and skills necessary to choose nutritious foods, and 39% of youth in grades 3–5 improved their physical activity practices.
Community Development Impacts
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Fifteen staff members of the Crane Center and Schoenbaum Family Center learned about educational and outreach programs offered by OSU Extension in the Weinland Park neighborhood at a workshop taught by Extension.
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Ten officers the Weinland Park Civic Association increased their leadership development skills by participating in a six-hour leadership development workshop taught by Extension.
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More than 40 participants in the Columbus Urban League’s Father-2-Father program learned about Extension’s Building Assets for Fathers and Families (BAFF) Program during a presentation by Extension. As a result of this presentation, more than 50% of participants expressed an interest in participating in Extension’s BAFF Program.