Extension Trends: Ada County

EXTENSION TRENDS: ADA COUNTY

University of Idaho Extension, Ada County • www.uidaho.edu/ada • 208-287-5900

2019 Impact

2019 By the Numbers • 27,299 direct contacts • 5,241 youth participants • 373 volunteers • 23,773 volunteer hours • $298,000 extramural funding

UI Extension Educators Ariel Agenbroad ariel@uidaho.edu Community Food Systems & Small Farms Susan Bell sbell@uidaho.edu Horticulture

Andrew Bingham abingham@uidaho.edu Family & Consumer Sciences and Financial Management Sendy Martinez smartinez@uidaho.edu 4-H Youth Development

Bridget Morrisroe-Aman bridgeta@uidaho.edu Family & Consumer Sciences

Allen Taggart taggart@uidaho.edu 4-H Youth Development

In 2019, UI Extension Educator Bridget Morrisroe-Aman organized and facilitated eight trainings for Master Food Safety Advisors, including teaching at four of the trainings. A total of 44 Master Food Safety Advisor volunteers were recertified and trained. These volunteers reached 1,236 contacts, taught six food safety classes and disseminated food safety information at seven outreach events. These volunteers contributed 913 volunteer hours, valued at $22,040 ($25.43/hour independent sector rate.) Morrisroe-Aman also partnered with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to deliver the Prevent T2 Diabetes Prevention Program. Four series of the program were presented from 2017-2019 and four are currently ongoing, one offered in Spanish. In 2019, a total of 60 Idahoans participated with 9.9 pounds average weight loss.

Educator Andrew Bingham developed a finance themed escape room program in partnership with local libraries. The program was designed to engage youth and families in a topic that is generally not addressed often enough or discussed at length. In its preliminary stages the program reached 148 individuals and has engaged with 13 library partners to run the program once life returns to normal.

Many Ada County youth face challenges regarding physical and mental health, college and career readiness, and access to quality youth programming. To help combat these issues, Educators Allen Taggert and Sendy Martinez have worked extensively with community partners (school districts, libraries and youth-serving nonprofit organizations) to reach underserved audiences and engage thousands of youth in high quality and engaging 4-H positive youth development programs.

Programs include the annual 4-H Know Your Government Conference, FIRST LEGO League Tournament, the overnight 4-H Adventure Camp in Donnelly, and participation at the 2019 Western Idaho Fair. Through these kinds of activities and programs, youth were engaged by caring adults in transformative educational experiences that prepare them with the leadership skills they need to be active citizens, healthier and prepared for life.

UI Extension Area Educator Ariel Agenbroad launched the Harvest Heroes Veteran Beginning Farming and Gardening program in 2019, the first of its kind in the state, providing a year-long hands-on training and mentoring program to 10 US Military Veterans and their families in the Treasure Valley. Additionally, she leads the Cultivating Success Small Farms Education program that continues to refine and innovate with in-person and online courses, webinars, publications and mentoring to beginning small scale farmers and ranchers in Ada County and those marketing to Ada County consumers.

Horticulture educator Susan Bell leads robust volunteer development programs with 35 first year Master Gardeners, 70 Advanced Master Gardeners, and 20 Master Composters.

These volunteers donate approximately 5,500 hours annually, teaching classes in the community and staffing the free Plant Diagnostic Clinic for the public.

day camps in Ada and Canyon counties. In Ada, MOSS provided programming for Boise Parks and Recreation and NeighborWorks Boise reaching over 70 underserved youth.

Ada County 4-H also participated in the Book and a Bite program in Kuna, engaging with hundreds of youth in handson activities.

4-H in Ada County

More than 35 community members came together to help youth evaluate the achievements they made in their 4-H projects, including representatives from the Idaho Human Society, YMCA, Idaho Out-of-School Network, Boise Parks and Recreation, Foothills Learning Center, Boise WaterShed Education Center, and more.

Ada County 4-H offers programming in four formats: clubs, short-term programs, in-school enrichment and camps. Over 30 4-H clubs in Ada County are led by 110 certified adult volunteers which meet regularly throughout the year and complete projects on a variety of topics. Short-term 4-H programs are offered seasonally by 4-H staff and volunteers to all youth interested in joining 4-H. In-school enrichment activities regarding financial education, healthy living and robotics are offered free of charge to schools. 4-H day camps and overnight adventure camps are offered during the spring and summer to all youth.

A 4-H Yoga for Kids program was delivered at three sites in Ada County, reaching 64 youth. Program evaluations show 89% of youth reported that exercising is fun and helps them to relax, 58% have shown yoga poses to family members, and 69% have done yoga at home. Youth expressing that exercise is fun is an important social well-being indicator. Approximately 50 youth participated in Yoga for Kids at Hays House— Idaho Youth Ranch and at the Mountain Home Air Force Base as part of the Idaho Air National Guard Day Camps.

The University of Idaho’s McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) partnered with UI Extension 4-H to provide

On the Horizon Bingham has created a social security program and has presented it a handful of times to well-attended classes. Due to recent circumstances and feedback from those classes, the class will be taught online to reach more audiences. A plan to turn the class into a series by adding more social security and Medicare sections is being considered.

This summer, Ada County 4-H will partner with Boise Parks and Recreation (eight locations), Boys and Girls Club—Moseley Center, NeighborWorks Boise, Idaho Youth Ranch—Hays House, and Meridian Parks and Recreation to focus on STEAM, short-term 4-H projects, health and nutrition and virtual programming with a goal of reaching over 300 youth for the summer. Staff will work with both Ada County and Expo Idaho to determine the best way to still honor and celebrate 4-H youth during the Western Idaho Fair while maintaining precautions for COVID-19.

National 4-H Week and 4-H Open House will be held again this fall. Next spring the new Idaho Outdoor Quest event will be held with several outdoors-focused community partners.

A 4-H Soccer for Success program in tandem with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and local community partners will be launched in the near future.

The UI Extension Ada County Master Gardener and Advanced Master Gardener programs went into online classes this year for the first time. In addition to the transition to virtual classes, the Advanced Master Gardeners all agreed to call some of the new first year Master Gardeners to cheer them during the COVID-19 quarantine. This phone tree project received positive feedback from the first year Master Gardeners with many new friendships made.

Agenbroad will continue to assist farmers markets across the Treasure Valley with resources such as the Adapting Farmers Markets webinar. This webinar taught farmers markets how they can adapt to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines so that they could still operate this summer. She will continue to help farmers markets adapt and innovate throughout the year.