OSU Extension

On Tuesday our class went to the Athens County Health Department and heard from Brittany and Joyce. Brittany is the 4H program assistant and she spoke about the 4H program as well as her internship at Disney. Brittney talked about the history of 4H which used to be for only farm children, but has broadened into a program for youth development. 4H gives the children a hands on learning experience, and there are many different avenues available. The 4 Hs stand for head, hand, health, and heart. The program is funded by county commissioners, membership fees, fundraising, and OSU benefits. I was surprised at how many activities are available through the 4H program like agriculture, sewing, and photography. Children are able to interact with each other while partaking in fun educational programs and events.

Joyce spoke more about the OSU extension history and events. Their mission is engaging people to strengthen their lives and communities through research-based educational programming. There are four program areas including agriculture and natural resources, community development, 4-H youth development, and family and consumer science. She talked mostly about the family and consumer sciences area that focuses on healthy families, healthy relationships, and healthy finances. We did an activity about managing finances, which helped demonstrate that small purchases every day can add up over time. She also gave us advice on internships and job opportunities through the health department and OSU extension. There is a role for nutrition professionals in extension that i hadn't previously heard about.