K-State Research and Extension

The 4-H Military Partnership Project received one of two Excellence in Engagement Awards at Kansas State University at an All-University Awards ceremony on May 1st.  This award recognizes faculty initiatives that demonstrate innovative and/or sustained efforts in university/community engagement positively impacting both university and community partners.  We were also asked to submit to the regional W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award and the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award.  The application has been submitted and we’ll know about the regional award by May 31.  If we receive the regional award, a 2 minute video will be produced over the summer and the national winner is selected in the fall.

All of the work in putting these award applications together lead me on a path of looking back over the many years of the partnership and so I thought I’d share some of the history with you since many of you have joined the project in more recent years.  Your acceptance and embracing of this military work for youth has always inspired me.  When new Liaisons would come to their first 4-H Military Partnership meeting, there was sometimes a deer in the headlights look but before long that turned into passion for working with military youth and connecting with our engaged community of military liaisons.  I’ll try not to bore you but just give some of the highlights along the way and share some of the information I included in the award application.

Continue reading “Sharing Our History of an Engaged Partnership” →

Below are the brief comments regarding the 2017 4-H Military Partnership Meeting.

Workshops – The workshops received lots of positive feedback from attendees. The Navy Child and Youth program attendees were pleased and appreciative of the information provided and how it applies to what they do day-to-day at their centers.

Share Fair – Well received. The allotted time was sufficient and the space provided an opportunity to have close conversations. There were mixed reviews on giving away door prizes.

Lightning Talks – Well received and everyone still enjoys this format. Suggested that perhaps in the future there be a format change to include videos or Prezi formats. The time of five minutes is plenty of time.

Speakers – Keynote Speaker, Dr. Douglas Steele, was great. He personalized his keynote presentation and his keynote was referred back to many times. The substance was well crafted and intentional no matter what the audience background. The Capnote Speaker, Brent Edwards, did a great job. He provided a way to tie the 4-H Military Partnerships and the Navy Child and Youth Programs together and help provide focus for all. Ending with a group picture was a nice touch. It is always good to hear the youth talk about their experiences and impact that 4-H has made on their lives.

Logistics – The hotel location, food, and proximity of the meeting rooms to the general session room were great. Registration went smoothly.

If you have any suggestions for future Military Partnership Meetings, let Michelle (mperez@ksu.edu) know.

Thank you for attending the 2017 4-H Military Partnerships Meeting. This year’s meeting was one of the best. The workshops offered the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons and Navy Child and Youth Program staff a wealth of information to take home and use in their own programs.

Thank you to the Planning Committee for their diligence during the planning and execution of the meeting.

The evaluation for the 4-H Military Partnership Meeting was emailed to all participants. If you did not receive the email, please use the link below to leave feedback https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ea0Ku6lUsSCIlgx.

Watch the 4-H Military Partnership website, Liaison Page, for links to the keynote presentation, workshop presentations, and other meeting resources.

Mid-Year Report Due Date

You should have received an email from Carol with the reporting forms for the mid-year report. If you have not received the email, please email her immediately at cfink@ksu.edu to get the reporting information. The Mid-Year report is due June 30^th.

New Strategies

Several states are trying new strategies to gather information from local sites. We would be like to share those successes/inspirations with the rest of the Extension 4-H Military Liaisons through this eNewsletter.

Please send your successes/inspirations to Carol Fink at cfink@ksu.edu or Michelle Perez at mperez@ksu.edu.