Summer Internship Program: Hanover County

Primary Program Area Focus:   ANR, 4-H

1. Describe your plans for this internship.  (i.e. What specifically will the intern be doing?) 

With over 100,000 people within a predominantly rural county, Hanover County provides diversity agriculturally and culturally. Agricultural commodities range from grain crops to vegetable wholesalers to 5 acre niche farms. The 4-H clubs range from livestock to shooting sports clubs. Needless to say, a Hanover intern will leave this internship being well rounded in the Agricultural (AG) and 4-H Extension program areas. While developing with the Agricultural Agent, the intern will help with planning, implementation, and evaluation of several programs including a Jam’n Jam which is a joint 4-H and AG program where youth are taken out to a local berry farm to learn about farm production and marketing. The campers will pick berries and then make their own jam and sauce for ice cream. The intern will also help with a well water clinic which helps Hanover citizens check their drinking water for contaminates and educates participants how to resolve any problems. Other programs that the intern will be involved in are a gleaning program, small fruit variety trial, beginning farmer program, local foods program, pesticide programs, pest monitoring and identification, home horticultural programs, and conservation education.

To learn about 4-H programing, the intern will assist with teen leader trainings, supervise development of courses to be taught by teen leaders, coordinate adult volunteer, attend the week-long camp July 17-21. The intern will also work with the administrative assistant to become familiar with civil rights compliance, extension fund management, communications, and risk management.

2. Describe the knowledge / skills you expect the intern to gain from this experience.

The summer intern will develop an understanding of Virginia Cooperative Extension and how local agents impact local communities. The intern will gain knowledge of assessing the community’s needs and how to implement an educational program to meet those needs. Through being an integral part of the Jam’n Jam and other programs, the intern will learn about program development, implementation and evaluation.  The intern will become proficient in troubleshooting commercial and horticultural crops using researched based information, appropriate guides, diagnostic tests and working with specialists. Towards the end of the summer, the intern will be able to give their own educational presentations to different audiences. Through working with youth, the intern will cultivate an understanding of hands on activities to promote positive development. Specifically, the intern will help train teens, coordinate adult volunteers, and attend 4-H summer camp. There are both 4-H and Master Gardener Volunteers in Hanover. The intern will learn effective volunteer management practices and organization. Because of the integrated programing and diverse population in Hanover, the intern will interact with diverse audiences and learn the importance of civil rights compliance to the mission of Extension.

3. How will the intern learn about the breadth of VCE and our various program areas?

The successful candidate will be exposed to various Agricultural, Horticultural, and 4-H program areas. There will be the added exposure to volunteer management and food preservation. With the diversity of the county’s needs, the intern will work with community organizations, local producers, and specialists to become well-rounded. During the summer, there will be opportunities for professional development and exposure to other Extension programs throughout the state.