Summer Internship Program: Bedford County

Primary Program Area Focus: 4-H, ANR, and FCS

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

Bedford County Extension staff will provide opportunities for our intern to experience all facets of Extension work.  The intern will work with agents in promoting and expanding programming identified in the situational analysis, including healthy lifestyles, entrepreneurship, workforce preparation skills, agricultural sustainability, and water quality.  The intern will research, plan, and implement at least one 4-H day camp and participate in several learning opportunities/programs. 

Some of the programs that the intern will have the opportunity to work with are: 

• Junior 4-H Camp – Intern will participate in preparation and planning for the junior 4-H camp week at Skelton 4-H Center.  Intern will be afforded the opportunity to teach a class.  

• 4-H Day Camp – These are summer day camps in the Bedford County 4-H Program and provide new opportunity for youth participants.  The camp will be planned, and presented by the intern with guidance from the 4-H agent. 

• Family Consumer Sciences programming – The intern will participate and assist the FCS agent with an emphasis on nutrition, wellness and food safety/preservation.  Potential programming sites include demonstrations at Farmer’s Markets and participation in local community sponsored events.

• ANR programming – Intern will shadow field work with the ANR Agent learning public relation skills, the process of problem solving, and relationship building.

• Other – As the internship progresses and new ideas or intern’s interests surface other projects may be included in the plan of work.

   

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

Intern will gain skills and knowledge in leadership, teamwork, decision making, planning, organizing, communication, cooperation, speaking to diverse groups, problem solving, interpersonal skills, and creative thinking.

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

The intern will experience the breadth of VCE and what we do by spending time in the office answering questions, planning programs, working with clientele, shadowing agents, and being immersed in the summer VCE schedule. A written report will be completed by intern at the conclusion of internship period covering their experiences, knowledge gained, and skills enhanced.  Also, an indication will be sought as it relates to career path and whether as a result of this internship, the individual may be more interested in exploring a career with VCE.  Unit staff will be asked to prepare a written evaluation of the overall summer internship experience, to include the value of the program to the intern as well as the unit, and suggestions for improvement for future summer internship experiences.