Summer Internship Program: Charlotte County

Primary Program Area Focus: 4-H

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

Charlotte 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 recycling and the environment, and entrepreneurship, career, and workforce preparation skills.  The intern will work with STEM and digital literacy programming and workshops thru the grant partnership with Microsoft and National 4-H Council on Tech Changemakers and Digital Ambassadors. The intern will research, plan, and implement at least one day camp and several learning opportunities/programs.

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

1. Environmental Field School – This program is a joint effort of Virginia Cooperative Extension and 3 Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  Fifth and sixth grade youth from 5 counties have the opportunity to apply to attend the school for a week in June. The youth learn about agriculture, environmental, and natural resource issues in hands-on activities and presentations. The intern will be active supervising, leading, presenting workshops, and working with youth in small group settings.
2. Master Gardeners – The intern will have the opportunity to work with the Master Gardener program in Charlotte County.  Master Gardeners have a garden at the library, plantings at Red Hill, and an Herb Garden at the Extension Office which is overseen by extension staff.  
3. Camp Funtastic – This week long summer day camp is part of the 4-H program in Charlotte County and provides new opportunities for youth participants.  The intern will take the lead in the planning and implementation of this camp.
4. Junior 4-H Camp – Intern will participate in managing, teaching, and overseeing the junior 4-H camp week at Holiday Lake. Intern will be afforded the opportunity to teach a class and/or AAP.  
5. Horticulture, Water, Livestock, etc. – Intern may shadow field work with the ANR Agent learning public relation skills, how-to’s of field work, and best practices to keep clientele happy.
6. 4-H Club Presentations – Our intern will have the opportunity to plan and present programs to/at livestock, horse, and Changemakers meetings with a focus on interns experience or expertise where possible.
7. 4-H Day Camps - These are summer day camps in the Charlotte County 4-H Program and provide new opportunity for youth participants.  The camps are planned, and presented by trained 4-H teens, adults, 4-H agent and/or intern - intern will help in implementation and camper supervision.
8. Other – As the internship progresses and new ideas or interns 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. Please refer back to question 1 answers for expansion.