Summer Internship Program: Dickenson

Primary Program Area Focus: 4-H, Jr. MANRRS

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

This internship located at the Dickenson County unit will provide a great overview of Virginia Cooperative Extension programming, with special focus on 4-H youth development. The intern will primarily work under the direction of the 4-H Extension Agent, but will also gain experience in the ANR and FCS program as programs/duties arise.

In addition to learning all about 4-H programming and youth development, a special project for this 4-H internship will be to serve as a mentor to underserved middle and high school youth.   The goal  is to encourage students in grades 7–12 to attend college and pursue agriculture, natural resources, and environmental sciences degrees. The mission of the program is to provide  activities to help students discover firsthand how agriculture, engineering, and technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development, and teamwork.

Duties of the intern will include, but are not  limited to:

• Using skills learned from college courses and related experiences to plan a 4-H day camp or enrichment program for local youth.
• Research and lay the groundwork for creating experiential learning for pre-college initiative 4-H program in Dickenson County using skills learned from college courses and related experiences.
• Seek community partnerships and adult volunteers to assist in the program activities, workshops, and fieldtrips. 
• Establishing ground work for a JRMANRRS chapter at Ridgeview High School
• Marketing assistance - creating promotional items for upcoming programs.
• 4-H Junior Summer Camp – July 15 – July 19, 2024
  * Assist in planning camp activities – class schedules, room lists, etc
  * Prepare pre-camp paperwork and assist in camp logistics
  * Plan and assist teen and adult counselor trainings and maintain     required training records
  * Supervise campers and teen counselors while at camp
  * Assist with teen camp trainings
•     * Develop curriculum and possibly teach a class at camp
• Assisting in summer enrichment programming held at the local public schools
• Attending and/or shadowing and supporting the ANR Agent on farm visits and/or ANR programming during the internship timeframe.
• Learning VCE structure and resources in order to guide clients to the proper available programming, agents, and publications
• Learning the basics of an office environment including proper etiquette, presentation, and teamwork skills in order to succeed in future endeavors.
• Covering the office when other Extension staff are out of office.

The intern will also provide administrative support to the Dickenson County unit, manage the website and social media accounts, develop marketing tools, and collaborate with community partners and volunteers.

2. Describe the knowledge / skills you expect the intern to gain from this experience.  The intern will work closely with the 4-H Agent, Extension staff, and Community Partners in Dickenson County  to gain knowledge/skills 

•  Enhanced knowledge of Virginia Cooperative Extension programming and 4-H Youth Development.
• Gain experience working with underserved, underrepresented and diverse audiences
• Engage in different types of 4-H activities from summer day camps, overnight camping, club meetings, in-school facilitation, and after-school enrichment
• Develop youth behavior management, supervision and leadership skills
• Gain hands-on instruction experience with youth ages 5-18 in various settings
• Build knowledge and confidence in working with youth and adults through community partnerships
• Enhance communication skills, as this position requires a significant amount of verbal and written communication, promotional activities, and face-to-face contacts.
• Computer skills (i.e. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, Canva, Social Media)
• Work with agents in all VCE program areas of ANR, FCS and 4-H as requested
• Learn the importance of scheduling and efficient use of time and resources for program management

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

The primary goal of the VCE internship is to ensure that the intern learns about and understands the breadth of Virginia Cooperative Extension programming. To ensure the intern in Dickenson County is learning all that VCE has to offer, the intern will participate in monthly staff meetings and attend other important Extension meetings that arise to learn about all components of VCE. The intern will have the opportunity to experience the various delivery modes of Extension programming during their internship. This will be a hands-on internship in which the intern will learn how to research, plan, prepare, implement and evaluate their own 4-H youth program in a program area of their choice. The intern will learn about the history, mission and goals of Extension, as well as the connection between Extension and the two land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. The intern will primarily work with the 4-H Agent in youth development programs for underserved audiences and minority youth, however he/she will also have the opportunity to participate in related ANR and FCS programs as they arise.