Summer Internship Program: Goochland County

Primary Program Area Focus: 4-H and ANR

1. Describe the plans for this internship.  (I.e. what specifically will the intern are doing?)

The internship in Goochland County will cover the 4-H, Horticulture, and ANR program areas.  They will spend roughly 60% of their time on Horticulture and ANR assignments, and 40% on 4-H assignments.  With respect to 4-H, intern tasks will be largely confined to the planning and execution of camp.  The intern will complete administrative tasks, assist in the training of teen counselors, attend camp, and, if they wish, lead a class.

There will be some overlap in the intern’s duties with regard to Horticulture and ANR.  The intern will assist with the Smart Lawns Program, including measuring and mapping the lawn, rendering the map digitally, taking soil samples, and writing reports.  The intern will accompany the Horticulture Program Associate and the ANR Agent on other site visits as needed to take samples and assists in pest and disease identification.  The intern will also help process samples in the lab.

The intern will attend programs and meetings, such as the Beef 360 Discussion Group, Rassawek’s Spring Jubilee, Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardener Association Board meetings, Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District Board meetings, and Farm Bureau Board meetings.  The intern will also help in planning, advertising, and evaluating programs, especially in the lead up to Goochland’s fall programming (Agricultural Fair, and Virginia Household Water Quality Program’s Well-Water Clinic.

Finally, the intern will assist in evaluating impacts for long-running office programs, such as the Well-Water Clinic.        

2. Describe the knowledge / skills that the intern is expected to gain from this experience.

At the end of the internship, we expect the intern to be comfortable designing and executing a program (for youth or adults), to be familiar with the procedures for taking different kinds of samples and giving recommendations, and to understand all of the ways that VCE executes its mission in the county (camps, clubs, programs, one-on-one instruction, relationships with other organizations).  The intern will also have the opportunity to learn Edraw Max or a similar program, and to practice skills such as writing and public speaking.  The intern will also gain knowledge about the process of monitoring and evaluating programs, and how this relates to the program cycle.           

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

The intern will have direct experience working with 4-H, Horticulture, and ANR programs.  They will also learn about the broad reach of VCE not just in content area, but in community engagement—who our clients are and how we reach them.  Because the Goochland Unit collaborates with other counties on a number of programs, the intern will also be exposed to the similarities and difference between units.