Summer Internship Program: James City County

Primary Program Area Focus: 4-H

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

Our internship offers an immersive experience in community-based education with a primary emphasis on summer 4-H Youth Development programming.  The intern will assist with 4-H camp coordination, support teen counselor training and help supervise youth leadership and service-learning opportunities.  Responsibilities may include limited evening, overnight, and weekend programming, providing a realistic view of youth development work within Extension.  The intern will interact with multiple delivery modes of 4-H programming, including youth and volunteers in community clubs, project clubs, and special interest clubs.  Additional duties include collaborating with local partners, supporting program promotion and outreach, attending staff and stakeholder meetings as needed with the Agent, and assisting with administrative and preparatory tasks necessary for successful summer programmng.  Opportunities will be provided for the intern to teach, present or co-lead youth activities under supervision and will support understanding of Extension policies, program goals and best practices.  Extended engagement with trusted community partners, such as Parks & Recreation, will further highlight he importance of partnership development, public service, and collaborative program delivery.

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

This internship is structured to support the development of practical and transferable skills relevant to careers in youth developement, education, nonprofit work, and public service.  The intern is expected to gain experience and exposure to 4-H positive youth develoment, youth and adult volunteer supervision and behavior management, and needs-based program planning.  Addditional learning outcomes include collecting impact through program evaluatoin, professional communication, leadership develoment, and collaborative teamwork.  Exposure to Extension's research-based educatoinal model will strengthen understanding of how our work is translated into meaningful community programs.

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

The James City County VCE office includes a 4-H Youth Development Agent, an Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent serving both James City and New Kent Counties, a Family Focus Coordinator, Site Coordinator and Parent Educator for Family Focus, and a Unit Administrative and Fiscal Assistant.  Alongside 4-H, the office would be able to provide intentional exposure to all three major VCE program areas:  4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Agriculture and Natural Recources.

The collaborative nature of a smaller office allows staff across program areas to activley involve the itnern in diverse Extension efforts.  The intern will learn about program development and the Extension Programming Process.  This experience demonsatrates how Extension identifies community needs, aligns  programming to those needs, and works with volunteers and partners to deliver impactful, research-based education.

Relationship-building with community organizations and county-based partners will further illustrate how Extension programming is strengthened through collaboration and shared investment.