OSU Extension gets by with a little help from its friends
Holmes County OSU Extension intern Gage Harris works with some youth at the Kids in the Kitchen with educator Kate Shumaker.
Every summer the Holmes County OSU Extension Office is inundated with a list of learning opportunities it extends to Holmes County youth, a list that culminates with the Holmes County Fair.
During that span of several months, the extension office is slammed, so they welcome new help into the office for the summer intern program.
This year is no exception, and two new young adults have joined the ranks to help fulfill some of the duties that make all of the summer programs enjoyable and educational for youth.
Darian Brooks and Gage Harris have joined the extension office staff for the summer and have already dove into helping wherever they can. Janessa Hill, Holmes County OSU Extension educator, said the two were put to work the first day they arrived and have shown vigor in working nonstop since.
“We are lucky that we have amazing funding from our commissioners that helps us to help hire interns for the summer,” Hill said. “We go through an application process and put it out through Ohio State University and post it publicly. We run through the applicants and interview, and our office feels that we interview for best fit for us and for them. We want to make sure it’s a positive experience.”
Hill said as soon as Brooks and Harris came on board, the team hit the ground running, having them learn by trial by fire.
“They have to be very adaptable kids, quick on their feet,” Hill said. “They also have to be well rounded because they may have to switch gears four or five times a day, just like we have to.”
The two introduced themselves to the Holmes County commissioners on Monday, July 19 and touched on their experience and their joy in joining the Holmes County extension team.
Harris hails from Belmont County, having recently graduated from OSU Agricultural Technical Institute with an associate degree in agriscience education. He said joining the Holmes County team was exciting.
“4-H helped me as a person in more ways than one from the nine years I have been involved with my club. I have always loved helping my own extension, and I love to see the kids’ happy faces when it comes to any program run through the extension or fair. My dream is to give back to the program that has given me so much and to be the role model that I had. This job was the best way for me to be a part of extension,” Harris said.
Brooks hails from Norwalk and currently holds an associate degree in animal science form OSU ATI. She said of her experience, “I have always been very involved with the extension office in my county, and I have loved every second of it. Now that I am pursuing my master’s degree in agricultural communications and leadership, I wanted an internship different than the animal science and meat science-based ones I’ve done. I have enjoyed being able to educate the community and make a difference in the youths’ current and future lives.”
The summer started with the Integrated Pest Management event, moved on to Kids in the Kitchen with educator Kate Shumaker, and then moved into the Cloverbud Training Camp and the Holmes County Life Skills and Livestock Judging.
It has been a whirlwind introduction into the world of extension agriculture work, and the two have been loving every moment of it and are eager to continue to learn and grow.
“I have really enjoyed this community,” Brooks said, noting the many differences between Norwalk and Amish Country. “It has been neat experiencing the Amish population in Holmes County.”
The pair also has been heavily involved with technological changes in the department including operating internet-safety courses at Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Walnut Hills Retirement Community, and they have been working on a variety of social-media items for the extension office.
In addition, the two connected through an Integrated Pest Management program with the Wayne County extension office, and Harris said of the experience, “It was a great opportunity to not only meet the people of Wayne County to develop connections, but Frank Becker, the integrated pest management coordinator at Wayne County, was incredibly helpful in allowing us to see another side of extension.”
The intern experience has been a valuable one that has capably served both the interns and the extension office staff. The program has proven to be advantageous in the growth of everyone involved.