Staff and volunteers at Virginia Cooperative Extension put on a showcase of the year gone by and plans for the future last week.
From healthier meals to more energy-efficient living, those serving Arlington out of the Fairlington Community Center shared their experience helping thousands of local residents this year and every year.
“We as individuals can do so much — that’s what our volunteers try to emphasize,” said William Campbell, a coordinator with EcoAmbassadors. “If you do your part, that’s all we can ask.”
The Dec. 5 event went on as scheduled and drew a healthy crowd despite the morning’s snow.
Perhaps the most well-known Cooperative Extension initiative is oversight of Virginia’s 4-H program for youth. Though more associated with rural areas, the 4-H program in Arlington offers a wide array of programs from science and technology to culinary arts and beekeeping.
“It’s project-based learning. They learn by doing,” said the Cooperative Extension’s Deborah Madden, who leads 4-H at the local level.
For the coming year, “we want to do a little more outdoor education,” Madden said. “It improves mental health and well-being among youth.”
Another staff member, Haregowoin Tecklu, focuses on food and nutrition programs. Like other offerings, they draw on research-based curricula from public university or federal government sources.
Tecklu said all ages can benefit from new information on health and nutrition. Currently, “our senior program is very popular,” she said.
Food programs, Master Financial Volunteers and EcoAmbassadors (formerly Energy Masters) fall under the organization’s family and consumer sciences division. In Arlington, it is headed by Aisha Salazar.
In Virginia, the Cooperative Extension is a statewide initiative jointly managed by Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. In Arlington, it relies on “dedicated agents and several hundred trained volunteers,” said William Ross of the Extension Leadership Council.
The leadership group provided support and advocacy, and in the coming year, “we’ll continue to help you support the community,” Ross told those in attendance.
In her remarks about 4-H, Madden noted with approval that the local program was dispelling the myth that adult males don’t want to volunteer with children.
“I am blessed: 50% of my volunteers are men,” she said. “Maybe I have charms I don’t know about.”
The Dec. 5 event also was an opportunity for leaders of the program to thank the Arlington County government for its support across a wide range of departments.
Ross said partners include the Department of Parks and Recreation; Department of Human Services; Department of Environmental Services; Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development; the library system; and the school system.
Among its other partnerships, Cooperative Extension teams up with the nonprofit Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia on a series of outreach and education efforts throughout the year.
