While I was at the Senior Center in Fairfield last week teaching a class with Brent Roeder on frauds and scams, a woman mentioned how much she enjoyed reading the Extension articles in the newspapers. I admitted that I have been absent from newsprint recently, which she had noticed. I felt it would be worthwhile to do an update on the family consumer science side of MSU Extension in Teton County. After the full 4-H summer season of educational events, I took a few days off in early August, but did write a grant application during that time. I am excited to announce that we received a $10,000 grant from 3 Rivers and CoBank. About the same time I received word that the grant application I wrote for Montana Financial Education Coalition was funded at $750. Both of these grants were written to further efforts primarily in financial education from preschool age through the lifespan. We will be purchasing a traveling iPad lab to enhance the student learning experience. The traveling technology lab will be used by Extension throughout the region.
In August, I was invited to teach teamwork lessons for the Shelby School faculty and staff, and the Choteau volleyball team graciously let me practice the team building activities with them first. I had the pleasure of teaching the Real Colors™ personality inventory for the Dutton-Brady faculty. The class helps participants decipher their natural strengths, but also look for ways to appreciate and communicate with those who have very different strengths and approaches. The class improves relationships. The faculty will use the information to create classroom lessons for various personality strengths.
This past year, I have been involved in mental health training and attended the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) training in Conrad and Youth Mental Health First Aid classes in Shelby. I have been working with Mark Schure from MSU on the Thrive program. Shure was in Teton County to hold two focus groups on the potential benefit of online cognitive behavior therapy for rural communities. Sandy Bailey, MSU Extension Family and Human Development Specialist, is part of a team at MSU who has received a sizable grant to further work in mental health in Montana. I look forward to learning the next steps at MSU Extension Annual Conference in Bozeman and to bringing the information to Teton County.
September was a very full and productive month. Montana hosted the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Science conference at Big Sky. I chaired the promotional committee. More than 700 colleagues from across the nation attended. Planning the conference was nearly a two-year effort. I applied and was selected to teach a four-hour session on the Art of Science and how to use science concepts to enhance FCS, 4-H and youth development programs. My colleague, Roubie Younkin, and I were selected for a Showcase of Excellence session with Operation Concession Intervention and connected with more than 200 colleagues during that session. I also taught Assistive Devices during one of the concurrent sessions. You may be asking, “What difference does that make to our county?” It allows the Extension work being done in Teton County to be shared on a national platform. Hosting the event was an opportunity for the FCS Extension professionals in Montana to build even closer relationships, which really help as we share educational programs across the state. During the conference I was able to attend sessions and bring back ideas for more educational programming in Teton County. For years, I have been using classes and materials from my Extension colleagues across the nation to teach in Teton County. It was great to meet the people behind the research and lesson plans, as well as be able to share knowledge from our county.
On the heels of the NEAFCS conference, I attended training Helena on Chronic Disease Management. Glenn Deuchler, from Teton County Public Health, Betty Deuchler, volunteer, and I are preparing for the third session in a six-part series for people in Teton County to learn management tools to assist as they cope with a chronic disease or condition. A total of XX people are attending this first series. In September, Glenn Deuchler and I also continued our research with Cornell and MSU Extension through the Strong Hearts program. The program is a National Institute of Health funded research project on cardiac disease prevention for rural women. MSU Extension in Teton County is starting into the third year with this research project.
Teton County 4-H was one of six counties responsible for hosting the Montana 4-H State Leadership Forum in September. Our county handled registration, budget and finance, and evaluation. The office staff was integral in preparing for this event that trained 170 4-H volunteers and members. Seven Teton County volunteers and members attended the event in Lewistown. Watson Snyder represented Teton County in his position as State 4-H Ambassador President. While at the leadership forum, my colleague, Alice Burchak, Toole County, and I were able to unveil the 4-H communication curriculum we have been working on for nearly a year. Other Extension colleagues joined the team and have created additional lessons for youth in the public speaking and communications area. I am very excited to get the new curriculum in the hands of 4-H volunteers and members in Teton County and that it will be used across the state.
In October, I have been teaching a variety of classes in Teton County including the chronic disease management class, hand-washing and germ reduction at preschools, fraud and scam protection as Senior Centers and the recent Babysitter Boot Camp where twelve area youth received six hours of instruction. We have had our planning meetings for 4-H for the year and are working on the teen leadership program. The 4-H Food Drive in Choteau was last week and brought in nearly 1700 pounds of food and close to $500 in donations for the Teton County Food Pantry. A team of 4-H youth plans the event each year and gains leadership skills coordinating the event. Brent Roeder, Ag Agent, and Susan Antonsen, 4-H volunteer, chaperoned six Teton County 4-H youth at the Ambassador Fall Training in Bozeman last weekend. Research shows that the youth who learn leadership skills through 4-H apply those skills when they become adults serving in a variety of capacities in their communities.
I am looking forward to a new line up of classes in November including Strong People, Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Cooking in the Slow Lane.
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