Secretary of Education’s Report

Edwin Jones

Edwin Jones, director, Virginia Cooperative Extension

We have just received the Secretary of Education’s report regarding Virginia Cooperative Extension and appreciate all the work the Secretary and her staff have put into the study.  I am grateful to all the people of Virginia who cared enough about VCE and took the time to provide input for the study. Over the next few days, we will review the report and determine what follow up and action are needed to respond to the Secretary’s recommendations.

If you wish to review the report, it has been posted to the VCE website.

Specific questions regarding the report can be submitted online. We will post questions and responses on this site’s Frequently Asked Questions page.

Warmest regards,
Edwin Jones
Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension

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Virginia 4-H kids have been tackling some tough topics

Young man with video cameraLast month Music Biz 4-H Club members from Prince George, Va., released a video examining the issue of teen pregnancy and motherhood, and how important it is for students to “Just Wait.” It tells the story of a teenage girl who had baby while still in high school and how that decision impacted her life. The video was completely created by the students, from the script to the music and camerawork.

Taizhe’ Parson, who wrote the script and stars in the video, said she was glad she had the chance to create something with such a positive impact.

“Things like this shouldn’t be taken lightly,” Parson said. “I’m just glad that I could be the one to actually share a story that I could relate to. It wasn’t acting, it was life.”

The project also allowed the students to showcase their musical abilities. All of the music in the video, with the exception of “Jingle Bells,” was composed and performed by the students. Even “Jingle Bells,” was performed and recorded by students participating in the project. Music Biz Club members wrote “Just Wait,” the last song on the video.

The students worked with several people and groups to complete the project, including Virginia Cooperative Extension agents and Virginia 4-H specialist Kathleen Jamison. From start to finish, the video took about seven weeks for the students to complete.

Watch the video here.

 

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Master Food Volunteers Provide Nutrition Education

Master Food Volunteer Program Graduates

Twenty-four participants completed their training for the Master Food Volunteer Program from the New River Valley and the Roanoke Valley on Tuesday, November 1, at Crockett Springs United Methodist Church.

Virginia Cooperative Extension recently graduated 24 new volunteers from the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley from its Master Food Volunteer Program.  These enthusiastic volunteers will help educate citizens about the importance of good nutrition.

The “master volunteer” concept has been successfully used for many years by the Virginia Master Gardener program. By using a similar approach – training volunteers who then pass along the education to the public – the Master Food Volunteer program teaches citizens about nutrition and healthy eating.

Volunteers pay a small fee to undergo 30 hours of training over the course of four weeks where they learn about basic nutrition, meal planning, cooking techniques, food safety, and how to work with diverse audiences. At the completion of the training, the volunteers pledge to give back at least 30 hours of service to their communities by teaching others.

After successful completion of the training program, volunteers are able to select the venues at which they will share their newfound expertise. “Our volunteers can choose from a variety opportunities to assist with nutrition and food education. Some may go into the school system and teach youth about eating healthy. Others may do demonstrations of safe preparation and storage of local foods at farmer’s markets around the region. Or, they can choose to do health fairs, in which case they would maintain an educational exhibit with nutritional information set up to help the public. The opportunities are endless,” says Melissa Chase, state coordinator, VCE Master Food Volunteer Program.

For more information about the Master Food Volunteer Program visit, www.fcs.ext.vt.edu/fnh/mfv/index.html or contact Melissa Chase.

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