Posts Tagged: Youth

ANR to seek alternate funding for 4-H shooting sports

Many of you may have seen the article that was published last Friday in the Sacramento Bee: “This Sacramento-area school district gets more NRA money than any other in the U.S.” It reported that several local school districts and the University of California system received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the National Rifle Association between 2010 and 2016. UCOP spokeswoman Dianne Klein was interviewed and explained that UC ANR runs the statewide 4-H youth development program and that the NRA grants went to 4-H shooting clubs. "Going forward, ANR will not apply for any such grants from the NRA Foundation," Klein said.

We have received many questions concerning this article and the position that UC has taken. Although I was unavailable to give an official UC ANR comment that day, we had already begun looking into this situation and were developing a similar message. The challenge for ANR is that this is a very polarizing issue and there is no position we can take that will satisfy everyone. We have stakeholders who passionately believe 4-H should not offer the Shooting Sports program at all while others feel that we are questioning their support for gun ownership if we discontinue accepting funds from the NRA. There are many perspectives on this challenging issue; ANR will do our best to serve most of our stakeholders while not yielding to societal pressures at either extreme.

The 4-H Shooting Sports program is popular among 4-H families and based on a National 4-H curriculum that provides instruction in the safe handling of firearms and archery equipment, develops self-confidence and leadership skills in 4-H participants, and instills appreciation for conservation and outdoor recreation. Youth have opportunities to compete in state and national meets and strive to qualify for Olympic teams. We have had 4-H youth in California earn college scholarships in the shooting sports.

As with all 4-H programs, the Shooting Sports program relies on adult volunteers who are trained in positive youth development and to deliver curriculum developed by academics. Furthermore:

• 4-H Shooting Sports programs are offered in most UCCE county programs, with more than 4,000 youths enrolled in California.
• ANR Risk & Safety Services has participated in the development and implementation of the 4-H Shooting Sports policies, procedures and specific safety protocols; and monitors compliance with UC ANR Firearms Policy & Procedures in an ongoing basis.
• Disciplines include archery, muzzle loading, air pistol, rifle and shotgun along with hunting and outdoor skills.
• 4-H Shooting Sports programs do not involve or endorse assault style weapons and do not use any humanoid targets or images.

As one of the nation's largest youth development programs, Cooperative Extension stands behind the integrity of our research-based programs that produce hands-on learning in science, health and well-being and civic engagement. 4-H does not endorse or oppose any legislation or political stance.

Having said that, there are times when we must demonstrate our values. UC has done that previously by divesting to end apartheid and refusing to accept funds from tobacco sales. Our decision to not pursue NRA funding for youth programs has nothing to do with the Second Amendment or opinions on best ways to ensure child safety. We are parting ways with the NRA now because they have become a polarizing, divisive force across the US and their recent treatment of young adults does not align with 4-H values on civic engagement.

UC ANR will continue to support our 4-H Shooting Sports program while also joining with the many sporting goods stores, corporations, and school systems that are rejecting ties to the NRA. We hope that you will work with us to use this as a teachable moment on public discourse and the responsibilities of major institutions to take a stand on behalf of their values. We will need your support to develop alternate funding moving forward, while also helping to promote civil dialogue on a challenging issue.

Sincerely,

Glenda Humiston
vice president

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages 

Dairy and food safety, pest management and youth development program teams to meet in June

Three program teams and the associated workgroups will be meeting in June in Davis. Registration is open for the Pest Management, Dairy Production and Food Safety, and Positive Youth Development program team meetings.

Pest Management 

June 6-7

UC ANR Building, Davis, CA

Workgroup meeting times:
June 6, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Pesticide Use Reporting Workgroup, San Joaquin Valley (view agenda)
June 6, 1-4 p.m.: Integrated Management of Soilborne Pests Workgroup, San Joaquin Valley (view agenda)
June 7, 1-3 p.m.: Plant Pathology Workgroup, San Joaquin Valley (view agenda)
June 7, 1-5 p.m.: Entomology Workgroup, Coast Room (view agenda) 

Program contact: Andrew Sutherland

Website and Registration

Dairy Production and Food Safety

Thursday June 8, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

2154 Meyer Hall, UC Davis

Discussion topics include dairy production, heard health, forage production, nutrient management and more. See the full agenda at http://ucanr.edu/sites/programteams/June_8/Agenda_790.

Program contact: Deanne Meyer

Website and Registration

Positive Youth Development

June 19-22

UC ANR Building, Davis, CA

Workgroup meeting times:
June 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Diversity Workgroup, Sacramento Valley 
June 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Positive Youth Development through 4-H Camp Experience, Coast Room
June 21, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: Developing Volunteer Capacity Workgroup, Sacramento Valley
June 21, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Environmental Education Workgroup, Coast Room
June 22, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.: Money Talks Workgroup, Bay Room

Program contact: Fe Moncloa

Website and Registration

For questions about meeting logistics, contact the Program Support Unit at anrprogramsupport@ucanr.edu. For more information about Program Teams, visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/programteams.

     

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

Register for May and June UC ANR program team meetings

Register for May and June UC ANR program team meetings

Registration is open for the following program team meetings in May and June: Agronomic Crops, Pest Management and Positive Youth Development. Associated workgroups may also meet at the program team meetings. Registration links are below:

• May 12 – Agronomic Crops Program Team, UC ANR Building, Davis http://ucanr.edu/sites/programteams/May_12_Agronomic_PT_Meeting.
  Register at https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=20575

• June 6-7 – Pest Management Program Team, UC ANR Building, Davis http://ucanr.edu/sites/programteams/June_6-7_2017_Pest_Management.
  Register at https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=20565
  Workgroup meetings: Pesticide Use Reporting, Plant Pathology and Entomology

• June 19-21 – Positive Youth Development Program Team, UC ANR Building, Davis http://ucanr.edu/sites/programteams/June_19-22_Positive_Youth_Development_PT.  Register at https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=20566
  Workgroup meetings: Diversity, Developing Volunteer Capacity and Environmental Education

All program teams will have an opportunity to meet at the 2018 UC ANR Statewide Meeting, which will be held the week of April 8, 2018, in Ontario. Please mark your calendars.

The strategic initiative leaders and a planning committee are working with Sherry Cooper, director of the Program Support Unit, on an agenda that leaves time for program teams to meet in conjunction with the event. During fiscal year 2017-18, April 8-13 will be the time for program teams to meet. No additional funding will be provided to hold program team meetings between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, (FY18) other than during the statewide meeting the week of April 8-13, 2018.

In the coming months, Cooper will solicit program team requests for meeting rooms. If you have ideas for the statewide meeting, please share them with any of the strategic initiative leaders.

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

 

UC ANR to boost 4-H and MFP county support, better integrate YFC programs

The extended vacancy of the Youth, Families and Communities Director position (vacant 17 months) has given us time to consider program needs and how we, as a Division, can best meet those needs moving forward. After reflection, collecting recommendations from the respective Statewide Directors and gathering input from the broader ANR community, I have decided not to fill the YFC Director position. Interim Co-directors Shannon Horrillo and Katie Panarella have provided excellent leadership and afforded the Division an opportunity to invest the unused salary provision to further strengthen and support the YFC program. 

Funds designated for the YFC Director position will be reinvested into YFC programs to support growth and new opportunities. The statewide program directors identified program integration among 4-H Youth Development, Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences, Master Food Preserver and Master Gardener programs as a key priority. In support of their vision, we will hire a Program Integration Coordinator who will support efforts to integrate across programs and disciplines to maximize extension efforts and identify new multidisciplinary funding opportunities. This is consistent with the original intent of having a YFC program and a goal within the UC ANR strategic plan to better integrate and focus our efforts. The position will be released in the coming months with interviews anticipated in May.  

Subsequently, based on the directors' recommendations, we will invest in hiring a Master Food Preserver and Food Entrepreneurship Academic Coordinator. This position will bring together our existing work with home food preservation, cottage foods and innovation in agriculture to best address the food security needs of California and to pursue funding opportunities to implement programming. Additionally, we will hire a part-time 4hOnline Data System Administrator to centralize some 4hOnline administrative functions at the state level, reducing the administrative workload on 4-H county-based staff and increasing technical assistance and support.

We believe this plan will provide the needed support to position YFC for growth and to meet future needs. Shannon Horrillo will continue permanently as the Statewide 4-H Director and Katie Panarella as the Statewide Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences Director and Co-director of the Master Food Preserver Program. They will continue working in partnership with Missy Gable, the Statewide Master Gardener Director and Co-director of the Master Food Preserver Program to lead these high-priority ANR statewide programs and integration in ways that leverage their assets for greater collective impact.   

Best regards,

Wendy Powers
Associate Vice President

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

YFC Director position placed on hold

Following a search process, I have decided not to fill the Youth, Families and Communities (YFC) Director position at the present time. This decision did not come easily because we were successful in attracting a number of outstanding candidates, each of whom would bring different experiences and perspectives to the position.

Given the current search for a Vice Provost of Statewide Programs and Strategic Initiatives, with whom the YFC Director would work closely, coupled with our need (following Chris Greer's announcement yesterday) to recruit for a new Vice Provost for Cooperative Extension, and the strategic planning process that ANR has just begun, we have decided to take time to re-assess the needs of the YFC programs. Before moving forward, we want to be sure we are allocating resources such that programs can be best positioned to meet future needs. We do want to thank the search committee for their efforts in identifying strong candidates and for taking the time to see the process through.

For the time being, Shannon Horrillo, associate director of 4-H program and policy, and Katie Panerella, associate director of nutrition, family and consumer sciences program and policy, will continue to share the YFC Director duties, as they have for the last year. They have done a great job leading the programs and there is no reason at this time for that to change.

Best regards,

Wendy Powers

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

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