Staff members: From left, Pam Adams, 4-H program assistant; Genevieve Cable, senior aide; Amy Holder, administrative secretary; Linda Buchanan, family and consumer educator; Randy Collins association agricultural agent; and Teresa Garland, county Extension director.

Staff Cooperation:
CRD Newsletter - All agents contribute articles for a bi-yearly Community & Rural Development Newsletter.  Each year a different theme for the newsletter is determined by the entire staff with significant input from the Advisory Committee.  In 2006, the theme was family financial management. 

School Enrichment - All agents and support staff work together to provide educational programs for students at Robbinsville Elementary School.  In 2006, these programs agriculture, farm visits, nutrition, Appalachian Heritage, and embryology. The most outstanding example of this collaboration is farm visits with Kindergarten classes.  Classes participated in farm visits, planted pumpkins, had cooking and nutrition programs about pumpkins, and harvested pumpkins for their classrooms. Over fifty-percent of elementary students participated in Extension programs during the school year. 

Environmental Field Day - All seventh graders in the county participated in an environmental field day.  Four staff members collaborated with Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Conservation Service, US Forest Service, and school staff in this event to provide educational information on forestry and wildlife.

Fairs and Festivals

*All county staff members work together to provide educational activities for approximately 400 families during the Children’s Fair.  Information is provided about services available through NC Cooperative Extension, educational information and gift bags are distributed to parents, and children participate in hands-on learning activities.

*Staff members work to make the Country Fair and Harvest Festival a success by soliciting entries, obtaining judges, & providing the ribbons to winners.  Staff members also create an educational booth for the festival that markets Extension and provides research-based knowledge in all subject areas. 

*NC Cooperative Extension provides a booth during the Heritage Festival which is developed and manned by all staff members and by volunteers.  In addition to the booth, the AG agent and support staff work with volunteers to build a parade float that markets Extension to hundreds of citizens.

Leadership Development - Volunteers are a key component of successful Extension programming.  All staff members train and use volunteers to provide educational programs.  One of the greatest successes in 2006 was the collaboration with the local high school to begin a new service club.                  4-H’ers were the driving force in the development of the Crusaders Club.  Extension staff supported Crusader Club efforts in fundraising, a womanless beauty pageant, planting trees to honor teachers, and grant writing.

Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team (GREAT) - This citizen-based group works to assist in the economic development of the county.  Three Extension staff members serve on sub-committees that involve water quality, agriculture, natural resources, health care, and leadership development.  Additionally, Extension staff members were key players in the development of the committee’s Strategic Plan for Economic Development.  The plan will provide a foundation for future economic development and leadership efforts within the county.

Alternative Energy Workshop - All staff members collaborated with Duke Power to provide research-based information on alternative energy to Graham County citizens.  Topics included:  alternative energy sources, cost effectiveness of different types of alternative energy, resources for additional information, and energy conservation strategies.  The FCS Agent followed-up with educational programs on reducing energy costs in the home for seniors and community clubs.  Participants received energy kits compliments of a grant from the NC Save Energy Office.

Increasing Recreational Opportunities - Advisory Leaders identified the need to provide additional recreational opportunities for Graham County citizens.  As a result, staff members worked on this initiative in 2006.  Some of the county successes included:  hiring of a recreation director, strengthening of the recreation committee, collaboration with school system on the creation of an exercise trail, development of a county recreation plan, and the submission of a grant application to NC Parks and Recreation Task Force which resulted in $500,000 for the county pool renovation project.

Dads on the Road -Due to a poor local economy, Graham County has many fathers who work away from home for weeks at a time.  This circumstance appears to have led to increases in risky behaviors among youth.  The FCS Agent and CED worked with staff from the middle school health clinic to address some of these issues.  Staff members attended training on teen pregnancy; created a brochure about how dads could stay connected with their children while away from home; and presented a program on dads working away from home at the national Strengthening Families and Youth Conference.  To address high teen pregnancy rates and other risky behaviors, the FCS Agent, CED and 4-H PA collaborated with the school system and with local law enforcement to provide classes on dating etiquette and reducing risky behaviors to middle school students.  All participants reported increased knowledge and felt more prepared to deal with peer pressure.

Program Impact:

Ø  Grant for pool renovation project, $500,000

Ø   Middle school youth participated in abstinence-based sex education program reported increased ability to handle peer pressure to participate in risky behaviors.

Ø       45 youth participated in community service projects through the Crusaders Club and  raised $3,000 for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

Ø       88 percent of youth in nutrition program reported trying new vegetables and feeling healthier.

Ø       All participants in “March into Fitness,” a four-week diabetes program, reported increased knowledge and incentive to prepare healthier foods and to get more exercise.

Ø       TVA grant to support water quality efforts, $5,000

Ø       Corngrowers Grant, $500