Day Two

Day two turned out to be just as exciting as day one! I was able to meet the staff in the office this morning and learn about their different responsibilities through extension. I also had the chance to talk with them about their programming, and hear what they really have enjoyed doing. I unfortunately left my notebook with all the information I wrote about each one of their responsibilities so I will be talking more about each of them in a future entry.

After our meeting, I had another small meeting with Mark about the things that he wished for me to accomplish during the day. I was given two assignments:

1. Tomorrow is the Family Nutrition Fun Day at the fairgrounds. The program is mostly planned and ready to go, including a "cell planetarium" and a fun healthy snack making session! My goal was to provide the youth with some physical activities that incorporate nutritional education, and even a little leadership. I realized at that point that I have little experience dealing with children and nutrition. I was able to rely on one of the ladies in our office who actually works directly with nutrition. She was able to show me all the resources that she has, and provide me with many great ideas on what to do. I learned that sometimes it is best to just ask instead of digging a hole trying to find information all by yourself. I was able to come up with 6 activities that not only are original, but informative. Mark will be looking them over in the morning, and evaluating them, so I will wait until tomorrow's post to explain them in detail.

2. I will be going into the classroom with Mark on Thursday to teach my first afterschool "agriculture" lesson. I am lucky to be using the Acres of Adventure book series that has been provided through extension. At this point I am very interested in the activites where the youth actually get to make something. I am torn between papermaking, seed identification, and ice cream in a bag. All of which seem very fun, and I hope that I get to do them all before I leave. I will also be meeting with Mark in the morning/afternoon to discuss final detail on what I plan to do.

These two assignments seemed borderline overwhelming when I was initally given them. Once I was able to talk to Mark about detail, and get a feel for what was expected of me, I felt very confident in my ability to come up with original and effective ideas. I will know more tomorrow when I talk with Mark on what I need to change, and what I could have done better!

Tomorrow, I will be putting finishing touches on the activities, and the afterschool program. My goal is to make sure that I am completely confident with my choices, and prepared to deal with any situation given to me. In the evening I will be attending the Family Nutrtion Event, and then going to the Junior Fairboard meeting immediately following. It is amazing how much actually goes on, and how many things need to be taken care of in a small amount of time. I have been pleased with my work so far, and I hope that I can make changes and adaptations to best suit my audiences and their backgrounds.