sealPurdue News
____

October 21, 2002

Purdue 4-H/youth development educators honored

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Three of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service's 4-H/Youth Development educators were among those honored by the Indiana Extension Educators Association on Tuesday (10/15) during the annual Extension conference on Purdue's West Lafayette campus.

• The Bob Amick Award went to Melissa Culp of Pulaski County for her guidance in helping 4-H Junior Leaders organize a food drive to benefit the Pulaski County Red Cross Food Pantry. Held the night before Halloween, the event is called "Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat." The countywide food drive is publicized through the 4-H newsletter, as well as through the local media. Residents call the Extension office to arrange for junior leaders to pick up their donations, which benefit the county's families living below poverty level. Culp led 27 junior leaders and advisers in collecting 660 pounds of nonperishable food items that the Red Cross estimated would feed approximately 290 people.

• Joanne Lytton of Carroll County received the Innovator Award in 4-H/youth development for creating a character-education program used extensively in local schools. Teachers received packets that included discussion guides, hands-on project worksheets and a list of heroes to research. Principals received a newsletter article to send home to parents and a calendar listing a "thought of the day." Each month, the focus was on a different "pillar of character," and students participated in a schoolwide project in which they demonstrated they had learned the character trait of the month. Evaluations after the first year showed that 100 percent of the respondents had gained knowledge of the six character traits. After the second year, 77 percent of teachers felt students were more responsible, 68 percent thought students were more respectful and had better manners, and 73 percent believed students cooperated better with each other on the playground.

• For her work with the Marion County 4-H School Enrichment Program, Nancy Scott was presented the 4-H/Youth Development Senior Award. The program, in existence since 1998, offers "4-H in the Classroom," "Project WET" (Water Education for Teachers), "SERIES" (Science Experiences and Resources for Informal Education) and "4-H Chicken Embryology." A newsletter with a circulation of nearly 1,800 is published quarterly for teachers and administrators to inform them about upcoming events and to market the 4-H School Enrichment Program. Scott has garnered $6,400 in grants and has worked with more than 160 Marion County schools.

Writer: Andrea McCann

Contact: Beth Forbes, Agricultural Communications, (765) 494-2722, forbes@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/

Related Web site:
Purdue Extension

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Publication-quality photographs of the award winners are available at https://www.ces.purdue.edu/awards/.

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


* To the Purdue News and Photos Page