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Ohio 4-H Teens Immerse Themselves in Puerto Rican Culture
Submitted by Steve Brady
Ohio 4-H members had a once in a lifetime experience in November as they traveled to Puerto Rico to participate in the Ohio 4-H Cultural Immersion Project. During this eight-day service-learning trip teens built multicultural skills and developed a greater understanding of the diverse world we live in, all while exploring the beautiful country of Puerto Rico.
One main component of the experience was to explore and discover the beauty of the island. The group had the opportunity to go on several hikes to explore mountains, swimming holes, and waterfalls around the small central mountain village of Castañer. These hikes proved to be a great bonding experience where youth got to know each other better in the process. “We repelled down a cliff during one of the hikes and got to hold the ropes for each other, so that was a big trust building opportunity,” said River Demmy-Stover, a Greene County 4-H member.
This year, music and cultural education sessions were added to the trip’s itinerary. “We learned how to play the drums and were taught some traditional songs and dances. The instructors also explained the cultural significance behind the music,” said Ross County 4-H member Ava Palmer. “The music workshops were a highlight for me,” said Demmy-Stover. “I’m a musician, so it was really interesting to see how the Puerto Rican music and culture influence each other.”
The group was also invited to tour Castañer Supremo, a coffee processing farm owned by former Puerto Rican 4-H’er, Pedro Bengochea. “We picked the coffee cherries and learned how to shell them to get coffee beans,” said Palmer. “Then while our coffee beans were roasting Pedro shared his 4-H story with us.” Bengochea is proud of his 4-H connection and proudly wears a sown in 4-H patch on his handmade “coffee sack” blazer.
Getting to know the people in the small mountain community of Castañer proved to be one of the biggest highlights of the trip. “We spent Thanksgiving with one a family in Castañer and learned about their lives. This was the first time I’d been away from my family for a holiday, so it was nice to still have that homey feeling despite being in what felt like a different country,” said Palmer. Throughout the week 4-H members were also encouraged to step outside of their comfort zones as they participated in Amazing Race-style challenges in the community.
“Everyone was kind and welcoming even though there was language barrier,” said Demmy-Stover. “Most of the people we met didn’t know perfect English and we didn’t know perfect Spanish, but we realized that if we put the effort in and tried our best to communicate people would typically reciprocate.”
The trip included another first, as six 4-H’ers from Minnesota joined the ten Ohio teens in Puerto Rico. “Our groups meshed really well and quickly became friends,” said Crystal Reith, extension educator for 4-H in Cottonwood County. “They not only gained a better understanding of Puerto Rican culture but made lifelong connections with youth from a different state and country.”
Sierra Baca, 4-H Extension Educator in Medina County and Steve Brady, 4-H Extension Educator in Warren County, were the trip leaders. Brady developed and organized the first 4-H Cultural Immersion experience in 2015 and continues to be impressed by how the teens are so willing to embrace the entire experience. “Sometimes the interactions and activities were uncomfortable, and youth were unsure of what to do, but in the end, they really immersed themselves in the culture,” he said. Daily opportunities for reflection and discussion in the evening also helped them process their new experiences and encouraged teens to support one another in understanding the cultural differences they encountered.
“This was such an eye-opening experience,” said Palmer. “It was easily the best trip I’ve been on and such a great way to explore a new country and learn about different cultures.”
If you would like to learn more about Ohio 4-H domestic and international Immersion programs, contact Steve Brady at Brady.111@osu.edu
Hear from Recent Scholarships and Grants Recipients
Submitted by: Barbara Dunn Swanson, Scholarship Grant, and Recognition Committee Chair
Scholarships and grants are a way to help individuals in Epsilon Sigma Phi meet a goal, learn a new skill, or even participate in professional development. Take a look at some reflections from participants that recently attended professional development opportunities!
PILD Scholarship Recipients
"This was my first PILD Conference and I loved it! It was great meeting other people from other states and learning about their Extension programs. Additionally, the ESP Meeting was great. Preparing us for our Hill Visits and the information that was given was a great help to not only me but my state as I shared the information with them. This did truly prepare us for that next day. The Hill Visits and sight seeing on Wednesday were very informative and exciting. Meeting with legislative assistants and legislators to discuss our Extension and programs was very rewarding. This was a great conference and I plan to attend again. Thank you for the support for this conference."
"Attending the PILD Conference for the first time was an amazing experience. It was nice to visit the new National 4-H Council Center in DC and get a tour. Connecting with colleagues from across the country and learning about specific issues related to 4-H in sessions that were made available to me was also impactful. Through this experience I also learned how to connect with local representatives to set-up meetings to discuss the importance of Extension and how their funding is crucial to our impact."
"The ESP scholarship allowed me to attend the PILD conference for the first time. My career in Extension spans 11 years, and this conference gave me a perspective on the federal budget process that I had not seen before. It was a rewarding experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the budget process and issues facing Extension."
Richard Angus Professional Development Scholarship
"I attended the JCEP Extension Leadership Conference (ELC) in February 2024 to connect with other Extension professionals and provide a forum for presenting my work about creating Extension programs that are inclusive and better support the diversity of underserved audiences in agriculture. The presentation discussed how teaching to diverse audiences (i.e., demographics and learning styles) can enhance program effectiveness and shared findings from a USDA-NIFA grant project about women in agriculture.
In addition to presenting at the conference, I also attended professional development association meetings with ESP and NACDEP and benefited from attending sessions about leadership and service. The networking opportunities and learning from others help me to improve existing programming, as well as establish new Extension projects that help meet clientele needs. Knowledge gained from professional development will help me to be a more effective county chair, educator, and community member (e.g., managing staff, program priorities, and communicating with clientele). This has positive impacts such as enhancing workplace productivity and improving inclusivity in Extension programming. The greatest benefit I had from attending the conference, however, was the opportunity to meet and get to know other Extension professionals across the nation. By building on these relationships, I can become more involved in the national professional associations that I am a member of and subsequently relay information to my state associations in Idaho. Thank you for helping to support my professional development goals!"
As an ESP member, you too are eligible to apply for scholarships, grants, and award recognition. Review these pages and be sure to share with your chapter members! We thank everyone who contributes to the ESP Development Fund, so that revenue is available for award distribution. We just finished the May round of applications and the next cycle of applications for scholarships and grants will close December 1.
JCEP Excellence in Extension Engagement Award
The Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) “Excellence in Extension Engagement Award” nomination period is open.
What is the Excellence in Extension Engagement Award?
This award recognizes high quality, evidence-based Extension work that has documented outstanding outcomes and impacts with clientele and strengthens the Extension profession. The selection committee considers individual or team applicants that documents an engagement program that is: local needs driven, grounded in scholarly practice, has adequate program evaluation, adoption beyond the initial audience, strengthens professionals within or across states, and shows innovation that brings something new to Extension professionals.
Full details and the application may be found at: www.jcep.org/awards. Applications are due May 31, 2024.
First place receives a $750 award. The winner will be an invited speaker at the Extension Leadership Conference in Savannah, Georgia in February 2025 (ELC registration waived).
Honorable mention receives: $250 award and ELC registration waived.
Our 2024 Winner was Dr. Paul Hill, an Extension Professor & Program Director from Utah State University. His program was “The Remote Online Initiative” and a synopsis of his program can be viewed via the application link.
Save the Date
May 14 UCDA Quarterly Live Discussion
2024 ESP National Conference October 27-31 Virginia Beach, Virginia
2025 ESP National Conference October 6-9 Fort Worth, Texas
Deadlines
May 17 Chapter President voting deadline for awards and board elections
May 30 Development Fund Key Level Up Recognition Deadline - Donate by May 30th to level up and be recognized at the National ESP Conference!
This newsletter is a publication of Epsilon Sigma Phi, Inc. - The Extension Professionals' Organization