September 15, 2022
Kansas 4-H Comprehensive Out of School Time grant with the Kansas Department of Education Update
The Kansas Department of Education (KDOE) Intern Grant Program has wrapped up in each Extension Unit for 2022. Taking over leadership for the project will be Rick Peterson as PI and Amy Collins as the Program Coordinator. As we continue to review end-of-program reports, we’re happy to announce that an all-encompassing theme emerged in support of the intern program. All host sites reported several success stories and indicated that they reached numerous kids who would otherwise not have been involved in 4-H programming. This program has allowed Kansas 4-H to reach kids in our communities like never before. We are excited that grant funding will be available for the summer months of 2023 and 2024.
In the next couple of weeks, with input from Engagement Leaders and Extension Agents who participated in the program, we will be introducing a new timeline for the 2023 program. In the next couple of months, we will begin inquiring about Extension Units interested in becoming a host site for summer 2023. Please be talking with your Extension Boards, if your Extension Unit is interested in participating, as permission from your board is one of the requirements needed. Once we have host sites determined, we want to start our search for interns this Fall and have interviews completed by March 2023. It’s not too early to be thinking about possible interns for your Extension Unit for next summer, so when applications are ready, they are prepared to get them filled out sooner rather than later. We will also be inquiring about curriculum wants and needs, as well.
We’re excited that the KDOE intern program introduced this past summer will continue. Together, we learned what worked (and what didn’t work) which gives us a good base to start from in 2023. We hope you will be interested in joining us this next year. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at acollins@ksu.edu or rlpterson@ksu.edu.