Washakie County 4-H educator earns regional, national recognition

LARAMIE - University of Wyoming Extension 4-H educators from Washakie, Campbell and Teton counties received national and regional recognition for their innovative 2022 programming.

Awards will be presented at the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-YDP) Annual Conference in November.

VIRTUAL CAREER NIGHT CONNECTS STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE U.S.

Washakie County 4-H Educator Amber Armajo isn't new to organizing career nights, but the last two spring events looked a little different-and attracted a much wider audience.

"We can't always bring people to Worland, but we can bring them online," Armajo explains. Thanks to her tireless planning and networking, the event in 2021, hosted via Zoom, attracted about 100 students from 11 states. She also helped plan another career night this year in March with 85 students registered from nine different states.

Presenters included professionals across the U.S. as well as representatives from Wyoming colleges and trade schools.

Careers ranged from "wild and crazy" (think life flight nurse and forensic scientist) to wildlife biologist, graphic designer and engineer of prosthetics.

The event "opens doors to a lot of youth who would otherwise never think about those unusual jobs that are available or have any way to connect with a mentor who has their dream job," says Emily Haver, a Carbon County Extension educator and vice president of the Wyoming Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (WAE4-HYDP).

For her efforts, Armajo received the Excellence in Workforce Development Programming Award at both regional and national levels.

"It was really a group effort. I wrote it with some educators. I could not do it all by myself," Armajo said this week. Career Night initially started during WESTI Ag Days in February with area businesses and Wyoming colleges participating in person. It moved virtually in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic but because of the success and opportunity to have a variety of careers, it stayed virtual this year.

"We have held them in the middle of March because it is in between sports in Wyoming. However, we have reached other states and we're not sure if it fits their schedule."

The third annual virtual career night will be held in mid March 2023. Armajo said they will start pinning down speakers after the first of the year.

They developed six tracks for the virtual career fair - animal science, business, health and education, trades, natural resources and wild and crazy. Presenters included a graphic designer from Disney, dive boat captain from Florida, employee from Microsoft talking about leadership development, a zookeeper, a game warden and an arborist.

They also had eight colleges participate with Wyoming community colleges and the University of Wyoming.

This year they had an Oregon presenter discuss ag marketing, co-owner of King's Ropes, a wildlife biologist, a Utah man who builds prosthetics, a life flight nurse and a Utah forensic scientist specializing in ballistics.

Armajo said they had a few more Wyoming colleges participate. There has been discussion about reaching out to include a few colleges from surrounding states.

"It's a great way to let kids see what careers are out there outside of Washakie County and Wyoming," Armajo said.

This year they added a motivational speaker, singer/songwriter Tris Munsick of Sheridan talked about how to dream and achieve your dreams and then sang a song that he wrote.

Visit wyoming4h.org/virtual-career-night to learn more about the event and view recorded sessions.

CAMPBELL COUNTY EDUCATOR REVIVES WOOL JUDGING WITH NEW MANUAL

Despite Wyoming's strong presence in the wool industry, 4-H wool judging programs have dwindled in recent years.

But 4-H educator Kimberly Fry isn't about to stand by and watch wool judging become a lost art. Determined to revitalize the program, she created a new, youth-friendly and eye-appealing manual designed to educate students and encourage participation, according to an Extension press release.

"Kim's manual goes a long way toward helping 4-H wool judging teams become a reality for other counties who have interest but don't know where to start," says Haver.

For her efforts, Fry earned the NAE4-YDP Educational Piece – Team Award for the western region. Contact her at [email protected] for a copy of the judging manual.

Fry also received national honors for her Cloverbud Connections publication, a bimonthly newsletter for aspiring 4-H'ers ages 5-7.

Each newsletter focuses on a theme and includes activities that children can complete at home with adult supervision. The focus is on project-based education, not just arts and crafts, Fry comments. Topics range from photography and food to outdoor recreation.

COOPERATIVE

HUNTER'S EDUCATION EFFORT GARNERS

REGIONAL

RECOGNITION

Teton County 4-H educator Glenn Owings received the western region's Excellence in Natural Resources / Environmental Education Award for his leadership in coordinating a hunting safety program for youth.

"Sometimes you have to think outside the box," says Haver. "Glenn does a great job doing just that. He was able to brand something as universal as Hunter Safety with the 4-H name and increase awareness of the program in the community as being about more than just livestock."

The Wyoming Game & Fish Department teaches the course but Owings handles registration and scheduling, ensuring that students have access to the program. "It's a good example of using relationships we've built with local entities to create opportunities for kids," he shares.

ABOUT EXTENSION

Since 1914, the University of Wyoming Extension has provided lifelong learning opportunities to Wyoming citizens across the state. The UW Extension brings the University's resources to each of the state's 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. To learn more about the UW Extension, visit http://www.uwyo.edu/uwe or call (307) 766-5124.