4-H « OSU Extension Internship Program

A woman stands in front of a brightly painted bulletin board and gives the thumbs up gesture. — Johanna Simonson, 4-H summer intern, in front of her finished bulletin boards.
Photo credit: Kelly Simonson

Wow, this summer has gone by fast! I feel like I shouldn’t even be writing my final blog post, but given there is only two weeks left of my internship, it makes sense.

This summer has been such an eye-opening experience. I experienced multiple facets of Extension. Right after I wrote my last blog post, I taught at a Cloverbud Day Camp at Extension’s Discovery Garden. That was enjoyable for me as well as the kids and quite a coincidence considering I was just telling my family how much I missed the kids at the daycare I worked at during school!

My next adventure was in Snap-Ed. That day I drove with a co-worker to Canyonville to set up a booth with samples of Couscous Salad and recipes to hand out at the farmer’s market. The majority of people trying out the sample loved it! A lot of people came back for more, and almost all the recipes we printed out were gone! It was a huge success. Not only that, but I got to learn more about my co-worker. Even though we were different ages, we still had many things in common, which was a delightful surprise.

Another experience I had was a “Mud and Manure” event. This may not sound like a lot of fun to some people and probably slightly disturbing. However, it was actually very educational, and I loved driving out to the farms to see some soil conservation designs around high-traffic livestock areas. I was impressed that the designs have lasted almost a decade, too. Through this event I got an idea of how I would like my job to look in the future. After the event, it wasn’t really planned to go on a farm call, but I am grateful that we did because it really helped me understand the fuller extent of what being a livestock and forage agent for Extension looks like.

A woman in a pink top stands at a table and makes candles with two kids in white shirts — Johanna Simonson making candles with 4-H.
Photo credit: Kelly Simonson

After this it was time to prepare for the fair. The main events I took charge of were line dancing, candle making, and the bulletin boards in the fairgrounds’ exhibit building. After hours of planning, preparation and creation, everything was finished.

At least 30 people attended the line dancing event. Everybody learned three new dances, which is a lot considering temperatures reached 90 degrees! The candle making event went so well that we ran out of soy wax after making around 25 candles. Even though the paper to decorate the bulletin boards came late, I improvised and painted them instead. Honestly, I am glad I did because they look WAY better than paper décor would. People actually liked the bulletin boards so much they took pictures in front of them. I am very pleased with my events at the fair, even if there were some things that needed to be improved.

Overall, I would say that this internship has been a great experience. I learned more about myself, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I strengthened my self-discipline muscle. This internship has shown me that I am stronger than I thought I was in multiple areas of my life, and I am fearful to think of where I would be without having participated in this internship. I am extremely thankful to everyone who made it happen. So long, until next time!

May y’all be blessed,
Johanna Simonson

Grace Ogden giving her closing presentation at the Morrow County Board of Commissioners meeting on August 2, 2023.
Photo credit: Julie Baker

Hello again! My name is Grace Ogden, and I am a student intern in Morrow County with the Oregon State University Extension Service. I am just about to begin my second year of school at Oklahoma State University, working towards a degree in animal science business. This summer I did a majority of my work preparing for county fair with OSU Extension 4-H in Morrow County. I have also gotten the opportunity to work with our crops specialist Larry Lutcher on a couple of projects of his this summer.

As my internship came to an end, I was able to reflect on my summer and see that I had so many opportunities and learned so much. I organized a group day-camp for our 4-H Cloverbuds and planned and facilitated lesson plans for our local daycare – teaching about the importance of seeds, and a lesson on soil horizons. I worked with judges, volunteers, donors, and families to prepare for the events of the Morrow County Fair and Livestock Auction, which also included helping plan, organize, and execute pre-fair contests.

I organized a potluck dinner for the annual South Morrow County Crop tour, updated and developed our webpage and social media platforms, created flyers, posts, and letters to send throughout our wide range of recipients and attended meetings serving as a representative for our office and county. I recently gave a presentation to the Morrow County Board of Commissioners recapping my summer with Oregon State Extension.

I worked with OSU Extension in this same office during my senior year of high school and loved the work I did so much. It was bittersweet to leave last June in order to work harvest before leaving for college, and even more bittersweet leaving the office for the second time this August due to school starting. I have been extremely lucky to have the opportunity to have Julie Baker and Larry not only as my supervisors and coworkers, but also as my friends. I have always had a passion for agriculture, specifically agricultural education, so I especially loved working in this position. I gained so much knowledge, experience, and relationships during my time in the county office, and I hope to be back very soon.

A lineup of people ready to start toy cars. — Kids built solar powered cars at the renewable energy summer camp at Columbia Gorge Community College.
Photo credit: Lu Seapy.

Hello, my name is Theo Sandoz, and I am excited to be back for my second year as an intern with Oregon State University Extension Service in Wasco County. I am a student at OSU studying nuclear engineering. Returning to the Wasco office feels like I never left, and the office is still as busy as ever. I am working alongside Keon Kiser who is also a returning intern for Wasco County. Our biggest project for the summer is planning and helping to facilitate S.T.E.M. day camps in Wasco County. There are other projects, especially those involving our county fair, that I am also very keen on doing.

First and foremost, we have our summer camps. So far, I have helped put on many day camps, including Aerodrone Academy, Galactic Quest and Renewables. The Areodrone camp had our campers learning how to program and fly small drones. Throughout this two-day camp we challenged all the campers to fly through and around obstacles and land on specific landing pads while directly controlling the drone and while the drone moved autonomously.

Another great camp that we put on is called Galactic Quest. The curriculum for this camp comes directly from national 4-H and was a blast. The campers made telescopes and cypher wheels and we played a lot of the Astro Adventure board game (Think Catan Spacefarers).

The most recent camp was our Renewables camp. In this two-day camp we spent the first day learning all about solar energy and then everyone built a small solar car and got to take it home. The second day was all about wind energy. With a few model turbines and some box fans we were able to turn the classroom into a wind tunnel and teach kids about turbine blade design and its effect on the power that wind turbines produce. The camps are incredibly fulfilling to put on as many of the campers get very invested in what we are teaching and bring their wild imagination to these fun events.

As August is fast approaching it is time to begin prepping for the Wasco County Fair and Rodeo. The Wasco County Fair runs Aug. 17-20 this year. This is my first year since 2012 that I have not participated in 4-H as a member. I still want to be as helpful as possible for those that are in 4-H and help put on an absolutely rocking fair and continue to do so for years to come. Because of my position as an intern, I have unique access to planning and operating certain events at the fair. I am most excited to work with Leah Lowe, Wasco County Extension 4-H program coordinator, on a new Livestock and Poultry Skill-a-Thon for the 2023 Fair. This is something that we started hosting last year and we plan to expand on last year’s vision and make the Skill-a-Thon a fully fledged event that can continue to be something 4-H members in Wasco County look forward to in years to come.

For the next month there are many more projects and camps that I cannot wait to tackle!

Two women in orange OSU clothing sit facing the camera with their arms around each other. — Tayleur Baker and Supervisor, Christine Stokely enjoy working the promotional booth at the Team Beef Ranch Run in Hines, Oregon.
Photo Credit: Susan Doverspike

Hello again! For those of you who may have forgotten or never received the opportunity to read my first blog post, my name is Tayleur Baker, and I am a summer intern this year at the OSU Extension office in Harney County.

Although it feels like I just started, this week, unfortunately, will be the last of my 10 weeks as an intern. As I mentioned in a prior blog post, I previously whelped manage my local 4-H program, attended the 2023 Oregon 4-H Summer Conference, worked with communications in Extension, and have also been preparing for the fair. In addition to these activities, I have been busy at work with various other adventures this past month.

A woman in jeans, a white top and a hat stands on a gravel road in front of an old truck. — Tayleur Baker poses for her senior picture at her family’s fifth generation cattle ranch.
Photo Credit: Leah Planinz

Since I last posted, I have harnessed the drive to draft two event plans for my county within the 4-H program. The first plan includes details for planning and executing a Cloverbud day camp for students ages 5–8 in hopes of recruiting youth into the 4-H program. The second is a plan for the implementation of a youth advocacy workshop. I am passionate about this experience, as it reflects and relates to a good portion of what I stand for — youth empowerment, strong agriculture communities and students learning how they can change the world. Through designing these programs, I have been able to serve my community and spark a creative idea for the future. I am eager to see the harvest now that the imagination seed is growing.

Another activity that I have engaged in has been working with the foreign exchange program on finding homes for foreign exchange students. Through this experience, I have spoken on the local radio station and have communicated on both the Extension Facebook page and through local posters. One of my highlights from this initiative has been meeting one of the Japanese chaperones, Saki. Saki is kind and service minded, and I have loved meeting her. Her creative origami is stunning, and she has plans to host a class for students this week — I am so excited to watch her share this aspect of her life!

Brightly colored origami pinwheels — Origami gifts from Saki.
Photo credit: Tayleur Baker

As mentioned earlier, this week is my last , which is bittersweet. Throughout my internship, I have learned about Extension, my community and more about myself. I have grown as an individual and have professionally developed my skills as a communicator, leader and advocate, for which I am forever grateful. My favorite part of this experience has been the ability to work with the youth in my community and serve those around me. I have learned the importance of investing in the next generation and contributing to the future of our communities. Leaving an impact is connected to what we do daily and the habits we build based on our goals. Through my internship, I learned the importance of setting goals daily and keeping the desired impact in mind as I worked during the day.

I recommend this internship to any student searching to grow their skills and professionally develop. This internship promotes the discovery of what you enjoy and encourages building a powerhouse resume through professional exposure. My advice to future interns is this: Tailor the experience to yourself, and don’t limit your imagination. I wanted to explore the realm of communications, and it was my focus through my experience in Extension. If you are curious about the research aspect, make it happen. If you are interested in elementary education, take that route. You will get out of this opportunity what you put into it, so make the most of it!

Although this chapter is ending for me, I am ecstatic about the chance to start writing a new one. In the fall, I will study at Oregon State University, majoring in agriculture and communications. I look forward to more opportunities to serve others and strive to make the world a better place. I desire to not only ignite my light, but I long to empower the spark in others to shine as well. Thank you for this experience!

A picture in picture of a woman in a room filled with tables of green books. — Working with kids’ record books and organizing them by club.
Photo credit: Fernanda Juarez

Hi everyone! My name is Fernanda Juarez and I’m currently working my second internship here at the OSU Extension office in Malheur County. Last year I worked here for the first time under a different internship program and this returning year I’m with OSU. I’m mainly working with 4-H Youth Development and helping organize our county fair.

In Malheur County in order to show at the fair, 4-H’ers are asked to do an interview about their projects that they’ve been doing throughout the year. So far during my internship we’ve been getting ready for 4-H interviews and while doing so I’ve been reaching out to parents in order to schedule a record book interview for their kids. Since 4-H offers a variety of activities for kids to do as projects it’s exciting to see what different things everyone is doing!

We believe that these interviews are beneficial for the kids as they are able to show and demonstrate their responsible and social skills towards themselves and their project. They speak on topics such as how they grow their animal, sewed a dress or painted a picture. These kids are able to identify what they have been able to learn and how they can apply it to their everyday lives.

Once the process for interviews is over, we then take the kids’ record books and double check their scores after the judges finish scoring them in order to make sure everything is correct, while organizing the books into their club groups so we could return them to the club leaders.

Two people in brimmed hats look at a yellow flower. — Avry Miller and a member of the Regenerative Farming Fellowship.
Photo credit: Alyson Yates.

Hello readers! My name is Alyson Yates, and I am a multimedia intern for OSU Extension Communications. I am a senior in the Oregon State University Agriculture and Natural Resource Program, where I am earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences. This is my third year in the OSU Extension internship program.

After spending the past two summers working in 4-H and agricultural research in my home of Lake County, I hoped to expand my view of Extension beyond the county level. The Extension Communications internship was a fantastic opportunity for me to get involved in a new way, by contributing my skills in photography and video to further the mission of Extension through outreach and engagement. Additionally, I saw the Extension Communications internship as a valuable way to gain digital media experience and further develop my professional portfolio.

Five young men stand ready to aim bows. — Curry County shooting sports members.
Photo credit: Alyson Yates

I began my internship eight weeks ago, setting out with my camera in hand to document the work of Extension professionals and their impact on Oregon’s communities. One of my goals is to capture the diversity of Extension’s programming— through 4-H youth development, agriculture, natural resources, family and community health, and more. To accomplish this, I’ve photographed youth camps, educational classes, field research, farmers markets, tours with local producers, and meetings with stakeholders. Along the way, I am also creating video interviews of Extension staff, interns, volunteers, and youth leaders answering the question, “What does Extension mean to you?”

So far, my work has taken me to nine counties around the state, with many more yet to come. As I continue to learn about the many ways that Extension serves people in every corner of Oregon, I can’t help but feel more excited about my journey to capture the mission of Extension!

A handheld device measures grape leaves. — An LI 600 porometer helps measure stomatal conductance of grape leaves in a vineyard near Milton-Freewater.
Photo credit: Melinda Cramp

Hi all, my name is Melinda Cramp! This summer I am fortunate enough to be interning with OSU extension in my home county of Umatilla. I spend half my time in Milton-Freewater mainly focusing on vineyards with my supervisor Cody Copp, and the other half at the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center (CBARC) in Adams helping with dryland farming projects. I just wrapped up my first year of school at Central Washington University, majoring in environmental sciences with a geography specialization. Having the ability to come back home and work on the agricultural and horticultural issues that face my community daily makes this internship even more rewarding. I am also able to explore future career opportunities.

A man in a red shirt leans back against a combine in a wheat field. — Fellow intern Mason Langford rests against a combine about to harvest a wheat trial at CBARC.
Photo credit: Melinda Cramp

Some projects that I’ve been able to help with in the vineyards include cover cropping, magnesium deficiency prevention and the usage of Kaolin clay to suppress grape leafhoppers. At CBARC I’ve aided in the harvest, cleaning, processing and data collection of many variety trials, including winter and spring canola, hemp, wheat and peaola (pea and canola intercropping).

I have really enjoyed learning how to use new equipment this summer, like the LI-600 porometer, which measures stomatal conductance on grape leaves. I’ve also worked on combines/swathers that harvest all sorts of agricultural goods. My hope is by the end of this internship I’ll be comfortable operating all sorts of equipment and feel confident in my ability to record and analyze data.

A woman shows children a drawing. — A lesson on soil and soil types at Hydromania science camp.
Photo credit: Amanda Woodlee

Hello! My name is Cadence Cooley, and I am interning at the OSU Extension office in Umatilla County throughout the summer. I was born and raised in Hermiston, Oregon, and graduated from Hermiston High School this June. I plan on attending Eastern Oregon University this fall and majoring in elementary education.

A woman teaches children in a classroom using visual aids on a screen. — Introduction and ice breaker at Camp Cloverbud.
Photo credit: Shauna Newman

I have been involved in the livestock and 4-H industry, showing swine for as long as I can remember, and I participated in FFA throughout my high school years. These programs have really shaped the person I have become today. Seeing how I am going to be helping in the 4-H and Master Gardener programs, I think this will be right up my alley.

So far, I have helped mainly in setting up our Cloverbud Camp, Hydromania Camp, as well as preparing for our Umatilla County 4-H Dog Show, which will take place in a little under a week. These experiences have been so fun and very informative. I love getting the chance to make new connections with people and see how the inside of the 4-H world takes place. Not only have I learned a deeper understanding of how the 4-H and the Master Gardener programs work, but I have also learned how the people at the Extension office complete all of their tasks. There is all sorts of communication, organizing, as well as networking. I know I will learn so much more this summer and I am looking forward to all that is to come!

A woman in a baseball cap sits at a desk, writing names under pictures of students. — Tri-County 4-H Camp
Photo credit: Katie Hauser

Hi, my name is Heidi Moran! This summer, I am an OSU Intern in Union County. I will be a sophomore at Eastern Oregon University, majoring in Elementary Education.

Before starting this internship, I didn’t know about other programs OSU Extension offered. I was surprised at how many different things our Extension office offers. I am excited to learn more about those programs and help them with their needs. This summer, I am helping with our Iron Chef cooking class and am excited to learn more about the program.

I grew up extremely involved in 4-H here in Union County and have had many incredible experiences in 4-H. I am excited to experience 4-H on a different side, working in the office and helping organize different 4-H events. 4-H profoundly impacted my life and I can’t wait to help other youth have experiences like mine.

So far, I have helped with Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, Tri-County 4-H Camp, and our Iron Chef cooking class! These have been incredible experiences and I have learned a lot through them. I have really enjoyed my internship so far and I can’t wait to see what the rest of it holds!

A woman stands in a show ring, holding a goat and speaking to a student. — OSU Extension intern Brandi Vance, helping a youth learn to show a market breeding doe at a livestock showmanship clinic in Wasco County.
Photo credit: Leah Lowe

Hi all! My name is Brandi Vance I am a senior studying animal science business at The University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. That may seem far away, but I actually grew up 30-ish minutes from Wasco County in Goldendale, Washington. This summer I am an intern in the Wasco County 4-H Extension Office. So far, this summer has been everything I had hoped! As someone wanting to eventually become a 4-H agent, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with youth and their projects and cannot wait to continue.

Growing up, I was a 4-H member from a Cloverbud earning participation ribbons in cooking demonstrations to a Senior showing horses and market goats. I have always loved the agricultural and animal aspects, although I had a chance to do it all, from sewing and cooking to market animals. Being very fortunate to have the support system that I did growing up made this possible, not to mention the amazing 4-H agents and leaders I learned from. I knew as I entered college that I wanted to study animal science as well as get a little bit of the business side. I was not sure what I was going to do when I graduated, until it dawned on me at my last county fair as a 4-Her: I want to be that support system for our future youth. What better way to prepare and see what it really takes than interning at an Extension office!

So far this summer, we have met with state and district veterinarians , helped with all the entries for fair and continued all of the little preparation things that fair requires to make it go off smoothly. I even got to help at a livestock showmanship clinic that we put on for the youth to continue getting them ready for fair in August. I have also helped design a biosecurity plan for the Wasco County Extension Office to have on hand when it comes to livestock animals at the fair. I worked on our Senior recognition night flyers as well as designed some interview questions for our Junior Superintendent program. Another project that I have worked on is designing our Junior Superintendent training for youth chosen to help the Superintendents in the barns over fair.

In the coming months, I plan to organize many items for fair to help everything run smoothly. Other tasks ahead include training the Junior Superintendents as well as designing some sponsor posters to hang in our barns. I will also be attending the Wasco County Fair the third week in August and helping in many different areas, which is exciting for someone who has done many aspects of 4-H. I am thrilled to get to work with youth and be getting a close-up look at my dream job!

OSU Extension Internship Program

Tag Archives: 4-H

Internship showed I was stronger than I thought

Internship ends with gains in knowledge, experience and relationships

Cannot wait to tackle more projects and camps

Excited for the future and the adventures it will bring

Record book interviews with 4-H’ers in Malheur County reveal exciting projects

Capturing the mission of Extension through a photographic lens

Analyzing data to help solve agricultural and horticultural issues

Looking forward to all that is to come

Helping others have incredible 4-H experiences

Experiencing the dream

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