Author: Heather Gottke

Reflections on the OSU Conversation on the Opioid Crisis

In 2012, there were 75 accidental drug overdoses in Ohio.

In 2014, 503.

In 2015, there were 1,155*

What will that number be in 2016?

What are we doing in Extension to help this crisis?

The OSU Conversation on the Opioid Crisis event was held to bring awareness to the current opioid crisis in Ohio. Invited participated included but were not limited to: healthcare professionals, the college of public health the College of Pharmacy, College of Food, Ag, and Environmental Sciences, and Extension professionals from all program areas.

The theme throughout the day was somber and urgent. The need for action is now. The way to get results is through the community.

“We don’t gain without partnership”
-Bruce McPheron, Executive Vice President and Provost, The Ohio State University

“Addition is a disease solved by communities, not government”
-Senator Rob Portman

“…begins in the community”
-William J. Martin II, Dean, OSU College of Public Health

“(It takes)…heart to apply this to our communities”
-Mark Hurst, Medical Director of Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services

As an Extension professional, this wording was so significant to me that I scrambled for a highlighter and started highlighting the theme in my notes (those who know me, know I take a LOT of notes). It was in that moment I started to realize that I knew the importance of Extension in the community, but that other people were realizing our potential also! As an organization that has taken the research of the University to the people since its inception, this is something we were built for. Rear Admiral James Lando reaffirmed my thoughts.

“Translate the science into public understanding”
– Rear Admiral James Lando, Regional Health Administration; Region 5

I have to admit, the reiteration of our purpose of Extension being able to assist in a crisis situation had me on the edge of my seat, looking for information, and brainstorming solutions for the entirety of the session. We will take a look at some of the facts I found most significant, and my personal reflections on what I think we can do to help.

Key Facts from the Speakers

There is much to be said about the facts and information behind drug abuse and misuse. In fact I’m sure that throughout the day I missed many facts that could be easily put into this post. As I am a youth development professional, I will be highlighting some that I find most relevant to that area.

The Rear Admiral focused on age, pointing out that brain developed does not end until after the age of 21-25 (depending on gender), and “It is never too early or too late to prevent substance abuse” (Lando). Mark Hurst, Director of Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services indicated that there are a number of things families can do to prevent drug abuse (In partnership with the Start Talking program, that can be found at http://starttalking.ohio.gov/).

  1. Talk to your child.
  2. Have dinner as a family as much as possible
  3. Keeping youth involved in extra curriculars
  4. Decreased opportunities for exposure to substances
  5. Discarding addictive drugs when no longer needed

(Credit to Hurst for this information, as it was paraphrased)

Lando reminded us that addiction is a chronic brain disease. It is not a reflection of moral shortcoming. Hurst continues Lando’s throughts that “Addiction is the brain’s response to the drug, including the craving and inability to control actions. 18.4 million people do not perceive a need for treatment, while 880,000 have accepted their need for treatment. I saw this recently in my leadership trip to Chicago. I sat down with a man who was homeless. His name was Rich, and his eyes and mannerisms led me to believe that he was struggling with addiction, or had for some time. He indicated to me that other people “Had drug problems, but they wouldn’t seek help”. There in front of me was this substance abuse connection.

Scott Novak with Research Triangle Institute/Battelle made a interesting point in contrast with many comments that I have previously heard about drug misuse.

It hits all demographics. No one is immune.

 

Even once someone admits they have a problem, they may struggle to find a doctor willing to help them, while those incarcerated often (50%) return to drugs due to a lack of employment (Novak). In fact, according to Hurst, someone who is recovering has a 50/50 chance of relapse after one year, but after 5 years only a 14% chance.

Why Bother?

So why should you care? I will tell you why I care. I care because our youth are no exception to this pandemic. There is a 193 BILLION dollar cost to this problem (Lando). Treatment is more cost effective than no treatment. We risk permanent brain damage to what could be our great minds and game changers of tomorrow. The stigma of drug abuse has to change before we can help those most in need of our care. Youth development professionals like myself can delay or even stop youth from exposure to drugs, involvement in extra curriculars, and help eliminate excess addictive drugs from households.

Right now, more people die from drug overdoses in a year than car accidents (McPheron), and drug related deaths double homicide rates in Columbus, Ohio (Novak).

Now What?

The hardest question asked is what are we going to do about it? First step, let’s raise awareness. Let’s talk to anyone who will listen. In our case, for this day, we ignite. We sit down with topic areas, and talk about what we think could help, with people from all areas, all backgrounds, and think critically about ideas to change this situation. There were predetermined topics, and open space topics. Some of the things we spoke about included:

  1. The importance of education to parents about warning signs, symptoms, and prevention.
  2. Prevention education through schools.
  3. Helping organize medication take back programs to help families eliminate access to drugs.
  4. Intervention programming for minors who have been found in possession or misuse of drugs.

We cannot fix the Opioid crisis in a day, but we can take action now in our communities that will make the next month, 6 months, year, or 5 years improve. The biggest question for OSU Extension Professionals is what are you going to do for your community, and how can you help with your skills and talents? More than ever our communities need us to work at- “Building better lives, better businesses and better communities”.

Reading Recommendations from the Day

 

 

Link to Amazon for this Book by J.D. Vance

 

 

 

 

Link to Amazon for This Book by Sam Quinones

 

 

*Information Referenced from the “2015 Ohio Drug Overdose Data: General Findings”

Jr. Fair Livestock Sale

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We have posted information on the web with many common questions that a buyer may have. You can find it at http://go.osu.edu/vwclivestocksale  We will also post any relevant information to this page to help both youth and the buyers as we approach sale day!

A couple of things to think about as a youth exhibitor: 

1. Make sure you are taking pictures to put in a thank you for the day of the sale, and are prepared to write a thank you to those who have contributed to you. Many buyers go un-thanked each year which in turn makes it harder for youth after you to gain the trust of those businesses.

2. As a past youth exhibitor, I know it can be hard to ask businesses to attend or support you. I have personally been there – and my suggestion is to print off a nice letter asking them to attend, maybe a picture of your project, and go to the business and ask them to support you in your project. It’s not required – but I can tell you that businesses do appreciate the maturity and bravery it takes to do so. I still keep many of those relationships I built around my livestock sales to this day!

3. This year all the past buyers will receive a certificate for a thank you breakfast at the Farm Bureau tent the morning of. It is our way of saying thank you. We will be encouraging those who are towards the end of the sale order to help at the Farm Bureau building! It could be a great chance to snag a last minute buyer also!

4. Don’t forget to write thank you posters for last year’s buyer. I’ve seen many business owners beam at the thank yous that are in the barn! Get a nice poster board, write thank you to the business and hang it with pride!

5. If you are not able to be present the day of the sale – you must find find another Jr. Fair member to go through the ring for you to be represented. Please note that we are not obligated to sell an animal if no one shows up to go through the ring. If you tell the sale announcers, they will let the crowd know why you are missing.

 

Interviewing Teens for 4-H and Jr. Fair Opportunities

Who wants a serious picture for a serious blog post? Not me! 3 of our camp counselors!

Who wants a serious picture for a serious blog post? Not me! 3 of our camp counselors!

The strategy that I use for teen interviews allows for youth to show their strengths and talents through a variety of stations. They are part of a group interview process, problem-solving station, and finally give a brief presentation on an idea for a session/craft idea (camp counselors) or present their problem solving

I have found that with the introduction of Project Based Learning (or PBL as the kids call it) that many of the teens I interview are ready for my questions and inquiries. I interview youth for two specific opportunities, Jr. Fair Board and 4-H Camp Counselors. Below is a more in-depth description of how I do the interview for replication purposes.

For each of the three parts – I use this chart to help guide my grading process for them.

Grading Scale of Points PicturesRubric for Interview Activity and Session (PDF)

 

Part One: The Interview

I have found that conducting one-on-one interviews simply isn’t as effective as doing a group interview. I am interested in seeing how these youth interact with one another, communicate and develop a conversation. Through their project judging and special interviews they have plenty one-on-one experiences – so I choose this group method to watch them in action.

For the Camp Counselors and the Jr. Fair Board – I use the same questions – but allow for those helping interview to interject questions. We try to ask each group the same questions each time.

Here are the questions that we have been using. I am sure at some point the list has come from various places – but as this point the sources are unknown to me. So if you know the source – please share as I would be happy to give credit where credit is due.

Camp Counselor Interview Questions (PDF)

Part Two: Activity: Problem Solving and Planning

The second part of the interviews is the problem solving section. This is where we give each of the applicants a task to accomplish or problem to overcome together. For the Jr. Fair Board we kept it quite simple this year and asked them to plan an event or activity for the fair that would be fun! For the camp counselors I asked them to plan a full camp (100 kids for 2 hours) event using the big activity field. They also had to take in consideration costs, safety, and weather. This time was all theirs to plan – and we as adults use this time to watch them work. How do they interact with one another? How do they lead? Are they comfortable contributing?

 

Part Three: Session: Presentation of Ideas and/or Craft/Session Idea

Finally, I ask the Jr. Fair Board to present their problem solving ideas to the interviewing group. They explain what they are interested in doing, how much it may cost, and how they plan to accomplish that plan.

The 4-H Camp Counselors have a bit of a different presentation. They are asked to individually bring a session idea to present. It should be an activity for 9-15 year olds to do in a camp setting, last around 30-60 minutes, and something that youth would enjoy doing. Many of the applicants will bring their craft ideas, show the steps, and then the finished product. Other presentations have included ideas for sports to play at camp, activities using items at camp, or modifications of sessions done already to improve them.

 

The hardest part is the determining who we can accept for a current year’s board or camp counselor group – and who will need to wait for another year. I make a point to write notes on the letters and give written feedback to youth so they know how they can improve for the future – and so that their parents are also aware of how they can improve. This is hardest part for me as I hate telling anyone no!

I hope these guidelines help others in their interviewing process with youth.

Reflections on NAE4-HA 2015

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Theresa, Myself, Shelia, and Christy at the NAE4-HA Banquet

This past week I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Conference in Portland, Oregon. The conference is an annual event that offers a time for meeting with other professionals from around the nation, learning about their programs, discovering new ideas for my own program, and furthering myself professionally.  It is also a time of celebration with colleagues to congratulate them on their achievements on the regional and national level. We had 67 delegates from Ohio attend the Portland Conference this year! It was nice to have a large group of people I work with experiencing the same speakers, and workshops as myself. In reflection, I came away with 5 big concepts to use, or apply more to my 2016 programming.

1. Show and model what a good one looks like. Often times kids don’t know, what they don’t know. How can we as 4-H professionals model good 4-H projects, events, and leadership? I think by improving our expectations and making them even more clear, we can set our kids up for success in our county, and state levels. I am aiming to set up more clear goals of my hopes for the program to volunteers, so they can be part of this too.

2. Kids in the crisis of poverty make great leaders. Poverty is not something that was on the forefront of my youth development issues, but after our speaker, Dr. Donna Beegle, it is now. Kids who are worried about their next meal, where they are going to sleep, and if their siblings are safe often do not make good students. They don’t do homework, they don’t pay attention in class. They forget to bring in papers (because mom/dad aren’t home to sign them) and we look at them as being disobedient. However, what we miss is that they are fighting to survive. They are taking care of siblings, they are worried about things that people in middle class families take for granted. This sense of responsibility is how they stay resilient, and how we can make them great leaders in our programs. Instead of dismissing a child/teen as a problem, I need to make sure I am giving them a safe environment, and the skills they need to grow.

3. Break big tasks into small steps. Have you ever looked at a project and found yourself demotivated by the size of the workload? It happens to all of us. Teaching kids to break big projects into small steps is a strategy for success they will use for a long time. When working with my teens, I am planning to be more deliberate in showing the big picture, and how we are breaking it up into parts to accomplish the goal. The first thought I have is to use it with my promotional group, Buckeye Ambassadors. They work to market the program which is a huge task, but how am I going to help them get to the big goal if I don’t show them the steps they need to take in the meantime?

4. Environmental Education ROCKS! My favorite session was with LSU on different strategies for Environmental Education. We learned animal yoga poses, bird migration cycles, and insect life cycles all by getting up and moving. This session really will help me with working more of this type of education in to 4-H Residential Camp sessions that are healthy living based.

5. Collaborate, Collaborate, COLLABORATE! Through the week I have worked on becoming more comfortable asking my fellow 4-H professionals what their specialization is, and how we can work together. I was able to learn more about cloverbuds and how I can make my volunteer training better, and compared fun things like Jr. Fair issues, and how their shows run. I like talking with others about their programming because it gives me a chance to improve my own for the Van Wert Community.

Going to conferences is a great opportunity for 4-H professionals. Coming home is even more exciting! I cannot wait to apply what I have learned, and I feel renewed and ready for 2016 and the planning that will be taking place in the next few months before we kick off in January. I suppose even 4-H professionals need retreats to recharge too.

Trot-N-Trough: 5K & Chili Cook-Off

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October 2015 – The Van Wert County 4-H Endowment Board will be conducting their first Trot-N-Trough 5K Run/Walk and Chili Cook-Off fund raiser event on Saturday, October 24, 2015. The event will raise money for academic scholarships for graduating 4-H seniors, scholarships and financial assistance to 4-H youth interested in attending 4-H Camp Palmer, and 4-H club grants for community service projects and special programs.

The race was the kick-0ff of our event, with a 5K loop that went around most of the Jr. Fair grounds end, and looped the grandstands track. Participants received a free green “Trot-N-Trough” shirt for registering!

Following the race was the Chili Cook-Off! 3 Teams from the community served up chili, including Ag Credit, MMMGood, and OSU Extension. The Winner of the Event was Ag Credit, with a close second from the MMMGood team!

Chili Cook-Off OSU Extension Recipe Veggie Chili (from the USDA What’s Cooking website)

 

4-H Professional Notes for Recreating Your Own Event

  • Measuring the course is the hardest part of a 5k!
  • If you have a running company in your area, see if they will help you, or work for a small fee.
  • Make sure you publish that it is a WALK and RUN. People will walk for a good cause!
  • For the chili, the hardest prediction is how much to make, how many to expect, and what to provide. We went with gut instinct and still had plenty extra!
  • Having a great team is irreplaceable.
  • Work with your health department to find the best way to do your cook-off. For us, it was having already prepared chili brought on-site, and doing a donation system for tickets and voting.

OSU Extension and Why It Matters to You!

nIIwCFULet me give you a brief history of why OSU Extension has a presence in our county. If you have ever visited Ohio State University main campus or watched buckeye football on TV, you may have seen two white buildings located next to the football stadium. In these are student housing and business offices. One is the Lincoln Tower, named after Abraham Lincoln. The other is the Morrill Tower name after Justin Morrill.

During the mid 1800’s, the nation was experiencing an economic time similar to the one we have currently been experiencing. To promote economic recovery, Morrill persuaded Lincoln to pass an act that would grant tracts of land in each state on which states could build universities. This was the 1860 land grant system. For example, there’s an OSU in Ohio, Rutgers in New Jersey, and Cornell in New York. In the 1890’s the land grant act was used to build 17 Historically black colleges and Universities in states where Blacks were excluded from the original land grant university.

In the early 1900’s another act was passes. This stated that land grant universities would be the university for all the citizens of a state, not just the students who attend classes on campus. This was the beginning of the Land-Grant departments of Extension in which the university faculty and staff members were placed into counties to educate residents with research-based information.

At first Extension educators focused on topics related to agriculture. But as social sciences grew, extension began to focus on topics related to home economics. Today, home economics is known as the Family and Consumer Sciences. Topics focus on relationship skills, health and nutrition, and financial management. Economic development is another added area that has been developed to help communities grow through businesses development and retention. The last program area 4-H Youth Development was actually developed here in the state of Ohio. Many people recognize the presence of 4-H in their county, but may not associate it with the land grant university.

4-H Youth development is a part of OSU Extension and is directed by staff hired through the university to serve in the community. 4-H is not a standalone youth development organization, as it funded through USDA, State, and our local current levy funding. As a part of Extension, it thrives when surrounded by the support of the other program areas to help educate the youth in the programming. Ag and Natural Resources can offer programs, information, and research that benefits youth in those projects, offer club educational presentations, and share resources such as the insects from the Entomology lab at the main Columbus campus. Programming in financial literacy, food and nutrition projects, and home care can all be added to with the help of a Family and Consumer Sciences program area. The knowledge of the University is meant to be shared with the people, and to be used to strengthen our communities.

Extension is wonderful resource in our county. Our staff in Van Wert county is a team of individual areas waiting to serve the community. We provide educational services designed to help you strengthen yourself, your family and your community. If you have a backyard pest or weed that you might like to understand how to eliminate our Agricultural Educator is here to help! We hope to strengthen families in our community to build Van Wert into something that we can continue to be proud of.

About Me

My name is Heather Gottke and I am the 4-H Program Coordinator for Van Wert County. I am employed by the Ohio State University Extension Office and have been working here for 6 years. Before I worked with Van Wert County I served many summers with Paulding County Extension, and a semester long internship with Allen County all serving the 4-H and Jr. Fair programs.

As a 4-H professional I am first and foremost a youth development specialist. I am to form and promote activities that will help our youth in this community grow and become productive members that help keep the future of Van Wert County bright and prospering. I work with our over 25 clubs in the community to help our 500 4-H members grow and learn through projects, camps, teen leaders, and community service. Some of my favorite activities that I am able to do throughout the 4-H “year” are 4-H Camp, and the Jr. Fair. Working directly with youth to achieve our goals is both hard work and satisfying.

In the community I work with a few projects that some may be familiar with. In the Fall I help with the Cows and Plows ag literacy program in cooperation with the Soil and Water District office. I love working with teachers to develop enrichment activities that are both fun and educational. I have taught a number of leadership classes for both teens and children from one time to on-going.

Throughout my work with Extension I am able to focus on projects that help the 4-H program grow and develop. I have assisted in editing the Scrapbooking project book that we currently use for the state of Ohio, helped with promotion and delivery of our IEP program, the “Winning Plan” and love to share the uses of technology with others. In the winter months I focus on planning, grant writing, and working with committees to gather the needed information for much of the events and activities that occur in the 4-H program.

The programs that I provide are only a small part of what Ohio State University Extension is. We are helping communities grow stronger. We want to help families, grow gardens, nurture agriculture, and show our children the future. The programming we offer is developed with the needs of OUR community in mind.

Many people will ask me about my day to day schedule as a 4-H professional. It is constantly changing to meet the seasons! This time of year we are preparing for the Fair with judging, work days at the fair grounds, and other special events. Before the fun stuff (the fair) can happen, I get to do a whole lot of paperwork, working out details, and planning so that when the time comes, things can go smoothly. I prepare risk management documents, plan of activities, contact outside entities for assistance, and work with partners (such as the fairboards) to make things happen.

The chaos, the excitement, and the stress all can be good and bad. While being a 4-H professional does not compare to the stress level of other professions in the same way – it is a lot of pressure. I take it very seriously that there are 500 kids (and their families) relying on me to get the job done, to fix what isn’t right, and to do it professionally. I love my job because I get to provide top-notch experiences for youth in Van Wert County through 4-H. I love it even more because I get to build positive relationships with both my youth and volunteers that I hope last a lifetime for both them and myself. And I love my job the most because when youth succeed over and over again – I’m as proud as their parents.

Thank you to all the supporters, friends, families, and even my own family for all the help throughout my first 6 years here. Without you all, this program couldn’t be where it is today. Let’s keep a good thing going!

Jr. Fair Livestock Sale – Explained!

 I often get questions about how to become a buyer and what all it means to support the Junior Fair Livestock Sale. The sale is the culmination for many livestock projects including 4-H and FFA. It is the end of the road for the many market animals that come to the fair and serves as the conclusion of the junior fair member’s project. To the many supporters of the sale it is the chance to support youth and encourage future projects. Many businesses in and around Van Wert County contribute to the success of the livestock sale every year. This year’s sale will begin at 9:00am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 at the Farm Focus Show Arena at the Van Wert County Fairground.

The most common question I often receive is “Do I have to take the whole animal home with me?” The easiest answer is simply no. The price you bid will be the premium (or extra) that the exhibitor will receive. If you wish to have the animal slaughtered for personal use, you will also be required to pay the support price for that given animal. Often people ask about our policy of the amount of trips an exhibitor may take through the ring. Exhibitors may only go one time per species of animal through the sale ring and are allowed a maximum of two trips through the sale ring. This means that youth who take more than two types of animals must choose which animals go through the ring. Exhibitors do their best to show appreciation for livestock purchases at the fair by posting signs and writing thank you’s.

The Livestock Sale Committee (in conjunction with 4-H Council) works to provide a breakfast for buyers the day of the sale and food throughout the day to keep buyers comfortable. In your support of the sale, we as a junior fair community try our best to give as much appreciation and marketing to businesses that take the time and money to support our youth and the projects they take. The Junior Fair Board, 4-H and FFA appreciate the support given to exhibitors in the program in the past.

With the changes in scheduling, we would like to remind buyers that the sale will be held on Tuesday September 8, 2015, starting at 9:00am at the Farm Focus Arena on the Van Wert County Fairgrounds. If you have any questions regarding the livestock sale, please contact the Ohio State University Extension Office here in Van Wert at (419-238-1214). New buyers are appreciated at any time, and we would love to talk to you about the many opportunities to support the Junior Fair exhibitors!



That’s a 4-H Project?

colored-pencils-374134_150Livestock, foods, sewing, scrapbooking, and cake decorating are all fairly popular and well-known 4-H projects. But did you know that 4-H has some pretty unique projects?  I decided to look over our family guide book of 4-H projects and choose a few of my unique favorites.

4-H members can have an opportunity to explore their roots with the genealogy project, “Family History Treasure Hunt”.   Through the project they explore not only people but interesting events, and special stories from generations previous to them.  This project teaches members how to explore history, and guides them in a way that they can learn about their own heritage.

The theater arts have rose to great popularity in recent years. Many youth enjoy acting, and building stages for local theater productions.  Through 4-H, members are given the opportunity to choose from three books that focus on the theater arts.  Play the Role focuses on acting skills such as voice, speech, movement, and characterization. Puppeteering is another one of the books, and it takes a look at the origins of puppets, types of puppets, and how to make them. Finally, what would acting be without an awesome background? “Set the Stage” teaches 4-H members how to do sets, props, sound, makeup, and stage management. Sounds like all the parts of a good production to me!

Selecting the appropriate furnishings for a room can be hard. Through the home living projects members can explore simple home furnishings, learn the basics about design such as color, flooring, walls, windows, and lighting, or taking those first steps away from your parent’s home in the project, “Your First Home Away from Home”. These projects aim to help members learn not only the principles, but the management of those projects such as a remodel, or living in an apartment.

Public Issues such as hunger, community service, and positive change in communities are just a few of the many things that older members can focus on in the leadership book series. These books are newly revised and/or developed to look at the needs of our communities especially here in Ohio. The books help 4-H members build solutions to problems in their communities and guide them with the proper steps and motivation to do a great job. These projects are just a part of what a member can do, as they open up to projects were they can determine the project for their community.

As you can tell there are many unique 4-H projects that members can choose from. Other unique projects that I didn’t write about include childcare, veterinary sciences, small animals, and costume creation! For more information you can visit Ohio 4-H Project Central at http://ohio4h.org/projectcentral or our local Extension office page at http://vanwert.osu.edu.

Van Wert 4-H Represented at the Ohio State Fair

The many hours dedicated to the completion of a 4-H project all come down to one day of judging. One day, 15 minutes and then the waiting game begins. As I finished up judging at Van Wert  school last Thursday I had to laugh a little at the amount of text messages, phone calls and Facebook messages I received about posting the State Fair delegates as soon as possible. The level of excitement and anticipation that members have about “how they have done” is high and continues to build the longer I wait to post results.

Being selected to represent our county 4-H program for state fair isn’t just any honor. It  means that your project shows 110% effort along with an attitude of wanting to share what you have learned with someone else. These projects are the cream of the crop and often the decision of who to send is so hard that judges debate for long periods of time on who to delegate. Once selected the judging process starts all over again. The time, effort, and love put into the projects that are travelling down to the Ohio State Fair is that of which many will tell you fills their hearts with joy. The feeling of a job well done, and a trip to the State Fair is the big hooray to the end of judging, at least until 4-H awards night at the fair.

I cannot express just how proud I am of the many youth representing Van Wert County 4-H in livestock and still projects at the Ohio State Fair in the coming weeks. I wish them the best of luck, and cannot wait to show off their accomplishments right here!