This presentation highlights the activities of a grant facilitated through the Limestone County Office of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The 24 youth participated in leadership forums and traveled to actual sites to observe career opportunities in agriculture and family & consumer sciences.

1. Limestone County, Alabama
Betty Ann Broman
County Extension Coordinator
Limestone County
Alabama Cooperative Extension System

2. Funded to support local issues, particularly

involving educational opportunities
Written by local Extension Office (other grants

were written by non-Extension people)
$14,460 was received to implement grant


4. Population of approximately 73,000 residents

Located in the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama

Limestone County School System (6 high schools)

Athens City School System (1 high school)

Two Private Schools (K-12)

559 Square miles

Commuter County to Huntsville

Blend of Agriculture and residential environments;

some manufacturing
Growing Population base


5. Betty Ann Broman, County Extension

Coordinator
Marian Beck, Regional Extension Agent for 4-H

and Youth Development
Verona Hargrave, Agent Assistant for 4-H &

Youth Programs

6. Leadership and Career Opportunities for youth

interested in Agricultural and/or Family and
Consumer Sciences education or careers
(loosely defined)
Give youth opportunities to see first-hand the

mechanisms and relationships between
education, agriculture, family, and the
Alabama economy

7. Experience agriculture enterprises in parts of

Alabama that are different from those practiced
in the Tennessee Valley
Experience first-hand opportunities that others

do not have the chance to see
Build relationships with other teen leaders

Expose youth to „different‟ business

opportunities
Help youth understand the importance of

„thinking‟ and decision-making skills

8. Involve school administrators and FCS/Agri-

Science Teachers
Select up to 24 sophomores and juniors

through application process
Conduct 6 leadership forums (3 spring, 3 fall)

Two summer one-day trips

One five-day trip throughout Alabama

Graduation


9. January – February 2008: Select participants

through application process
March – May: Spring Leadership forums

June 2008: Two one-day trips in North

Alabama
July 2008: One week trip throughout Alabama

September – November 2008

November 22, 2008: Graduation


10. Activity-based

 Team Building
 Trust
 Leadership
 Setting Priorities
 Setting Boundaries/Rules
 Diversity

11. Lecture & Activity Oriented

Continued Teamwork

Risk & Rewards

Management & Planning

Creative Thinking

Leadership & Growth


12. North Alabama Venues (Close to home!)

Educational Opportunities

Agricultural Operations

Family & Consumer Science Opportunities

Entrepreneurial Showcases

Community Investment/Tourism

Research at work


14. Lunch courtesy
Limestone County
Cattlemen’s
Association

15. Isom’s Orchards
(Large commercial peach &
apple operation; other fruits
& vegetables also grown,
Including strawberries)

17. (Home entrepreneurs can ‘rent’
commercial kitchen facilities to
produce home-made goods for
commercial sale)

18. (Vegetables grown in water
medium and sold to local
restaurants)

22. Tuscumbia Community Development
Project. Youth observed vendors and
participated in food demonstrations –
and a little fun.

23. July 14-17, 2008

Twenty Youth; three adult chaperones

Venues throughout the state of Alabama were

selected to show depth of Alabama economy: a
blend of education, agriculture, family &
consumer sciences, research, industry, and
tourism
Alabama Power hosted a Leadership Forum on

the final morning

24. Most fresh restaurant produce in Alabama goes through this
facility

30. Training room orientation and overview: Plant was noisy
and no cameras were allowed in production area!

31. Discussion focused not
only on agriculture, but on
job/career decisions.
Two former Extension
employees – now
employed by Farmer’s
Federation - led the
discussions.)

32. No cameras allowed inside plant!

33. Revitalization of
downtown
Montgomery

37. Located in Birmingham – Trains professional chefs

38. The importance of youth working and learning

as a group
The lack of exposure many of the youth have to

real-life experiences
The enthusiasm of groups (education, industry,

etc.) to host this type of youth group
The impact of networking on the group

How the youth learned to „appreciate‟ each

other

39. Be prepared; Be prepared; Be Prepared!

Communications with parents

 Communications with Schools
 Having all the details about payment worked out in
advance
 Hosts should know purpose of trip
Good selection of participants is important

Best candidates for this type of venture are not

always your top students

40. “It showed me that I may end up in a career that I

didn’t expect to be in, and I may need to make
revisions to my educational plans.”
“This has really opened my eyes to all the different

things there are to do in life.”
“I think the trip opened my eyes to all the work that

goes into everything we use. I am now more aware
about what farmers are going through with their
land, crops and animals. I will try to spread the
things I learned so that others will know what’s
going on in our world.”

41. “One thing that stood out to me about our trip was

how we got access to those places because of
connections. It showed me that impressions are
important. It mad me bore open-minded about
career choices. Hearing everyone talk about how
they got where they are today provided to me that
you can change careers and still be successful.”
“I learned to trust, depend on and how to take

control in a respective way. You have to trust
people even if you just met them.”

42. “Although I wasn’t here for this reason, I learned something

that will benefit me: I learned that you shouldn’t judge
people by the way they look or their social status. You
should be willing to get to know everyone for who they are,
not look down on them because they seem a little crazy or
weird. This past year I’ve had the privilege to get to know a
lot of different people. I wasn’t in my comfort zone all of the
time but I’ve learned that there will be many times in my
future where I won’t be. I’m glad I went on these trips,
especially the week-long trip. You really learn how people
truly are by living with them. I am glad to say that through
this program I have new friends that will last a lifetime. I
am ready to take on college now with an open mind and new
outlook on the way people are.”

43. Betty Ann Broman
County Extension Coordinator
Limestone County
Alabama Cooperative Extension System