Ohio State University Extension/Franklin County

University District Update - 2004

 

 

Prepared by:

Susan Colbert

Ohio State University Extension – University District Agent

1621 N. Fourth St.

Columbus, OH 43201

(614) 294-9720

<Colbert.22@osu.edu>

 

 

4-H Youth Development

  • OSU’s Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing (CSTW), in collaboration with OSU Extension and a Starbucks campus store, received a $5,000 grant from the Starbucks Foundation for area middle school youth to develop and design a community newspaper, Nola NOW, through the use of 4-H curricula, 4-H Writing and Reporting for Teenagers. A van has been transporting at least 5 youth from Indianola Middle School to Maynard on Tuesdays (4:30pm-6:00pm) to work on this project after school. However, after the basketball season up to 10 more students are expected to participate beginning January 2005. Three Starbuck volunteers and 2 OSU graduate students assist with this project.

 

  • OSU Extension received a $4,500 grant from the 4-H Foundation, which was used to leverage in excess of $30,000 from community, corporate and church partners to help area youth gain access to 4-H youth development activities. In addition, parents were able to use the transportation service to seek employment, GED, job fairs and training. Approximately 150 children, youth and adults used this service on a weekly basis during the summer. 

 

  • Volunteers of McGraw-Hill, Inc. helped OSU Extension, sponsored a kickoff during the summer to expose residents to 4-H Youth Development and approximately 150 children, youth and adults attended. They plan to make this an annual community service project. There were horses, rabbits, kittens, sewing, arts/crafts and numerous other displays on site. McGraw-Hill, Inc. also donated $1,000 for back to school supplies to one of our community partners, Neighborhood Services, Inc and collected back to school supplies (valued at $2500).  

 

  • OSU’s Dept of Human Nutrition, in collaboration with OSU Extension, will be deploying 39 students to work in the after school sites located in the University District. They will be using the 4-H Youth Development curricula, Jump into Food and Fitness.  As a result of their collaboration with OSU Extension, the Department received a $16,000 grant, which will afford them an opportunity to expand these curricula to area residents and help students gain valuable experience and practical skills in the community.

 

  • OSU Extension, in collaboration with The Women In Technology, who are assisted by The Women in Technology Computer Engineering (TWICE), have been sponsoring a girls and technology club on Thursdays (4:00-6:00pm) using 4-H youth development curricula. The club limits its’ membership to 10-15 elementary school girls in 4th and 5th grade, who attend Weinland Park at Hudson Street Elementary School. . Transportation is funded by the 4-H Foundation. They learn technology skills and see women in technology as role models for possible career choices. The volunteers share their knowledge with the girls in a weekly computer club format. The youth have learned about 4-H through a visit from members of the 4-H Collegiate Club of OSU. They have been working with Word to incorporate text, graphics and images into documents. They will learn about the inside of computers and developing web pages for themselves and their school.

 

  • The CYFAR (Children, Youth and Families At Risk) team in the University District recently was awarded a $57,000 grant from the Ohio Dept of Jobs and Family Services through the Workforce Investment Act to help area teens develop workforce development skills and experience through the delivery of 4-H Youth Development activities and programs. There were approximately 45 youth in attendance at the LightsOn After-school event on Oct.12, 2004 to promote after-school programming in the area.  

 

  • OSU Extension has been collaborating with the Mentoring Center to provide fingerprinting and background checks to volunteers, who assist with the expansion of 4-H youth development efforts in the District.    

 

  • OSU Extension was assigned an AmericorpsVISTA member, who supervised 5 WIA youth workers, who delivered 4-H youth development activities to 6 sites in the District, totaling in excess of 400 youth. One of the WIA workers gave a televised presentation to City Councilwoman Charleta Tavares about his experience as a 4-H Youth Leader and how it affected not only the children he served, but also how it has affected him academically, socially and mentally.  

                         

Family and Consumer Sciences

  • OSU Extension continues to integrate Money Management workshops in the Job Success program sponsored by Godman Guild and Ohio Dept of Jobs and Family Services. OSU Extension has taught approximately 210 students this past year. 80% of the students surveyed indicated that they would use the knowledge and resources in their daily lives. These seminars are held twice a month (min.6 hours). The seminars focus on budgeting, savings, credit and the basics of banking. The Educator works with representatives from the Urban Financial Services Coalition, who serve as guest speakers and assist in helping residents become economically self-sufficient. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Money Smart curricula, is used and as a result, we’re acknowledged as an alliance member of FDIC. Students are encouraged to participate in the Columbus Saves initiative led by Franklin County Extension.

 

Agriculture and Natural Resources

  • OSU Extension has two Master Gardener volunteers, who provide gardening support, educational workshops, newsletters and assistance to area residents and garden clubs, including the garden at  6th/6th Streets and Medary Elementary School.

 

  • OSU Extension was instrumental in obtaining the assistance from students in the Multicultural Agricultural and Natural Resources organization to help residents maintain the garden at 6th/6th Streets, since many of the members of the newly formed club (10 members) are elderly, infirmed or disabled.  

 

Community Development

  • Actively working with representatives of Community Properties of Ohio (CPO) to forge partnership, whereby we can serve the 600 + Section 8 residents, who reside in federally subsidized housing units in the University District. CPO will operate the Techbridge project out of Maynard, which will help inner city, at-risk teens learn how to build their own computer, learn basic computer and job readiness skills, etc. 

 

  • OSU Extension, in collaboration with Columbus Housing Partnership, sponsored 2 (4 week) sessions on the Home Buying process. These workshops featured topics regarding obtaining a mortgage, realtor, insurance and closing on a home. There were a total of 48 people in attendance.

 

  • OSU Extension is in the process of arranging to have OSU’s Fisher College of Business, sponsor a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program in the District, whereby students offer free tax help to people who cannot afford professional assistance.  This program will be held at Godman Guild, in collaboration with Ohio Dept of Jobs and Family Services and Your Neighborhood Federal Credit Union, during the months of Jan.- April ‘05. We anticipate serving at least 100 residents in the District.   

 

Learning Center

  • OSU’s Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing continues to send a Graduate student to work with the General Education Diploma (GED) students on their reading and writing one day out of the week. Thus, we not only help residents obtain employment, but help them retain it as well.

 

  • OSU Extension, in collaboration with Godman Guild Association, surpassed the goals and objectives of the Technology Access to Better Learning and Education (TABLE) grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. It was our intent to serve approximately 400 residents, however we served in excess of 899 residents. An interactive website was developed for residents transitioning from the welfare to workforce.  

 

  • 338 clients have enrolled in courses being taught at OSU Learning Center in partnership with the Godman Guild Center during the year of 2004.  We serve a multicultural group of residents. There is an average of 80 students taking advantage of our lab during any given week.  

 

  • In collaboration with the Job Success program at the Godman Guild Organization, we gave direction basic, intermediate and advanced computer instruction to 775 job success participants.  Also through this collaboration we gave computer access to 78 GED students, teens, head start staff, directors and employees of the Godman Guild Organization.  Other partnerships or collaborations include the Columbus Metropolitan Library, who sends instructors to teach Internet basics three times a week.

 

  • New to our program since July has been the use of ElementK course manuals that are Microsoft Certified courseware.  Clients who master the materials in these manuals should be equipped to take and pass Microsoft Exams such as the Mous certifications.  The inclusion of these exams leads to us broadening our volunteer base. We know have 6 volunteer instructors, 2 open lab instructors, 1 one on one computer tutor, and 2 administrative volunteers.  Instructors are from Chase Financial IT and Nationwide Insurance.

 

  • We currently offer the following courses: Intro to Computers using Windows, WindowsXP Level I and II, Intro to Office 2003, Word 2003 Level I and II, Access 2003 Level I and II,Excel 2003 Level I and II, PowerPoint 2003 Level I, FrontPage 2003 Level I and Internet Basics.