CORVALLIS, Ore. — Conducting field research. Creating programs for kids. Helping plan and promote events.
"We couldn’t be more pleased with how the program is shaping up in this third year. For the first time we had interns in offices across all six Extension regions, showing interest and participation from all across our state."
These are just three ways interns contributed to the work of Oregon State University Extension Service this past summer. The Extension Internship Program, which places college students and recent high school graduates in county offices across Oregon, recently concluded its third year.
The program has grown significantly since its launch in 2020, when Extension programming was heavily altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation has expanded from 11 interns in 2020 to 13 in 2021 and 28 in 2022.
The internship program began in 2019 as an idea from Wiley Thompson, director of OSU Extension’s coastal region. His goal was to create a meaningful service-learning experience for students while introducing them to OSU Extension’s land-grant mission.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with how the program is shaping up in this third year,” Thompson said. “For the first time we had interns in offices across all six Extension regions, showing interest and participation from all across our state. This program could not be successful without the support of our hardworking county faculty and staff and the local financial contributions. We owe them a debt of thanks.”
Interns, who are paid, work alongside Extension professionals and contribute to programming with new perspectives, diverse ideas and energy. Most interns are from Oregon, and many are current or future OSU students, though the program also attracts students from out-of-state universities such as the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University.
Building skills and community
Interns set learning objectives with their supervisors to guide professional growth in areas such as time management, community relations and content knowledge. They also meet regularly via Zoom sessions hosted by KJ Joseph, instructor in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences, who helps plan and organize the program.
“The check-in meetings are a really important time for students to share their experience, connect about their work, build community, express challenges and hear some of the great programming happening across the state,” Joseph said. “I also believe it’s important to show the interns how much of an impact they can make in OSU Extension now and in their future. They are the next in line to be Extension employees, stakeholders, volunteers and more and I’m excited to be part of that.”
Blogging their experiences
Since the program began, every intern has shared their experiences through posts on the OSU Extension Internship Program blog. Highlights from 2022 include:
- Alyson Yates, student in OSU’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Program at Eastern Oregon University, served two summers as an intern in Lake County. A 4-H state ambassador and photographer, Yates worked with 4-H youth and created a photo database. “I am so grateful for the time I’ve spent working in Lake County, and I am confident that I will carry what I have learned into my future endeavors in Extension programming,” she wrote.
- Perla Gutierrez, from Tillamook and attending the University of Idaho, returned to her home county to work with the Juntos Afuera program, a summer camp that introduces Latino/a/x high school students to outdoor recreation and Latin American cultures. “This internship has been an amazing and challenging opportunity,” she wrote.
- Keon Cohl Kiser, an OSU engineering student, interned in Wasco County after being introduced to Extension through 4-H robotics. “I was immediately challenged in doing things I have had little to no experience participating in like teaching and structuring/creating a curriculum on a consistent basis,” he wrote.
- Maggie Justice, who interned in Grant County in 2020 and assisted with 4-H fair activities, reflected on the value of Extension’s community role: “I think that many people today do not fully comprehend how much Extension offices contribute and help the community, because they truly do a lot that goes unnoticed.”
