OSU Extension in Josephine County: 4-H Instills Knowledge for Life

Boy, Extension really is an extension of the university in a way that we don't necessarily think of, in the form of earning degrees or earning credits. Instead, it's earning knowledge for the sake of knowledge to be able to use in real-world situations. For example, our Master Gardeners are fully involved in our community and are teaching people how to raise better vegetables so they can have fuller plates of their own grown food. 4-H is giving youth the ability to be creative, to not only be part of agrarian life but be part of urban life as well. Because ultimately, these two lifestyles are mixing together and the more we can work with both sides of rural versus country life and bring those together, the better off our community is going to be.

My favorite part of the job is seeing eyes wide open, and that comes from students of all ages. From small children, seeing their eyes light up when they see a bug up close, to a master gardener student in their sixties, lighting up their eyes because they understand how important the grass family really is, in the economy of the world. So it's just amazing to see eyes lighting up, sparks firing, and interest being kindled inside people. I think that is the essence of why we get into education is to see the same sense of wonderment in others that we felt ourselves. And at one point, every teacher who wants to pass off that knowledge has had that “Aha!” moment where they have just been flooded with all sorts of enthusiasm and excitement and has impacted our lives in such a way that it has directed our future, and to see young people, old people, to have these paradigm shifts... It's amazing. And it really makes the job worthwhile for sure.