Success StoryNUEL Success Story 2024



NUEL Success Story 2024

Author: Brian Walker

Planning Unit: KSU Administration

Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership – 4-H Youth Development

Plan of Work: Unrelated to a specified County Plan of Work

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

NUEL Conference Success by Brian Walker 

The 2024 National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Conference was a landmark event this year, bringing together passionate individuals and innovative professionals from across the nation to discuss and showcase advancements in urban extension work. Kentucky State University (KYSU) emerged as a significant contributor, with multiple representatives presenting their groundbreaking work in urban programs, highlighting KYSU’s commitment to fostering community development and sustainable urban living. 

KYSU’s delegation at the 2024 NUEL Conference was from multiple departments, such as 4-H Youth Development, CRD, Horticulture, FCS and Urban AG, accompanied by a dynamic team of extension leaders. Their presentations covered a diverse range of topics, each reflecting KYSU’s dedication to addressing urban challenges through research, education, and community engagements. 

Some of the highlights from this year’s conference were poster presentations, lighting talks, and panel discussions. Here is what was presented.  

1.               “Camping Away, A Non-Traditional Approach for Summer Camp: Presented by Brian Walker, Patrice Thompson, and Danielle Kinder were able to talk and highlight the importance of their signature 4-H Youth Development Camps. They were able to share their data from over five plus years of conducting the program stating the important role that camps can play in an urban setting. Having their camps take on an innovative approach that puts emphasis on veterinary sciences and STEM related careers allows KYSU 4-H team to have a unique platform when it comes to camps.  Their hard work strives to give other extension professionals the opportunity for success in urban areas that will engage youth and stakeholders. 

2.               “Urban-nizing it” a Multistate Collaboration: Presented by Brian Walker, Patrice Thompson, and Danielle Kinder were able to work with other universities that are in urban setting to gather data on essential life skills, leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills among youth participants. Their findings highlighted the value of 4-H programs in an urban setting and underscored the importance of their continued investments and support for their initiatives. By examining these outcomes, they were able to discuss and show the engagement of their youth and stakeholders in urban 4-H programs. 

3.               “Are They Getting It? Evaluating Opportunity for All – A Multistate Collaboration” Presented by Danielle Kinder, Karen Baker, Vernelle Mitchell-Hawkings, Patrice Thompson, Brian Walker, Jenna Jones were able to discuss how 4-H provides an “Opportunity for All” that's designed to provide a positive path toward their future. This Urban Programming Working Group conducted a study to measure the life skill attainment of participants. This multi-state research project was conducted to measure the impact of 4-H programming on youth in urban communities in 5 states. Their presentation explored the NUEL Core Elements of Subject Matter Expertise in Enriching Youth and Strengthening Communities. 

4.               "Forest to Freezer: Elementary Students learn about PawPaws through Ice Cream” Presented by Von Barnes a Urban Ag Agent and Louis Milligan a 4-H Agent showed how native fruit growing in our parks and back yards could be beneficial for future generations to come. They highlighted how effective programming could promote sustainability and a sense of exploration with KYSU PawPaw research. They were able to expose youth to concepts of eating local healthy fruit that will shape their palates and cultivate a lifelong appreciation for foraged paw paws in the local Parklands and Nature Center that will pave the way for the future where food sustainability thrives. 

5.               "Persimmons, The Reason to Eat Ripely in Season Presented by Von Barnes a lightning talk that displayed how eating locally and in season truly makes food taste better. His lighten talk session promoted the theme “Rhythm to the Future,” in which our Urban Ag Agent compared how eating persimmons when fully ripen would taste better and the benefit in seasonal, chemical-free ingredients could be. His hard work working with communities in urban areas highlights the importance of what he does creating lifelong appreciation for the culinary essence of their own neighborhoods. 

 

The presentations by KYSU’s team were met with enthusiasm and admiration from the 347 conference attendees. Their innovative approaches to urban extension work were recognized as exemplary models for other institutions to follow. The success of KYSU at the 2024 NUEL Conference underscored the university’s leadership in urban extension and its ability to create impactful, community-driven solutions. As we look forward to KYSU’s participation for next year’s NUEL Conference let this serve as a testament to the power of dedicated individuals and institutions coming together to address the challenges and opportunities within urban environments. KYSU’s contributions were a shining example of what can be achieved through passion, collaboration, and a commitment to making a difference. 






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