Partnering to Build Internships and Careers
By Darryl Birkenfeld, OC
Director
Ogallala Commons and High
Plains Food Cooperative are conducting a Community Partnering Meeting on Thursday, November 3,
2011 in Leoti, Kansas. The meeting will focus on tools and information to assist partners in
creating pathways to bring youth and adults back to our hometowns--through
internships, new agricultural markets, and other job opportunities.” Those attending will receive a
newly-updated, detailed Community Internship booklet for Community Partners and
Intern Supervisors.
The morning session will
focus on creating Community Internships, and cover topics such as how to build
successful internships, how to finance them, how to build work plans, etc. After lunch, the meeting will shift to
a panel presentation on the future of agriculture. Chris Sramek from Atwood, KS, will introduce the work of the
High Plains Food Cooperative as one approach to creating new agricultural
markets. Sramek will also cover
the creation of a new marketing route along Highway 96 that could connect area
food producers to HPFC’s consumer members in the Denver Metro Region. Contact Simone Cahoj, Director, Wichita
Co. Economic Development for more information or to make a reservation for the
meeting (620.375.2182)
5th Annual Youth E-Fair Coming in
November
Business ideas from over 60 high schools students will be on
display at the 5th Annual OC Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair on
November 15th in Plainview, TX. The Fair will be held on at the Plainview Civic Center,
located at 2902 W 4th Street in Plainview, TX. During the lunch hour from 12noon to
1:15pm the general public will be able to tour the booths that display both potential
and already-operating businesses of youth entrepreneurs from Plainview, Tulia,
Dimmitt, and Nazareth, TX.
Entrepreneurs will be awarded points by
a panel of three judges based on the following criteria: Business Plan,
Interview with Judges, Booth Presentation at the Fair, Network of Support, and
Financing Strategies. Besides earning
valuable experience in business planning, conducting interviews, and selling a
business idea to the public, top finishers in the contest received cash prizes
totaling nearly $5,000, and plenty of encouragement from people who attended
the Fair. Keynote speakers at the
11am session will be 12 students from Booker, TX who operate Kiowa Recycling,
and who also receive dual credit in Environmental Science for their work.
Local Llano: A New Way to Learn About Local Food
Ogallala Commons is not one uniform region. Rather, it is a commonwealth of many
distinct regions and localities…each with unique soils, cultures, and
cuisines. Through its Rebuilding
Local Food Systems Program, Ogallala Commons works to educate and increase use
of fresh, locally-grown produce and foods…something that helps farmers and
consumers in our communities.
In October, Ogallala Commons worked with a group of Community
Interns and volunteers to launch a new weekly blog called Local Llano, to offer
information and education through stories and photos about locally-grown and
prepared food in the Llano Estacado region. OC Community Intern Briony Haechten handles the maintenance
and updating of the blog, and each Wednesday, a new story about growing,
purchasing, preparing, and celebrating local foods is posted. Using the link below, you can check out
our blog, and please be use and take a moment to “like” our Local Llano
Facebook page!
Campo High School Continues to
Encourage Students to be Dream-Followers
by Megan England, President, Campo
Youth Advisory Council
On
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011, the students of the Campo Youth
Advisory Council will host the 2nd Annual Campo Youth Engagement
Day.
This
year’s event will be bigger and better than ever, with exciting break-out
sessions led by presenters from various businesses, non-profit organizations,
colleges, universities, and high schools. The youth are the future of rural
communities such as those in Baca County, Colorado and by hosting this
leadership, entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and career-building day, the
Engagement Day planning team hopes to encourage these rural students to follow
their dreams, dreams that hopefully include returning home to the Great Plains
of Southeast Colorado.
