Ogallala Commons Newsletter: December 2010

Adventures in Community Leadership Training:
Early Efforts, New Initiatives

By Chris Sramek, OC Board Member, Atwood, Kansas

Back in 2006, Rawlins County, Kansas initiated a Community Leadership Training Program, through assistance and training from Ogallala Commons. Those efforts built a foundation for a stronger leadership training initiative in the fall 2008, with consultation Rawlins County leaders and our local HTC - KHP Leadership Team, The group began planning a Community Leadership Program which included content from S. Covey’s book, Speed ofTrust, and integrated portions of the adaptive leadership framework from the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC). The program’s design was to link community youth linked to adult members, to provide relationship building and mentoring opportunities between generations, and provide a more challenging extension of previous community leadership programs. The program would engage participation and cross generational dialog with others in the community through an interview process. The original goal was to start the new Leadership Program in the fall of 2009, with a $1,000 grant obtained from Atwood Second Century, but scheduling to the school calendar and planning challenges delayed the start until the fall of 2010.

Here are the main goals of our Speed of Trust Community Leadership Program:

• 1. Work on community trust building: Based on J. Williams’s surveys in 2007, trust was identified as a central issue in the community slowing development progress.
• 2. Connect older and younger community members: Based on the HTC - KHP youth assessment

  completed in 2008, youth engagement and involvement was identified to be a significant concern.

• 3. Build leadership capacity: Building stronger, more competent leaders is a key factor in being an even more successful community in the future.
• 4. Engage more leaders: Major community challenges require more ideas, input and assistance

  from a broader segment of our community than ever before.

Program invitations were mailed to 20 high school youth leaders and 40 adult community leaders with the intent of having an equal representation of youth and adults of varying ages in the program. The first Speed of Trust class had 16 enrolled in session 1 in September 2010 and 14 graduated in session 4 in November. The program consisted of (4) two hour working sessions held in the new RCHS band – concessions addition and homework assigned was to conduct 2 to 3 community interviews and various readings from S. Covey’s book and KLC curriculum.

In session 1, the class was paired into youth and adult partners based on outcomes of a Color’s personality mapping exercise, and then partners chose community members of various ages with whom to conduct an interview. Ten community assessment questions were assigned to be used in the interviews. In session 2, the class discussed and analyzed the responses from 36 interviews, and then prioritized the issues and outcomes to importance to them. In session 3, the class dug deeper into the core issues from the interviews using KLC technical vs. adaptive diagnoses and S Covey’s 13 Trust Competencies. Then they choose the key youth leadership issue of “Getting youth opinions and involvement in community decision making” and diagnosed it deeper. In session 4, class partners made interpretations and observations from another community stakeholder’s perspective on the youth leadership dilemma, using KLC technical vs. adaptive diagnoses and S Covey’s 13 Trust Competencies. The community stakeholders considered where government, school, business, health, families, youth, middle age, elders, ag community and rural County residents north and south. When diagnosis was completed the class discussed several experiments or interventions they could do as a class to fix the dilemma. They also discussed the choice to do nothing, because the issue was too big to make change. To conclude, the class evaluated likes, dislikes and the effectiveness of the program meeting original goals and had a graduation pizza party.

The course had three main outcomes:

• 1. The class wants to participate in two more sessions this spring to: 1. Work on including

  leadership curriculum in the class room and 2. Include more KLC and SOT content.

• 2. The program should be repeated next Fall and Spring with a more diverse group.
• 3. Individual interest in KLC training in Wichita and the Ogallala Commons Summer Internship program.

The Speed of Trust Leadership Class (Back Row left to right): Kurt Dillon, Heather Horinek, Heidi Foster, Keaton Argabright, Rachael Grafel, Delbert Schmidt, Cody Green (Front Row left to right) Chris Sramek, Jenni Sramek, Summer Castens, Abbey Wolters and Pattie Wolters. not pictured Sarah Green, Audrey Basgall and Julie Britton.

Regional Meetings Bolster Internships
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Ogallala Commons recently conducted three regional meetings with partners in our Community Internship Program. On Nov. 16^th, Darryl Birkenfeld traveled to Atwood, KS to meet with partners from Western Kansas and Nebraska. Similar meetings were conducted by OC Education Coordinator Julie Hodges and Darryl at Clarendon Community College in Clarendon, TX on Nov. 28^th and at Abernathy City Hall in Abernathy, TX on Dec. 2^nd. Those who attended these meetings included: County Judges, business owners, high school teachers, Community College faculty, community leaders, and personnel from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

A key outcome of the morning meetings was to obtain feedback from partners regarding the benefits of Community Internships, and the challenges that need to be dealt with and improved upon to build successful internships. Another main outcome was to provide information and new tools to partners, in order to help them recruit capable candidates and build realistic work plans to engage the interns. After a lunch break, the afternoon session was spent reviewing the OC Community Internship Guidebook, so that partners would have a more comprehensive understanding of the main elements of the program.

In the aftermath of these meetings, OC received helpful comments and some new pathways for recruiting new partners to support Community Internships. Besides giving information, the meetings allowed partners to meet and interact with one another, re-igniting the enthusiasm it takes to build and sustain internships. Above all, the gatherings were about making sure that our partners are equipped to work with us to support the 40 Community Internships that we expect in 2011!

Community Internship Partners from Texas share ideas at the meeting in Abernathy (l to r): Morgan Dezendorf, High Plains Food Bank, Amarillo; Clay Wimmer, 2010 Community Intern from Abernathy; David Graf, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent from Tulia; Lydia Villanueva, Director of CASA del Llano in Hereford; Mark Castillo, Spanish Teacher from Hart High School; and Fr. Ken Keller, pastor of Holy Family Church in Nazareth.

2010—Ogallala Commons Best Year Ever!
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Starting a nonprofit with a mission targeting parts of 8 states is an ambitious undertaking. Can it truly be done? In the years 2003-2008, Ogallala Commons had to work through building an identity and overcoming limitations. Now we are finding our niche, and 2010 can be remembered as the pivotal year when OC really turned a corner. Here is a list of several highlights of our banner year:

First, OC was greatly aided and dramatically improved by the work of Julie Hodges. During her 6 month internship from January to July, Julie designed a new OC website, helped conduct 5 Conservation Education Days, while working on the Southern Plains Conference and 2 Local Food Field Days. Julie also completed the materials and interpretative panel for the opening of the Playa Classroom. Just as important, Julie created our Community Interns Blog, a year-round, real-time resource for our interns spread across five states. During her succeeding 6 months as OC Education Coordinator, she coordinated 14 Playa Festivals in Texas and New Mexico (check out the Playa Festival blog:http://playafestival.blogspot.com/ ), in addition to designing guidebooks, brochures, and flyers.

Second, OC established a significant education outreach in 2010. After years with only a few annual events, OC now offers monthly education events that included Youth Engagement Days, teacher trainings, youth entrepreneur fairs, conservation education for landowners, intern orientations, tours, and Playa Festivals at school sites—all told, 30 educational events that instructed over 2,500 attendees in one year, the most ever!

Third, OC grew another vital part of its mission: fostering a sense of place. Our commemoration of the 75^th Anniversary of Black Sunday and the Dust Bowl at the Southern Plains Conference was certainly a highlight for the 150 who attended. Our illustration of 12 Key Assets of Commonwealth of Ogallala Commons resonated with hundreds of people who viewed it on our website or saw it as part of our “Treatise on the Commons” that was published on the website: On The Commons (to read the treatise, link on this link:http://www.onthecommons.org/content.php?id=2749). A growing number of communities are learning about the commonwealth embedded in the unique landscapes, cultures, and stories that form their sense of place.

Fourth, through our evolving Community Internship Program, OC is actually building resilient communities. In 2010, OC and its community and institution partners created 33 internships in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. These interns added tremendous value to their communities and institutions, while developing their skills and gaining work experience. These interns also learned much more about their hometowns, and were able to explore career options that can bring them back in the future. In 2010 alone, OC interns earned $65,000 in stipends from their work experiences, contributed 330 hours of community service, earned 27 hours of college and graduate credit, and submitted over 200 blog entries and 600 photos through the OC Community Intern Blog (www.ogallalaintern.blogspot.com). By year’s end, OC community building work of engaging youth and creating community internships was recognized in the December newsletter of the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship.

Thanks to all our partners for making the vision of reinvigorating the commonwealth grow into reality. Finally, OC would not have had a banner year without the committed work and insights of our Board of Directors and Advisory Council. With your continued involvement and support, we look forward to 2011!

Teri Reed from Friona, TX, a 2nd place winner at OC's Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair on Nov. 9th, receives her $1,000 prize check from the two donor partners: Cargill Feeders, Inc. (represented by Bil Anderson of Lockney, TX), and John Bertsch, a Certified Financial Planner based in Plainview, TX. (Photo taken by Thomas Reed)

My First Official Year with Ogallala Commons
By Julie Hodges

When it came time for me to find a place to do my internship, Ogallala Commons seemed a natural fit. First of all, it operates in my home - a place with landscapes, history, culture and other “heritagey” things that I am passionate about preserving. Second, the people associated with OC are interesting, talented and inspiring. And to top things off, it was a place where I could use my skill, training and talents to do something good and not be trapped in a windowless basement in the process!!

I was honored and excited in June when Darryl asked me to stay on with Ogallala Commons not as an intern, but as the Education Coordinator.

Throughout my internship and as OC’s Education Coordinator, I have worked harder, more passionately, with earlier and later hours, and on the most diverse set of projects than I have ever encountered at any other job in my life. I have done much of this from my home office. However, I have also traveled a total of 7,683 miles to 19 communities in 4 states, given my “how to id birds” talk over 50 times, introduced 1,500 students to the idea of nature journaling, read over, reviewed, graded or logged in over 3500 assessments, surveys, evaluations and questionnaires, given 5 big presentations (“big” means presentations to large groups of grownups at meetings where jeans were not appropriate), helped to coordinate 31 community internships in 6 states, managed 3 blogs, overhauled one website, completed an outdoor classroom, written one grant and a couple of grant reports, attended countless meetings, upgraded my cell phone to the “unlimited plan”, etc.

In my “spare time” I was a mom, a grad student, a volunteer at the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, added a bedroom onto my house and in November my boyfriend and I eloped in New Mexico and then came home and began a consulting firm called Prairie Workshop, LLC. I am now Julie Hodges and I have gained two new sweet daughters (to go along with my daughter Rhiley) as well. I look forward to another busy year at home and with OC.

Julie Hodges and Jason Hodges in Taos, NM after the wedding!

Stewarding Natural Resources,
A letter from the Education Coordinator…

2010 was an exceptional year for Playa Festivals and other Ogallala Commons (OC) environmental education efforts. Here are a few highlights:

We conducted a total of 5 Conservation Education Days throughout the panhandle of Texas during the early spring of 2010. These events were similar to past events where we train teachers and educators before they host a Playa Festival. The 2010 twist was to invite landowners to learn alongside and network with educators over a meal. We offered a delicious lunch, intriguing presentations on playas, the Ogallala Aquifer and federal programs for playa conservation as well as a unique opportunity to mingle. Through all 5 of these Conservation Education Days, Ogallala Commons educated a total of 68 teachers and landowners. The events were a great success, reaching a new group and continuing to energize area educators.

On June 8^th of this year, OC opened the world’s first Playa Classroom, an outdoor education center with interpretive panels, classroom space, rainwater harvesting, a xeric garden--- all set along the edge of a 20-acre playa in Nazareth, Texas. Dubbed as “A place to see, touch and experience a prairie wetland,” the Playa Classroom was visited by an estimated 400 people of all ages.

The Playa Classroom was the site for Ogallala Commons’ first-ever Playa Management Field Day on August 20^th. The Field Day was attended by 45 people—NRCS staff, OC interns, and 17 landowners! Of those 17 landowners, 14 reported one or more playas on their properties, and based on the acreage estimate that they wrote down in the surveys, our Field Day education presentations can potentially impact the management of 445 acres of playa basins.

September and October 2010 were busy months for Ogallala Commons and the wonderful folks that help us put on Playa Festivals. This past fall we bravely dove head first into 7 weeks of full calendars, logging hundreds of miles on pavement and dirt roads, criss-crossing the Southern High Plains with binoculars and journals in hand. All in all, over 1,500 5^th graders, their teachers and communities were engaged in hands-on learning through 14 Festivals. We also created the Playa Festival Blog – check it out - http://playafestival.blogspot.com/ and a Playa Festival Web Page!! – check it out too! - http://www.ogallalacommons.org/playafestival.html

Coming in 2011…

We have a few things up our sleeves for 2011 including:

• 1. A Playa Trunk full of resources for educators
• 2. A Video about Playa Festivals that will make you smile
• 3. Even more Playa Festivals than last year!!!!!
• 4. Playa Classroom expansion and additions

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: November 2010

Forming Observations

By Tabitha King

Internships are funny things. There is always the chance that being an intern means becoming the office’s official new “coffee getter.” Lucky for me, my Rural and Community Health internship has been anything but mundane. I am not stuck in an office, and have the opportunity to visit rural communities such as Dimmit, Olton and Tulia that I may otherwise never see. The internship has many aims including the aforementioned site visits, volunteering, setting up a panel discussion and creating a community observation tool. The observation tool is arguably the most challenging part. It will be used by attendees during a breakout session at the 22^nd annual Southern Plains Conference.

The idea is for attendees to walk around Nazareth, Texas and answer questions about how they view health in the community. The hope is after the conference they can use this same tool in their own town. Questions range from the environmental to the physical health of the community and its members. The main challenge for me has been forming a cohesive and complete observation tool on one front and back piece of paper. The idea of rural healthcare is extensive and each time I visit a new hospital or interview someone actively involved in rural healthcare I learn one more piece of the puzzle. The conference, in February, which seemed so far away in August, is quickly approaching. It will be the culmination of my work, and where I finally get to see what the impact of my observation tool will actually be.

Tabitha King is from McKinney, Texas. She is a senior at Texas Tech University majoring in Natural Histroy and Humanites with an emphasis in Pre-Medicine. She is also a Community Health Intern for Ogallala Commons.

Intern Video Created in Hopes of Creating Even More Excitement

By Alexis Schwarz, OC Intern

As many of you know, I’m the PR and Multimedia intern for OC this fall. One of my main jobs these past few months was to make a movie that would be presented at conferences, meetings, and trainings in hopes to create buzz and excitement for the many internship opportunities that OC offers.

This short video is informative…but it’s also something that most are not, shown through the eyes of the interns. Who better to give input and insight into the internships than the interns that have already completed them first-hand?

The five minute video highlights accomplishments by individual interns, the overall goal of OC itself, and rules and lessons learned throughout your experience with OC. The presentation is complete with pictures, quotes, articles, and hopefully recorded interviews with several interns a little later on…and of course the perks, including free college credit-what can beat that?

Hopefully with the addition of this new intern video, it not only provides interested individuals with information on the OC internships, but gives it a personal spin into what it really means to be a part of Ogallala Commons.

Youth Entrepreneur Fair
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Aspiring teenage entrepreneurs demonstrated exciting business ideas at 4th Annual Ogallala Commons Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Fair, held on Nov. 9th at the Plainview Civic Center in Plainview, TX. During the public viewing session from 12noon to 1:15pm, a large crowd examined the exhibit booths of the 34 contestants in the E-Fair from Castro, Swisher, Parmer, and Hale Counties. The three top finishers in two categories received cash prizes and abundant encouragement, which was the main objective of the Fair.

The following prizes were awarded to four students and their business ideas in the “Ready-to-Go” Business Category: 1st place ($1,200) Savanna Bragg, Tulia, Savanna B Photography; 2nd Place ($1,000) Teri Reed, Friona, Teri’s Online Treasures; 3rd Place ($750) Shyann Rainey and Haley Beasley, Lazbuddie, TekNoob. The three judges for this category were: Matty McLain, Entrepreneur Alliance, Amarillo, TX; Deana Sageser, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Plainview, TX; and Donald Schenkel, , Lubbock SCORE, Lubbock, TX.

In the “Still-in-the-Future” Business Category, the following prizes were awarded to four students and their business ideas: 1st place ($1,200) Lane Birkenfeld, Nazareth, High Plains Wind Power; 2nd Place ($1,000) Phylissa Kinser, Dimmitt, Kinser’s Equine Therapy; and 3rd Place ($750) Keeley Burris and Kaileigh Edwards, Lazbuddie, K& K Wind Farming. The three judges for this category were Debbie Gonzales, Assistant Vice President, First Financial Bank, Hereford, TX; Heath Acker, Business Lending Officer, Amarillo National Bank, Amarillo, TX; and Andy Hart, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Plainview, TX.

Savanna Bragg, an OC Community Intern for Swisher County, TX in 2010,  displays her exhibit booth for her business: Savanna B Photography at  the Nov. 9th Youth E-Fair.  Savanna received good information and  resources for launching her business website at the OC Youth  Entrepreneur Camp back on July 7th.

Consolation prizes were also awarded to these five students and their business ideas: ($300) Cale Wilhelm and Carl Huseman, Nazareth, C&C’s Custom Landscaping and Mowing Service and ($300) Johnny Padilla, Alex Duarte, and Jonathan Diaz, Tulia, P & Double D Cinemax.

In addition their interview with the judges and displaying their business ideas, contestants were treated to a bus tour of programs at South Plains College-Plainview Campus, and Wayland Baptist University. Paul Henderson, Workforce Solutions Director at South Plains College-Plainview, also shared stories and insights with the youth entrepreneurs. Texas Department of Agriculture and S.I.F.E. (Students Involved in Free Enterprise) set up displays with pertinent information to further aid the entrepreneurs.

Ogallala Commons wishes to thank the following companies for their donations of cash prizes for the winning projects: CHS Foundation and Tulia EDC ($1,000 each)as well as Holy Family Church-Nazareth, Peoples Bank-Nazareth, Entrepreneur Alliance, Amarillo National Bank, Happy State Bank , Cargill Feeders, and John Bertsch, CFP, Plainview, TX ($500 each). Donations of $250 were also contributed by First Bank Muleshoe-Dimmitt, Swisher Electric Cooperative, and the Swisher County Industrial Foundation, and $200 from Tulia Rotary Club.

Winners of the OC Regional Youth E-Fair held in Plainview, TX (l-r): 
Savanna Bragg, Tulia; Lane Birkenfeld, Nazareth, Teri Reed, Friona; 
Shyann Rainey, Lazbuddie, Haley Beasley, Lazbuddie; Keeley Burris, 
Lazbuddie; and Phylissa Kinser, Dimmitt.

The Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair is a project of Ogallala Commons, a nonprofit community development network offering leadership, education, and technical assistance to rural communities. Additional Youth E-Fairs are held in Atwood, Kansas and Springfield, Colorado in spring 2011. The top three winners in each division from the regional Youth E-Fairs will be invited to complete in a multi-state Champions E-Fair in Amarillo, Texas on July 25, 2011. For more information, please contact Darryl Birkenfeld, Director of Ogallala Commons (806-945-2255).

Campo Youth Engagement Day is Exactly That
By Megan England

On Wednesday, November 17^th, 2010, the Campo Junior/Senior High School was filled with the sounds of over one hundred students from all five schools in Baca County attending the very first Campo Youth Engagement Day.

A Youth Engagement Day is just that—a day to engage the youth and get them involved in their communities and excited about their future. In its most basic form, the Youth Engagement Day was a leadership conference encouraging today’s young people not to wait to “grow up” to do exciting and challenging things in preparation for their future.

Sponsored by the non-profit organization, Ogallala Commons, and hosted by the Campo School District, the day consisted of a keynote speech by Ogallala Commons’ executive director, Dr. Darryl Birkenfeld, and eleven different breakout sessions. However, what made this ‘leadership conference’ unique was the fact that it was planned and organized by students, for students—specifically the Campo Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The YAC is a group of students in leadership of a program at Campo School called Service-Learning who believe that it is very important for youth to have a voice in their communities. As a result of that belief, and with priceless help from the Superintendent Nikki Johnson, the Campo School staff and students, and UCCS Leadership student, Lani Finck, the YAC planned and organized everything from the food and door prizes, to the day’s schedule.

During the keynote speech that began the day, Dr. Birkenfeld informed the students about Ogallala Commons, and more specifically, the internships the organization offers that “provide experiences that illustrate both the key assets and the serious challenges present in rural areas.” Dr. Birkenfeld also encouraged students to think about returning home after getting their education and making a life in the rural communities that make the area so unique. “These internships enable rural communities to constructively utilize the skills of their youth and adults, and to inspire home-grown talent to return in the future--to live, work, play and raise their families.”*

After Dr. Birkenfeld’s presentation, students were given the opportunity to choose three interactive breakout sessions that applied to their interests. The sessions throughout the remainder of the day were presented by representatives from Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU), Lamar Community College (LCC), University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS), Otero Junior College (OJC), and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Other presenters included the Campo YAC, the Baca County CSU Extension agent, and the coordinating team for Campo School’s ‘Healthy Schools’ grant. Topics ranged from college rodeo to a career in nursing, from the danger of digital footprints to living the American Dream from rural areas, and that’s just listing a few.

The Campo YAC extends their sincere thanks to Ogallala Commons and director Darryl Birkenfeld, area school administrators, especially their own Mrs. Johnson, the attending students, the Campo School Staff, and the rest of the day’s leadership, organization, and planning team. The event was very well-received, and upon reviewing students’ evaluations of the day, the YAC got a lot of positive feedback and great suggestions on how to improve on future Youth Engagement Days.

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: October 2010

Interning in Washington DC…Priceless!
by Simone Cahoj, 2007-2008 OC Community Intern

I am currently doing an internship for Congressman Jerry Moran. He is the U.S. representative for Kansas’ First District which covers 69 counties. My daily tasks do not change much. I am responsible for answering phone calls, entering data, writing letters to constituents and leading tours of the Capitol building. While these tasks are the norm, I do get assigned special tasks such as updating the website, helping with scheduling and writing articles for our weekly newsletter.

This internship is quite different than the Ogallala Commons internship program, as the daily tasks are often the same. This internship is, however; especially important for building key relationships and skills for a future job on Capitol Hill. I feel that interning for Congressman Moran is a great experience because I’m getting the opportunity to expand my horizons in Washington, DC as well as learn more about public service from a national level. I have enjoyed working with Ogallala Commons for many years helping build local communities and have been able to use these skills from a national standpoint.

I have seen different opportunities to start a career working on Capitol Hill and internships in Congressional offices are the perfect way to do that. While the tasks seem menial, learning how to research, write in a certain way and use the databases are actually important skills to have when searching for jobs out here. I can see myself working for a Congressman or Senator after graduating in May for a while. There are also interesting groups the Heritage Foundation and Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) that represent my interests and I would enjoy working for. The beauty of working in Washington, DC is that things are always changing and working here and then moving home, wherever that may be, is seen as normal. I still want to return to Atwood and start my own business in the future. I miss open spaces and starry nights too much to stay in the city forever.

Two important things that I have learned are that first, internships are still the best way to figure out what you want to do in life and build some skills. I now possess knowledge about legislation that I wouldn’t have had otherwise and this experience has helped me grow as a person. Second, I’ve learned that it’s important to get away and discover yourself, but there’s no place like your hometown. Your experiences there helped you grow into the person that you are and you will always be welcome there.

Internships Uncover Agricultural History
By Tom Giessel, OC Board Member

Historic Fort Larned, in Pawnee County, Kansas is the site of a recent Ogallala Commons internship. Established in 1859 for the protection of travelers, commerce and mail, its military history spanned a brief nineteen years. The sturdy buildings and rich soils easily transformed into a working ranch following the decommissioning of the facility. In 1964, the National Park Service purchased the ranch and incorporated the Fort into the National Park System.

The military history of the Fort is well documented. However, the era of the working farm and ranch has little recorded history. In addition to the traditional crops and livestock raised in our area, the ranch produced sugar beets, onions, kaffir corn and many other foods. There was an extensive irrigation system of flumes and ditches, as well as a large garden. Only a few employees of the Frizzell Ranch survive. Our internship centered on identifying these people and gathering history by conducting oral interviews. Kevin VonFeldt, Larned, KS and Scarlett Olsen of Burdett, KS worked with National Park Service [NPS] staff in identifying these individuals, interviewing and transcribing the history.

While the focus of these two internships center on Kevin, Scarlett and a small slice of local history, the results are far reaching. A local conversation sprouted about the significance of Fort Larned history. The area media covered the project. People were calling and suggesting names of individuals to interview. Many were anxious to tell their story. Locals renewed with the sense of place. The NPS witnessed a revitalized connection with the community. The project has taken a life of its own.

Structuring internships may not be as much of a science, as it is an art. My adventure of molding a local internship became easier, as I listened to others and engaged our commonwealths. Our ancestors came to the Plains with visions of what might be. Nothing manmade was in place. In time, a place was manmade. A gainful internship extends roots, cultivates communities and sows the seeds to feed the future.

Symbols: Understanding OC's Logo
By Joe Franco, OC Board Member

A symbol is loosely defined as something that represent something else by association, resemblence or convention. Furthermore, a symbol can convey certain invisible or intangible principles, patterns or values through material objects or signs. It is this definition which will best serve to discuss the logo of Ogallala Commons and its meaning.

”Nature is written in symbols and signs.” John Greenleaf Whittier

The Ogallala logo is not an artistic design of egotistical genius; rather, the design was developed with the clear understanding of the principles and values that Ogallala Commons represents. The entire logo is comprised of two circles and two arrows with three different colors.

The circles or rings of the logo shows wholeness and continuity, everywhere the same and containing no diffferences within it. The central circle is reddish-brown in color or earthtone. This central ring is our first boundry of influence. It presents Ogallala Commons commitment to protecting our natual resources. One of the first places to start this work is literally in our own back yards through an understanding of our impact on the environment. The outer ring or circle forms a boundry around the central princples. Keep in mind that the circle is a two-dimensional shape of a sphere. The blue color reminds us of the clear sky and life-sustaining water of the the Ogallala Aquifer. The arrows represent flow or flow of energy. The flow is represented with arrows which change directions at 90 degrees. This denotes focused energy. The arrows seek the center/centre of the ring, then flow back out to the boundries. The green arrow shows the focused energy of nature’s seed as it springs from the earth toward fruition, then to harvest. The blue arrow represents the rain which falls to the earth and filters it’s way back to the outer ring of the Ogallala Aquifer. This directed energy also represents the flow of ideas and energy which starts in the communities, flowing toward the center to be reinvigorated, then flowing back out to effect change. Although not all-inclusive, I hope that this presentation serves as a start to understanding Ogallala Commons mission and values from a symbolic level.

Youth Entrepreneurs Gear Up for OC Competition
by Darryl Birkenfeld, OC Director

Next month, 34 teenagers from around the Texas Panhandle and South Plains will be entering 20 business projects at the 4^th Annual Ogallala Commons Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair, to be held at the Plainview Civic Center in Plainview, TX on November 9th.

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 $4,850, and plenty of encouragement from people who attended the Fair. There will be two categories for this Fair: already created and existing products or services, as well as conceptual products or service ideas. The three top three products or concepts exhibited in each division at the Fair will receive cash prizes: first place: $1,200, second place: $1,000, and third place: $750. The Fair is sponsored by Ogallala Commons and its community and business sponsors who are donating the cash prizes.

To be eligible for the E-Fair, aspiring entrepreneurs had to submit a business plan for their idea or product by October 22nd. At the November 9th event, contestants will present their idea or product with a booth, a short interview, and their business plan. Winners of the top three prizes will be selected based on total points earned in the following criteria: Business Plan, Interview with Judges, Booth Presentation at the Fair, and Adaptability or Feasibility of Concept or Product to a Rural Area.

OC Website Update is 90% Complete
By Julie Boatright

In January of this year, Ogallala Commons began working with Griffin-Wink Advertising, Inc. in Lubbock, Texas on a major overhaul of our website, www.ogallalacommons.org. The former website was completely erased, leaving us to start from scratch. The fresh start was a chance to review and revise many documents and lead to the addition of several new features.

One such feature is Google Analytics, an enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives insight into our website traffic. Using this feature we can see how many people visit ogallalacommons.org, when they visit, where they visit from and how they got to our website, what they look at, and how long they spend on the website. Here is what Google Analytics is telling us:

Since we launched the new website on April 1, 2010 we have had a total of 1,211 visits with 4,741 page views. Analytics reports that of these visits, 788 were unique, meaning we have had a total of 788 different people look at our website. The average person looks at 4 pages of our website per visit, spending an average of 2 minutes per page. Half of all visitors arrived at our website via search engines, 30% came directly to the website (meaning they typed in our address on their web browser) and the remaining 20% came from websites that referred them to us (links). Most visits (96%) came from the United States – see picture.

Being somewhat of a technology geek, I could go on and on and on with more numbers and interesting facts about visits to our website, but I will spare you. More importantly, I should point out some of the new additions to ogallalacommons.org:

The Playa Festival Page – Complete with downloadable materials for educators, links to news articles, information on the outdoor classroom and more.

Contribution Page – Folks interested in contributing to Ogallala Commons may now make donations on our website using PayPal.

News & Events – The new website features a link to “The Place” where the latest news, calendar and info about Ogallala Commons is posted monthly.

There are still a few updates and a couple of web pages that we plan to change, but overall the website is 90% complete. If you haven’t visited ogallalacommons.org lately, please do and let me know what you think.

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: September 2010

OC Puts Time and Energy Into Youth Engagement

By Darryl Birkenfeld

On September 15^th in Nazareth, TX, Ogallala Commons worked with community partners to host its eleventh Youth Engagement Day. Back in October 2005, Ogallala Commons held its first Youth Engagement Day at Rawlins County High School in Atwood, Kansas. Since that initial event, OC has conducted other Youth Engagement Days in Texas (6), New Mexico (1), Oklahoma (1), and Kansas (1), with the twelfth Youth E-Day set to be held in Campo, Colorado on November 17^th.

OC’s process of engaging youth has evolved with practice and experience. At first, our Engagement Days were more like a youth rally, with 100 or more teenagers from different towns gathering in a school gym to receive a key message: your community needs your involvement now, and we want youth to know we want them to come back to our communities in the future, if they choose to. The rest of the event consisted of workshops or tours of the local community that introduced youth to businesses or possibilities that could bring them back to their hometowns, or increase their involvement in their community. In the past two years, OC Youth Engagement Days still bring together students from several towns and the message about coming home is remains central, but we focus more on introducing youth to a group of entrepreneurs from the community…allowing high schoolers to meet and learn from people who they might not hear from otherwise…adults who have actually chosen to return to their hometowns and have built a promising career or business.

At recent Youth Engagement Days, we now offer teenagers a different roadmap for their future: the 12 Key Assets of the Commonwealth. This map gives teens more options for future careers, as well as a greater appreciation for the place where they currently live.

Thirdly, our Youth Engagement Days include and involve every youth who attends because we acquaint them with something every youth already has: a dream. We call it the E-Dream--a powerful vision in which “E” can represent a multitude of adjectives: educational, electronic, entrepreneurial, exciting, etc. Maybe the only word that “E” doesn’t stand for is easy, because no realistic, worthwhile career dream will be easy. We make sure that every young person can start their journey by reflecting on the five components of their E-Dream: start at home, start with what you have, start with who you are, start with where you are, and start now.

The atmosphere and the foundations set down by Youth Engagement Days blends very well with Entrepreneur Fairs and Community Internships, two other vital components of OC’s overall approach to engaging youth.Ultimately, youth engagement is exciting, but it is not primarily about entertaining teenagers or setting them apart from adult society. At a successful Youth E-Day, adults receive the chance to become just as engaged as youth, because both groups are learning together and exchanging energy and passion that can rejuvenate the community.

Recap of September 15 Youth E-Day

It was a bit warm on that Wednesday morning, but 50 students hiked around the playa and classroom south of Nazareth, TX, to get an up-close view of 6 promising career fields that have do with natural resources management, at the 4th Annual Youth Engagement Day. The high school and junior high students came from Dimmitt, Hart, Nazareth, Tulia, Happy, and Kress schools. After gathering in the morning at the Nazareth Community Hall to tour 12 career information booths set up by South Plains College, Amarillo College, Texas Tech, WTAMU, and Wayland Baptist, as well as TX Dept. of Ag and Texas Workforce Solutions, everyone headed to the outdoor site for the 2-hour Career Exploration Walk-About--where 25 adult teachers, presenters, and career exhibitors joined in.

Out on the land, a group of students at the Youth Engagement Day who listen intently to Mario Avila of the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Lubbock, TX, as he describes internship and career opportunities with NRCS in rural counties or anywhere in Texas or the nation.

The students were able to learn about the general fields of conservation education, Natural Resources Conservation Service careers, using livestock to build a profitable business, as well as wildlife biology, wind and solar energy, and water-wise landscape design—fields in which young people can build careers, jobs, and businesses that they could bring back to their hometowns. Returning to the Community Hall, the group enjoyed a fine hamburger lunch catered by Christy Acker, with whole wheat buns donated by Lowes store in Tulia, and patties from Paidom Meats, a local entrepreneur. In the wrap-up session, students and teachers learned about further opportunities through the upcoming Regional Youth Entrepreneur Fair on Nov. 9th in Plainview, and potential community internships through Ogallala Commons in summer 2011. An inspiring closing presentation was given by Chris Bunnet, a college-age youth who started KB Recycling in Amarillo. Bunnet operates this growing business while attending college classes, and the business now has over 160 customers in Amarillo and Canyon who pay for their innovative service: curbside recycling. By the close of the event, everyone left the Youth Engagement Day with new ideas, resources, and inspiration to design their own successful career paths.

OC Board Member Shares Her Experience
By Mary Libby Campbell, Bueyeros, NM

If you want to feel inspired by the youth of today, try attending a Youth Engagement Day. I was honored to be asked to present information about our ranch, Yesterday's Valley Ranch, located in Northeastern New Mexico. We have a small cow-calf operation and raise "All Natural" "Angus Source Verified" Beef, and my topic was "Harvesting Solar Dollars Through Animal Grazing."

It was a wonderful opportunity to interact with young people from several area schoolsand explain to them that a career as a Cattle Producer can be fun and sustainable, provided you keep our natural resources in mind and utilize them to reduce expenses. As I explained about "rotational grazing" it was fun to watch them "get it" that there are different ways to do the same thing that has always been done on a ranch. The concept of keeping cattle in one herd and rotating them throughout the ranch so that vehicle, labor, and fuel expenses are reduced while the grass is allowed to grow made sense to them.

Mary Libby Campbell used great props at her station to illustrate how sound ranch management positively impacts that land, the watershed, and the community.

I was very impressed by the students as they listened attentively, asked questions, and each one thanked me for being there. The future is in good hands with these wonderful students. I experienced a great sense of pride in speaking with these young people -- almost as much as I felt the first time I saw our "All Natural" Beef displayed in the window of a meat case.

Playa Festivals are Well Underway
By Julie Boatright, OC Education Coordinator

Landon Kirby of the NRCS strolls across a spikerush covered playa basin with students from Whiteface, Plains and Morton, Texas.

Throughout September and continuing into October, Ogallala Commons will present a total of 14 Playa Festivals for 5^th grade students from 20 different schools throughout the panhandle of Texas and in eastern New Mexico.

Simply put, a Playa Festival is a two-day crash course on regional water issues, ecology, and nature. OC, along with experts in fields ranging from wildlife biology and plant id to creative writing and duck calling take over an entire 5^th grade for two solid days of hands-on, outdoor learning. We educate students about the water cycle, soils, and looming global challenges focusing on our region’s unique playa basins. The experience is interdisciplinary, exploring complex issues through science, history, biology, art and creative writing. Mostly, however, our goal is to encourage and foster exploration, understanding and admiration of the natural resources we have all around us.

Hundreds of students from Oak Grove Elementary in Brownfield, TX toured a playa. Reporters from the Lubbock Avalanche Journal covered the experience. Read more at http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2010-09-25/brownfield-fifth-graders-learn-importance-playa-lakes

None of this would be possible without the dedication and effort put forth by our crack team of educators. Dave Haukos, Jim Steiert, Gail Barnes, Bill Johnson and several Natural Resource Conservation Service agents will have driven hundreds of miles, made dozens of presentations, and hiked several (possibly chiggery) miles to do their part at each Festival.

To read first hand accounts of some of the 2010 Playa Festivals, visit the Playa Festival Blog at www.playafestival.blogspot.com. For more information on Festivals, visit the OC Playa Festival webpage at www.ogallalacommons.org/playafestival.html

Students compare soil types at the Playa Festival in Abernathy, TX on September 16th.

Intern Intro
By Sarah Le

Hello! My name is Sarah Le and I am attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. This is my last year of my undergraduate career, and I am majoring in Natural History and Humanities. Essentially, my major is the study of nature/ natural surroundings and how it affects people, along with how people affect their natural environment.

2010 intern, Sarah Le, pictured at the Grand Canyon.

Growing up in t

he suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas, I was completely oblivious to the many different flor

a and fauna that surrounded me on a daily basis. Being here in Lubbock and having this major

has opened my eyes to the natural world. I am constantly learning how cruc

ial it is to be a good steward of natural resources. In this internship with Ogallala Commons I hope to learn how to affectively equip people with knowledge of

their natural environment. My major project with O.C. is putting together a Playa Trunk that can be checked out by fifth grade elementary teachers. This playa trunk will contain several different

lesson plans that will teach students

about the different aspects of playas and why they are important. If we desire to see change in the way our natural resources are being used, we must close the gap of ignorance by educating. What I have learned in my Natural History and Humanities classes have been indispensable to me; it has reshaped my life. I have come to love nature, and my hope is to share that passion with others.

Click Here to follow Sarah Le, and the rest of the OC interns as they blog about their experiences.

A wet playa east of Brownfield, TX....visited during Playa Festivals