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

Ogallala Commons Newsletter: August 2010

Harvesting Season
By Darryl Birkenfeld

Trucks are rumbling down our rural dirt roads and highways these days, hauling in silage and dryland corn—the beginnings of the fall harvest. Following similar patterns, Ogallala Commons has instituted harvesting ceremonies of all our OC Community Interns.

Carolina Balderas from Hereford, TX, poses with her intern medallion after finishing her Harvesting Ceremony during the High Plains RC&D Quarterly Meeting at Mariposa Ecovillage in Amarillo, TX. On the left of the photo is Lydia Villanueva, Carolina’s supervisor, who is Director of Casa del Llano, a nonprofit community organization in Hereford, TX (on the right, Darryl Birkenfeld presented the medallion on behalf of Ogallala Commons).

Things got underway back in late July with Harvesting Ceremonies in our northwest Kansas communities, with additional August ceremonies scattered around Texas. As just as one example, on a Monday (Aug. 9th), I was able to attend two harvesting ceremonies on the same day. It started at 9am at the Swisher County Commissioners Court meeting in Tulia, TX. I listened as Thomas Edwards and Savanna Bragg spoke to the County Commissioners and showed powerpoint presentations of their blog entries…to illustrate all they had done during their 8- weeks of interning. It was a very educational for the Commissioners, and a good accounting for the $2,000 that Swisher County invested in these interns. Later in the evening, I witnessed two Harvesting Ceremonies for interns Larissa Gardner and Michelle Hochstein at the Holy Family Church Parish Council and Finance Council Meeting in Nazareth, TX, attended by 20 people. Holy Family Church and the Knights of Columbus had invested $4,000 in three community interns. Over the past week, I attended two more Ceremonies (see photo captions)

Ethan Pruitt (left) from Whiteface, TX, receives his medallion from OC Director Darryl Birkenfeld, following Ethan’s Harvesting Ceremony during the Playa Management Field Day on Aug. 20^th in Nazareth, TX. Ethan is beginning his freshman year at Texas Tech University as a Natural Resource major. Ethan’s supervisor, NRCS District Conservationist Landon Kerby, also attended the Field Day.

Because they are public presentations, Harvest Ceremonies are a cause for some nervousness and trepidation. How do you put into words and images all that you have been working on for so many weeks…in front of people that you may not know? Though it can feel a bit overwhelming and tedious, harvesting is crucial for gathering up, for giving an accounting, and for savoring and bringing closure. No matter where they have taken place, here are some important things that I see happening at Harvesting Ceremonies:

• Interns offer excellent presentations where they give voice to what was accomplished through their internship, what the community gained, and what the intern learned.

• Interns gain valuable experience in public speaking – a prerequisite to their careers development, and an aspect of being a leader in a community, organization, etc.

• Interns and their supervisors are affirmed for their work by the community, and can answer questions and receive comments from the community.

• Dozens of local citizens and members of intern investing organizations are hearing first-hand accounts of what Community Internships are and how they impact interns and communities.

An additional feature that OC would like to see at Harvesting Ceremonies is the Presentation of the OC Medallion. These round Medallions are made of pewter, with the OC logo in the center circle, surrounded by 18 stars, attached to a green and white cloth band. On the back of the medallion is the inscription: 2010 Ogallala Commons Community Intern. We want all interns to receive this special medallion as a symbol of their growth, accomplishments, and their membership as a “commoner” in Ogallala Commons. Since we didn’t come up with the idea of medallions until mid-July, we will be sending medallions to all interns who didn’t have them at their Harvesting Ceremony.

Intern Reunion Scheduled for 2011

Interns and supervisors, mark your calendars for our Ogallala Commons Community Intern Reunion! This event will take place in Amarillo, Texas on July 24th and 25th. Our OC Intern Program will be in its 5th year in 2011, and we believe it is high time to gather and celebrate all of the unique individuals that have contributed to this program. The ultimate goal of the Intern Program is to create homecoming career development, and the best way to find out if we are accomplishing this goal is to hear from our former and present interns and supervisors, and establish a way to continue communication with them. The Intern Reunion will coincide with the Annual Retreat for the OC Board and Advisors. We promise a fun, enriching couple of days in Amarillo—so please save the dates!

Re-Engaging: Action Steps For Interns and Communities

By Julie Boatright

The wave of activity brought on by thirty-one Ogallala Commons Community Internships is finished and now is the time to shift our energy towards remaining engaged in our communities. There are some simple steps that both former interns and community supervisors can take to encourage re-engagement.

For Interns

Now that your internship is complete you can look back upon the experience to gain insight and grow. Here are a few tips:

• If you haven't finished all of your intern work, take the time this weekend to finish up your blogs, send in your evaluations, and turn in your harvesting folders.
• Reflect, savor, and write in your journal. It is important not to lose all of the valuable experiences from your internship. Ask yourself: What did I gain this summer? Is there anything I see differently because of my experience? Where did I grow? What are some things I need to work on?

• Update your resume. Through your internship you gained new job skills and you should make note of those on your resume! This will be helpful in applying for jobs, scholarships, etc.

• Look for new volunteering opportunities. If you can be active in your hometown – do it! If you are away at college, look for opportunities in your new setting.

For Community Supervisors

Now that Summer Community Internships have finished, the attention of communities wishing to engage youth must shift to finding new ways to keep former and potentially interested youth involved. Over the last few months our community interns gained new skills and knowledge of their communities. It is important to continue to use these new insights into community life and to stay involved throughout the fall, winter and spring. This can be accomplished in many ways:

• Keep in contact with former community interns. Simply send an email, make a quick call or send a note to let your intern know that you are interested in what they are doing.

• Encourage organizations, clubs and businesses can invite former interns to participate in planning events, conducting activities, or as volunteers in the organizational events throughout the year.

It is also important to begin planning for internship candidates and intern duties for next summer. Consider these questions:

• What projects do you have coming up?

• Does your community have needs that could be met by a community intern?

• What jobs/tasks do you have that an intern could complete?

• What kind of intern will you need – high school student, college student, graduate student or an adult in a continuing education program?

Ogallala Commons held a successful Playa Management Field Day on Aug.  20th in Nazareth, TX. The event was attended by 45 people--NRCS  personnel, interested folks, presenters, a couple of interns, and  amazingly:17 landowners! Of those 17 landowners, 14 owned one or more  playas, amounting to a total of nearly 500 acres of playa basins. Those  who attended the Field Day were a diverse and energetic bunch: about 55%  men and 45% women--and they enjoyed learning about playa plants and  grazing options at the Playa Classroom and interpretive trail (photo  taken by intern Clay Wimmer from Abernathy, TX).

Round Two
By Lexi Schwarz

Hi everyone, I’d like to quickly introduce myself, as I am the one that will be maintaining this newsletter for the next several issues. My name is Lexi Schwarz, and I am a sophomore Advertising major at the Univeristy of Nebraska-Lincoln. This past summer, I had the opportunity to be a PR and Communications intern for my hometown, working with local nonprofits, through our Economic Development program. By the end of the internship, I had gained knowledge, and acquired job opportunities that I never would’ve imagined possible.

One of the criteria for the internship was to post a weekly blog on Ogallala Commons’ intern blog site about what I was doing, how I was doing the task, and how the process was coming along. Through doing this, my work caught the attention of other OC supervisors and I was offered another internship that would start in the fall. I jumped at the opportunity, and am now the Media and Public Relations intern for Ogallala Commons.

This position directly relates to what I want to do in the future. Using my writing, communications, and networking skills, all at the same time. Not only am I lucky enough to have a job that works around my messy class schedule and has given me free college credit, not once, but twice!...it's also one I enjoy and can use to expand my resume in the future.