Meetings

UPDATE: Some meetings from a few weeks ago that I never updated on. The Cda4Kids After School Program Director and I met up for coffee. I had worked closely with him from previous programs, and was excited to see what he thought about NRFC Professional Development series. We determined that the group of teachers he has do not have time set aside for training, and that community volunteers should be going through the professional development series and coming in a  working with students while the lead teachers are present. It wasn't determined who would recruit these volunteers and when this would all take place. While Idaho 4-H is supposed to offer after school program, and the NRFC could be a potential spearhead for the effort, there isn't a current model that has been working for this. 4-H volunteers offered programs in the schools for a time, but it wore out the volunteers when they had already too much on their plate with traditional 4-H offerings. From what I understand while the after school offerings created excitement for 4-H there wasn't enough (or any) Kootenai County 4-H Clubs that could then capture that excitement and include them in a club. The clubs existing now are rural and agricultural based. And while I've volunteered to start a Kootenai County Club, the lag time in order to accomplish this in a one year delay. While the after school network is looking for programs, 4-H classes do not seem to be one of them in the current rural model. If this program had 12 volunteers that were all trained to teach the curriculum I think this might be a go. The experts in the field are only available short term for very occasional classes, and not sustainable. Is the answer in volunteers then? Can CdA4Kids recruit them, train, pass background checks etc? But then, how is this of NFRC fit? After school programing is not 4-H related, it's just not. It is not through the Extension Office, which is who we're supposed to go through. Why? OK, I get why, but perhaps just a small training on what is extension, what is 4-H, from the director themselves will bridge the gap that seems to be missing if we were to be out in schools on a regular basis. For now our involvement in schools is event driven.

This moves on to Gizmo, a powerhouse of excitement in the community for STEM among other things out of their Maker's Space building. They have been asked to offer after school programs, but theirs is a fee based model which doesn't really fit in afterschool programs, and they have their own school programs that are becoming very full with home-school networks and girl scouts and robotics clubs. They do not have the time to be in after school programs on a timeline that will satisfy the schools as well. Their involvement is event driven as well. Putting the pieces together though it seems this NFRC position could really be a catalyst for both parties? Could CdA4Kids recruit community volunteers, NFRC train with professional development and stay available, volunteers teach classes every fall/winter in the after school network (it will recruit for spring 4-H club), have the new Urban Interface 4-H Club meet at Gizmo with fees payble to Gizmo (there's a $20 participation fee for each 4-H member), and the output of record books, presentations, and final projects be completed by families in their own home with a final showing at the County Fair? Seems doable? This systems work is important.