University of Illinois Extension
Bureau County Unit
August 2006
Enriching Lives Through Education
Welcome
Community Leadership & Economic Development
- The county-wide Community and Economic
Development collaboration held interviews for the new pilot which includes a
part-time position to work collectively developing a county perspective for Economic
Development. Collaborative partners include Bureau County Board Administrator,
Austin Edmondson; Princeton City Manager, Andrew Brannen; Spring Valley
Economic Director, Debb Ladgenski; and University of Illinois
Extension - Bureau County Director, Jill Guynn.
The new staff member will begin in October and will be housed in the Princeton City Hall building.
- A joint collaboration for the development of a
high speed, distance video-conference facility is in progress. The
collaborators include Extension, City of Princeton,
and Becker Professional Suites (Daryl and Marsha Becker); the project will
provide for the latest in technology which will allow people in the facility to
communicate both through live audio and video TV. Connection to multiple
distance sites will offer speakers, meetings, educational programs and more to be scheduled providing a
savings to time and travel costs, while opening up new and expanded
opportunities for local groups. The City of Princeton awarded $2,000.00 to Extension through the Community Betterment
Grant in support of the project. Extension has submitted a Technology Challenge
Grant to the State Extension Office for needed technology. The Technology
Challenge Grant was approved in the amount of $16,500. and increased to
$19,000. Basic installation is now completed; additional microphones and cables
will be installed for enhanced operations.
- Extension staff continues to work with a task
force to prepare Youth Leadership "Best Practices" standards for use statewide
with University of Illinois Extension programming and others interested in providing
leadership opportunities. This team is
exploring best practices for programs involving mentoring, teens as teachers,
youth/adult partnership including youth working with governing bodies and
leadership academies to help youth feel invested in their communities. Staff is also working
on a team of 5 educators piloting special programming on local government in Illinois. More than 400 youth in Northwest
Illinois are participating in the pilot of this project through
Bureau County Extension.
-
Extension advertised, hired, and trained staff
for two new model after-school sites, Malden and
Bureau County Day Care Center.
Extension is serving as the administrator for the Malden site (as well as the Walnut site) and
is providing technical support to the Bureau County Day Care Center on
developing the model after-school site.
- Extension continues to work with Hall Township
and Project Success of Eastern Bureau County on preparing the talking points
for the OSLAD Grant presentation scheduled in September to the Department of
Natural Resources. Plans for the OSLAD Grant are to provide grounds and
facility upgrades to the Echo Bluff camp site located between DePue and Spring Valley.
- A planning meeting was held for development of a community and economic development program series for the City of Spring Valley. Spring Valley Economic Director, Extension CED Educator and local Extension staff are planning programs to begin October 5. Watch for details!
