Cooperative Extension brings university to residents
July 16, 2009 - 9:00 pm
New and established Southern Nevada residents can contact University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office to get answers to questions regarding desert landscaping, water conservation, diabetes prevention, pesticide-free products, urban wetlands, nutrition, parenting, anger management and many more topics.
Cooperative Extension is an outreach arm of the university, funded by county, state and federal dollars, that extends unbiased, research-based knowledge from the University of Nevada to residents.
Free educational programs are developed based on community needs, sometimes in partnership with other agencies and volunteers. Faculty and staff develop curriculum based on these community needs and bring the free programs to your neighborhood. Faculty and staff are also willing to speak to your organization regarding any number of topics.
Examples of Cooperative Extension programs available to all Clark County residents include:
* Baby-Sitting Certification — adolescents age 12 and over are trained in two three-hour seminars on child development, emergency first aid procedures and basics of child care.
* 4-H — focuses on learning and life-skills development with hands-on projects that use a variety of strategies to involve youth ages 6 to 18.
* Little Lives — an age-paced newsletter available in Spanish and English for parents of infants and toddlers.
* An Ounce of Prevention — educates and motivates clients to make lifestyle modifications to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
* Seniors CAN — an educational program for free-living seniors to facilitate maintenance of a healthy and active, free-living lifestyle.
* Food for Health and Soul — a modification of food preparation methods and family recipe revision to promote good health and nutrition.
* Nevada Naturalist program — educates and trains adults interested in learning about the natural resources in Southern Nevada.
* Beginning Desert Gardening — a six-session class targeting new residents of Clark County on basic plant and soil science, growing vegetables, trees and shrubs, weed and pest control and irrigation techniques.
* Master Gardener — certification involves classroom instruction, examination, and 50 hours of public service through the Cooperative Extension program.
Not all programs are offered in all areas at all times.
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s mission is to discover, develop, disseminate, preserve and use knowledge to strengthen the social, economic and environmental well-being of people. To receive a complete program guide or for more information about Cooperative Extension, call 257-5516 or visit www.unce.unr.edu.