Seacoast Youth Leadership Project: "Building the merry-go-round while we're on it"

When Rockingham County 4-H Educator Rick Alleva began work in the fall of 2002, he began by asking around about programs for youth in what he calls the Lower Seacoast--Seabrook, Hampton, North and South Hampton, and Hampton Falls.

"The answer? 'Not much,'" Alleva says.

Responding to the need
"Forty percent of adult males in Seabrook never finished high school, and the town has one of New Hampshire’s highest unemployment rates. Hampton has one of the state's highest homeless and transient populations, including a lot of kids. Drug and alcohol issues are huge across Lower Seacoast towns. Yet the whole area had no special youth development programs for kids who needed them most," he says.

So Alleva convened a November meeting of all the local agencies that deal with young people: social service agencies, schools, police. "Like many such community initiatives, we decided to apply for a grant to fund a comprehensive program of youth development services," Alleva says. “We didn't get the grant, but we had energy. We kept on meeting. In fact we've met monthly ever since."

The Seacoast Youth Leadership Project kicks off
"At that first meeting, I connected with Vic Maloney of Seacoast Youth Services, a nonproft at the time working primarily as a diversion program, providing drug and alcohol education, anger management, and community service opportunities."

Alleva wrote a proposal that was awarded a $200,000 Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) grant to jumpstart an after-school program for the middle-schoolers most at risk. Paula Gregory, the 4-H Youth Development specialist who directs the CYFAR program in New Hampshire, notes that Alleva's proposal "is one of six five-year, community-based New Hampshire projects collectively awarded more than $2 million since the CYFAR program began in 1991."

"The Seacoast Youth Leadership Project kicked off as a two-day-a-week after-school leadership program for middle-school kids who were dealing with personal, social and emotional challenges,” says Alleva. “Vic had no staff for an after-school program, so the grant covered the cost for two new staff and I began bringing in interns from the UNH family studies department. We've had five to date, and they've all have been great.

"We've gradually migrated most of the annual CYFAR funding to Vic, allowing him to hire a recent UNH graduate and former intern Stephanie Charron full time this year."

The project gets a home
"When the project began, Vic was working out of a condo office in Hampton. At one of our monthly meetings, Bruce Pierce, pastor of the Church of Christ, brought up that his church owned an1845 brick school building they weren't using in Seabrook. Bruce gave Vic a tour of the old Dearborn School that had been mostly a storage facility for years and they worked out a lease.

"With $10,000 cobbled together from small grants and more than $200,000 in volunteer services, we scrubbed and we renovated. We moved in in 2004. Today we have 5000 square feet at SYS with a new kitchen, floors, bathrooms, fresh paint—and the lights all work."

The original two-days-a-week after-school program evolved rapidly to become a five-day a week after-school program with SYS expanding its in-school supports for kids as well. A four-days-a-week, three-week summer program begun in 2006 has expanded into this year's five-days-a-week, eight-week Summer Extreme, featuring field trips, hiking, biking, adventure treks, and more.

Alleva brought special skills
Alleva came to the job after years of experience as a community youth organizer and a direct service provider who'd worked the streets, managed homeless shelters, and run a residential treatment center for youth.

The best way to start a program? "You just start hanging out with kids," says Alleva. "All kids are cool. Parents will get involved if you show respect, commitment, and care for their kids." Alleva adds, " One important feature that distinguishes our programs from many others: we don't kick anybody out. We work around their problems. If a young person has difficulty reading, you need to give him or her extra help and teach them to read better. If a kid has emotional or behavior issues, you don't exclude them, you give them a place to belong where others can help them feel and act better."

Besides hanging out with kids, "I've served as a sort of jack of all trades in the project," says Alleva. "At various times, I've served as grantwriter, participant recruiter, activity leader, and staff trainer."

Wider Extension involvement
"We've also had other Extension staff involved," Alleva says. "Rockingham County Nutrition Connections coordinator Terri Shoppmeyer does food and fitness activities--healthy food is part of everything we do, and the kids are planting a garden this summer. 4-H specialist Trent Schreiffer co-leads our after-school technology program. He has kids building rockets and remote-controlled cars, doing digital videography, and educational computer gaming. Our county family and consumer resources educator, Karyn Blass, co-leads a Girl's Space group and helps with other family activities, and our other family educator, Claudia Boozer-Blasco, has helped with family and parent programs as well."

"But this isn't the sort of project where Extension can come in and give a few isolated workshops," Alleva says. "While our role will change, we need to stay involved and engaged here on an ongoing basis. Vic and three of his staff have all signed on to become trained 4-H volunteer leaders, which will expand their own capacity as well."

Making a difference
"Cooperative Extension programs are supposed to answer the question, 'How did you make a difference?'" says Alleva.

"In our case, that's both tough and easy to answer. With very limited financial resources, we now have a program for middle school kids in grades fifth to eighth that began with an idea, started up as a two-days-a-week after-school lifeskills program that in less than five years has evolved into a dynamic five-days-a-week after-school and summer program. At the same time, substance abuse prevention and intervention activities for middle- and high-school-age youth have been greatly expanded at SYS as well.

"We have monthly family nights, when kids cook a meal for their families, movie nights, substance-abuse support groups, cooking classes, a leadership program that does service projects (including adopting a half-mile stretch of Seabrook beach to keep clean). We teach media literacy, team building, healthier living, food and fitness, science and technology, and help kids make good decisions for themselves and their community. This fall, our Techno-Team will be 'going green' and exploring sustainable energy (wind and solar) and environment-sensitive activities."

But the project's evolution hasn't followed a smooth, linear path. "I'd characterize what we've been doing as building the merry-go-round while we're whirling around on it," Alleva says.

The network of organizations and individuals that began meeting in 2002 has recently formalized itself as the Lower Seacoast Youth and Family Coalition by drafting a memorandum of understanding that articulates its mission and commitment.

Their vision: The youth and families of the Lower seacoast area are engaged in positive community activities and are empowered to do whatever it takes to lead healthy lives.

"You got that?" says Alleva. "Whatever it takes."

Planning on Canning (Freezing, Drying, etc.)?

We've noticed more lawns and backyards sprouting tomatoes, beans and zucchini this year.

Even small gardens can produce an overabundance of vegetables at the peak of their harvest season. Preserving the overflow can help you store high-quality food for later use.

Canning, freezing, drying, and common storage are the four main methods of preserving homegrown food. The method(s) you choose will depend on whether you can find safe preservation guidelines for the foods you want to preserve, whether you have the equipment and space needed to process and store your garden crops, how much it will cost, and whether you and your family like the preserved products.

If you have questions about preserving food safely, call our toll-free Into Line (1-877-398-4769), or check the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

If you plan to can any vegetable but tomatoes, pressure canning is the only safe method.

Pressure canners that have a dial gauge should be checked for accuracy yearly, and most have a rubber gasket that needs periodic replacement. You can have your dial gauge checked at the Family, Home & Garden Education Center in Manchester or at most county Extension offices.

Geospatial Technologies Outreach Program Offers July Series

Beginner basics and more

Who needs to understand the basics of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) and how to use them?

"Everyone," says Shane Bradt, Cooperative Extension's geospatial specialist and head of the Durham-based Geospatial Technologies Training Center. "Everyone should have basic skills and understanding of geospatial technologies, because these technologies influence the way that people look at the world today and make decisions about it."

"Geospatial technologies include software and hardware that receive, integrate, store, edit, analyze, share, and display spatial/geographic information," says Bradt.

"Most data have locations. A GIS can contain all kinds of data that relate to a location, providing you with a context for asking questions about your environment and how things in the natural environment and society are changing around you. Geospatial technologies are used extensively in forestry, agriculture, marine science, criminal justice, public health, marketing, transportation planning, site design, pandemic planning, disease tracking, disaster management, conservation planning, even cultural anthropology--scientists recently used geospatial tools to study the topography of fossil teeth of early humans to determine their diet.

Follow these links to learn more and to register for our July workshops:

The GPS & You series allows people to acquire GPS skills without taking up an entire day and to choose topics based on their own interests. Workshops cover using GPS to navigate, using GPS to map features in your community, and using GPS to make interactive maps that display digital pictures. You don't need your own equipment to participate, although you may use your own.

GPS & You I: GPS Basics July 1 - 5:30pm-8:30pm

GPS & You II: Pictures, Points & Places - July 10 - 5:30pm-8:30pm

GPS & You III: Tracks & Routes - July 23 - 5:30pm-8:30pm

Community Mapping July 7-11 & 14-18 - 8am-4pm A 10-day course designed for educators and others interested in exploring natural and societal resources using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.

GIS on Pennies a Day - July 23 - 9am-4pm Learn GIS basics and explore a variety of GIS programs you can get for little or no cost (for PCs and Macs).

Introduction to ArcGIS 9.2 July 28-30 - 9am-4pm Learn the basics of working with ArcGIS 9.2 in a hands-on learning environment; 3-day course useful for people who have no prior GIS experience, as well as those who have used ArcView 3.x, but are new to ArcGIS 9.2.

Photo credits: Shane Bradt
Top photo: With GPS, you can find your way in the world and collect information about your community.
Lower photo: GIS allows you to bring to together photos, maps and GPS data to create custom views of any place in the world.

American Tree Farm System Recognizes UNH Extension Educators

Tree Farm Program a strong component of New Hampshire forestry

The American Tree Farm System has recognized six UNH Cooperative Extension educators for their significant contributions toward sustainable forestry on private lands.

Phil Auger received the Tree Farm Silver Hard Hat award for having certified 50 new Tree Farms. Jon Nute, Sam Stoddard, Nory Parr, Matt Tarr and Karen Bennett received the Tree Farm Bronze Hard Hat award for certifying 25 new Tree Farms.

What's a Tree Farm?
A Tree Farm is a privately owned forest managed to produce timber, with added benefits of improved wildlife habitat, water quality, recreation, and scenic values. Some municipal watersheds, school forests and other public ownerships are also certified as Tree Farms.

The oldest, most successful forest conservation program in the nation, the American Tree Farm System was founded in 1941 to encourage private forest owners to actively manage their forests in a sustainable manner for multiple values.

To qualify as a Tree Farmer, a landowner must:

• Dedicate at least 10 acres to growing and harvesting forest products.
• Have a written plan for the future management of their forest.
• Follow management recommendations prescribed by a licensed forester.
• Demonstrate a commitment to stewardship of their forest for multiple values.

New Hampshire Tree Farm Program
More than 1,600 New Hampshire Tree Farmers manage more than 800,000 acres.

These Tree Farmers contribute every day to the timber production New Hampshire needs to help meet the increasing demand for forest products. The do so while caring for our wildlife, protecting water quality, and providing recreational and scenic resources. Learn more about the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program.

UNH Extension offers forest landowner education
Forestry is the primary land use in New Hampshire, with 84 percent of our land base in trees. Private landowners own 75 percent of our forested landscape.

Since 1925, UNH Cooperative Extension's Forestry and Wildlife Program has provided statewide forest landowner education, with a licensed forester in each county Extension office, and three specialists housed at UNH's Durham campus.

County foresters educate landowners about woodlot care, long-term planning, timber sales, wildlife habitat, land protection, current-use taxation, and more. They work with communities through support to town boards, public officials, and community organizations. And they support a healthy, working forest landscape by offering the state's 1400 loggers, 250 licensed foresters, and 100 sawmills a broad range of information and technical assistance.

To learn more about managing your woodlot, call your county Extension office and ask for the forester.

Photo: Marty Boisvert of Pittsfield receieves his Tree Farm sign from Karen Bennett, UNH Extension forest resources specialist

On-Farm Biodiesel: Learn to Make your Own

With interest in renewable fuels rising even faster than the price of energy, some New Hampshire farmers have begun making their own fuel, processing recycled cooking oil or pressing oil from their own seed crops to make biodiesel, which they use instead of petroleum-derived diesel fuel to power farm equipment.

Hands-on workshop shows you how
If you'd like to learn more about what's involved in making and using biodiesel, UNH Cooperative Extension will host a workshop June 5, from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at Tuckaway Farm in Lee, where farmer Dorn Cox grows sunflowers, presses oil from the seeds, and processes biodiesel for on-farm use in a unit he designed and built.

Workshop topics
"The morning session will feature a hands-on workshop with folks from Piedmont Biofuels in North Carolina, where they make 4000 gallons a day of biodiesel from poultry fat," says Becky Grube, Cooperative Extension's sustainable horticulture specialist. "Unfortunately, we had to limit participation in that session, and the slots have all been filled.

"But there's plenty of room in the afternoon workshop, where participants will break into groups and rotate through two stations, one to see the oilseed presses in operation and the mobile processing unit at Tuckaway Farm, the other to see Piedmont's mobile biodiesel processor, a combined heat and power biodiesel production system," Grube says. "Matt Rudolf of Piedmont will then lead a group discussion of the economics, safety, and quality issues of on-farm biodiesel production."

The workshop wraps up with a visit to UNH's Kingman Farm, where Grube and Cox will talk about growing sunflowers.

Ongoing farmer-driven research
"This workshop continues the farmer-driven research we started two years ago when Dorn came to UNH looking for a partner to help him evaluate how sunflowers perform in this area and to test the feasibility of small-scale oil pressing," says Grube. "Our Extension colleagues in Vermont and Maine have also been working on homegrown farm energy production. We have a lot more work ahead, but the future for on-farm energy production looks promising."

Workshop details
The morning session is full. The afternoon session and trip to Kingman Farm are free, but requires pre-registration. To register or learn more, call Suzanne Hebert at 862-3200.

Directions to Tuckaway Farm

Photo credit: Biodiesel sunflower crop at Kingman Farm, by Faye Cragin, UNH Cooperative Extension World Wide Web and Media Specialist

For more information
Oil Seed Sunflowers for On-Farm Biodiesel Processing Dorn Cox and Becky Grube report on their first year of collaborative research investigating the potential of various varieties of sunflowers for biodiesel production.

On Farm Oil Seed Production and Processing University of Vermont publication that summarizes a year of oilseed research in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.