| FUND: GENERAL |
COMMUNITY SERVICES |
Bonnie Herrmann
The Racine County UW-Extension office is a partnership between Racine County, the University of Wisconsin-Extension (Cooperative Extension) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mission is to plan, develop, and deliver research-based education, which enhances the quality of life for all Racine County residents. Racine County provides 40% of the faculty salaries for this department and UW-Extension, using some USDA funding, contributes the remaining 60%. In addition, the County provides operating expenses and support staff. Seven University faculty and staff supervise, train and support up to 15 additional educators and summer staff, who are funded by the University and other contracts and grants. Educational programs are also enhanced by the efforts of over 475 volunteers. Educational efforts focus on five program areas: Agriculture, Community Resource Development, Family Living, 4-H Youth Development, and Horticulture.
Maintain and protect natural resources and promote applied agricultural practices that are sustainable and economically viable.
Rural landowner Management Opportunities Conf., over 100 attendees.
Water Sensitive Development Conf., approximately 100 attendees. Target audience was municipal elected officials and staff.
Provided research for the Highway 36 Design Guideline Committee
Improve work capacity and effectiveness of individuals and groups in the areas of community, economic, and natural resource development.
Facilitated strategic planning sessions with Town of Caledonia. Identified Town’s 10 top priorities/action plan.
Facilitated strategic planning sessions with Racine’s Chaplaincy Board.
Connected resources and organizations to residents in the City of Racine’s 6th Street neighborhood. Resulted in flower gardens, holding community events and increased involvement with elected officials.
Provided research for Racine County’s Commission on Aging on needs of senior citizens throughout Racine County.
Reinforce positive parenting and nutrition choices made by families and effective use of community resources.
Through the Parenting Resource Facilitator at Love Community Center, provided parenting sessions for 314 parents and caregivers and collaborated with community agencies to hold evens for families and professionals.
Provided family workers (655 contacts) with professional development.
Coordinated efforts for the Success by 6 Initiative of United Way of Racine County. Early Childhood Expo (over 2000 attended), distributed Children’s Health Passport to 1,000 families of newborns, and a policy change related to kindergarten screening with Racine Unified School District.
Over 250 under-served youth participated in summer nutrition education classes.
Increase environmental awareness and improve horticultural knowledge and practices.
Supported 148 Master Gardeners working countywide on 19 volunteer projects, which includes youth education covering 11 elementary schools and 5 summer garden programs in Racine.
Supported the Yard & Garden Questions phone line, staffed by 11 trained Master Gardener volunteers, over 100 calls monthly.
Sixty commercial and municipal horticulturists from Racine County attended a Grounds Maintenance Short Course held in February.
Prepare youth for productive adulthood.
With the assistance of over 312 adult volunteers of the Racine County 4-H Leaders Association, successfully support over 1368 4-H members impacting on the positive youth development of 18 community clubs.
Supported two Youth as Resources Boards, who jointly awarded $17,965 in grant dollars to fund 19 youth-led community service projects, which benefited 19,481 people in Racine County.
Over 100 middle school youth in Western Racine and 450 in
Racine participated in the 3rd annual Youth Expo Day, learning about community
service.
