Shiawassee County Extension
701 South Norton
Corunna, MI 48817-1209 / P: 989-743-2251
F: 989-743-4891 / E-mail:
Web: msue.msu.edu/Shiawassee
January 2008
MSUE Recognizes Partners in local effortsPartnerships are very important to MSU Extension in Shiawassee County. Two partnerships that were recognized recently for improving lives for county residents in 2007 were with the Shiawassee County Regional Education Service District (RESD) and the Shiawassee County Fair Board.
The RESD has been a partner with Extension’s Family and Consumer Science Parent Education program for seven years by funding a parent educator. This educator provides developmental assessments and parent education in homes and provides playgroups for children to develop a variety of gross and fine motor skills.
The RESD commitment to providing preschool children and their parents with services that will enhance their readiness for school is recognized as a vital service to help children learn and grow socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually.
The Shiawassee County Fair Board was recognized in 2007 for its commitment to the ideals of providing a safe and educational venue for all youth to showcase their skills and abilities in a number of project areas. / MSU Extension 4-H Youth programs work closely with project developmental committees and boards to prepare youths and adults with meaningful educational opportunities that enrich their experiences at the county fair. The coordination of these efforts provides lasting benefits to youth and adult volunteers in 4-H youth programs.
Moms find support, assistance in new breastfeeding initiative
Beginning breastfeeding can be a challenge to new mothers, especially those who don’t have family members or friends for support.
Those who can meet the challenges and successfully nurse their infants not only save money on formula, they also give their babies a healthy start that can carry throughout their childhoods and the rest of their lives.
Shiawassee County moms who are eligible for the USDA Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program can now get help in initiating and continuing breastfeeding, thanks to the Breast Feeding Initiative (BFI), a new program offered by MSU Extension and Shiawassee County Health Department WIC office the began a new breastfeeding program (BFI) in October 2007.
Continued
/ Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facingcommunities. Citizens serving on county Extension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming. MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners,the state through Michigan State University and federally through the US Department of Agriculture.
Breast Feeding Initiative--continued
Through BFI, a trained breastfeeding peer counselor works with WIC-eligible pregnant women to increase the number who initiate breastfeeding and lengthen the duration that they nurse their babies for at least six weeks. The peer counselor also provides parent education and nutrition education and immunization materials.
Candis Thick has joined the MSU Extension staff as the Shiawassee County BFI peer counselor. She’s working with 27 expecting women through classes, home visits, phone consultations and hospital visits. Program referrals come from the WIC office, physicians’ offices and local agencies.
Contact: Candis Thick, 989-743-2251
Shaftsburg kids “Jump Into Foods and Fitness” with help from local partnership
Agency representatives with the Health and Human Services Coordinating Council (HHSCC) of Shiawassee County saw a need for after-school programming among at-risk youngsters.
They noticed that a number of pre-teenage children were being left without supervision between the time school ended and parents returned from work, and knew the statistics about increased potential for risky behaviors for youths left without direction during these hours, including experimenting with drugs and sex.
To help address this issue, the HHSCC member agencies joined forces with the MSU Extension 4-H Youth and Food and Nutrition Programs to organize an after-school program at Shaftsburg Elementary School for 25 7-12 year-old students for in 2007. / The three-week program, called “Neighborhood Supporting Kids”, emphasized nutritious eating/snacking and physical fitness. Using the “Jumping Into Food and Fitness” (JIFF) curriculum, youths learned how to prepare healthy and easy snacks and participated in a variety of physical fitness activities.
Additional agency partners offered programming on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the three week camp offering arts and crafts, anger management strategies, resisting peer pressure, singing, and team games. Those agencies included the YMCA, Catholic Charities, Girl Scouts, and the Boy Scouts.
The Neighborhood Support Kids program is part of an ongoing effort between the HHSCC, MSU Extension and other agency partners to reach children in at-risk neighborhoods throughout Shiawassee County.
For more information about these programs, please contact us at the MSU Extension office at (989) 743-2251.
Joe Bixler, County Extension Director
Jennifer Weichel, Extension Educator-4-H Youth Development
Paige Lloyd, Extension Educator-Parenting
Candy Thick, Program Associate, Parenting
Joe Hammontree,Program Associate-Food & Nutrition Program
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Thomas G. Coon, Extension Director, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824