2012 Webster Parish Profile

SERVICES

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Click on the image above for the PDF version of the 2012 Webster Parish Profile.

Program Highlights

Family and Consumer Sciences

Smart Portions Healthy Weight Program
Smart Portions classes aim to help individuals to achieve a healthy weight to improve their health. The class is conducted for businesses, churches and groups upon request, in addition to being held at the parish Extension office. Any group interested in scheduling these series of classes can contact Joan Almond for more information.

Smart Bodies for Youth
Each school year, elementary schools in Webster Parish are recruited to be Smart Bodies schools. The schools receive free teaching kits and an op-portunity for their students to tour the Body Walk. Teachers receive training by Extension agents and they integrate classroom activities with hands-on-learning to teach children how to build strong bodies and develop active minds. The Smart Bodies program is a joint initiative of the LSU AgCenter and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. The program is normally held at one school each year. Schools that have participated previously are Stewart, Cotton Valley, Union and Central Elementary. Schools receive approxi-mately $2,000 of free educational materials for implementing the program. North Webster Upper Elemetnary School is currenty participating in the Smart Bodies Program.

Family Nutrition Program (SNAP-ED)
LaDonna Chreene, nutrition educator, works closely with low-income families to teach nutrition lessons for parents as well as pre-school centers such as Head Start. Re-search-based nutrition information is designed to serve limited–income families and youth. Children and par-ents are taught to make healthy choices with lower levels of fat and sugar and to eat high fiber and exercise regularly. Groups meet at Head Start centers, Council on Aging centers and Community Action sites.

4-H Youth Development
4-H Youth Development strives to encourage positive character and life skill development in the youth of Webster Parish through experiential learning op-portunities and peer role modeling. School club focus this past school year was focused on both these areas through a series of lessons developed by regional agents. This program, called LifeSmarts, focused on such areas as diversity, self-esteem, conflict resolution and bullying through active participa-tion in monthly lessons. Leadership and community involvement are also en-couraged at all levels throughout the program, including community service activities, service-learning projects and youth and adult leadership programming. Project clubs are meeting the needs of youth wishing to expand their work in specific project areas, including shooting sports, photogra-phy, livestock, horse and Celebrate Girls. Through Focus Group evaluations, youth indicate their growth in character development, leadership, service to community and specific skills as related to project work. Junior Leadership has increased over the past two years, with teens taking a more active role in parish involvement, planning and implementing parish activities and service projects. Plans for the coming year include public speaking focus for elementary age youth and leadership/service-learning focus for junior high and high school club members, as well as expanding opportunities offered to 4-H and non-4-H youth in other project areas and subject matter.

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Master Gardener classes are being offered to interested clientele beginning June 2. Piney Hills Master Gardeners assist the Extension Service by consulting homeowners, processing soil samples, providing scholarship programs for parish youth and volun-teering their services in numerous ways. Classes are held at the parish Extension office on Thursdays in June, July and August.

4-H youth are engaged in livestock programming including beef, dairy, lamb, swine, goats, poultry and horses. A 4-H livestock sale is held each year at the close of the parish fair. This sale generates over $25,000 annually for the kids of Webster Parish.

Who we reach:

Youth (includes 1,000 4-H members and 19 school 4-H clubs)
Adults 2,412 Family and Consumer Sciences
1,000 Ag and Natural Resources

How we reach them:

4-H Clubs
Class series
School enrichment
Demonstrations
Field days
Workshops
Newsletters
Websites
Publications
Social media

Expanding our efforts:

More than 200 Volunteers with 4-H, Master Gardeners, Family and Community.

Parish Facts

LSU AgCenter extension agents provide research-based information on plant, aqua-culture, wildlife and animal enterprises to Webster Parish clientele. The current dollar amount from these commodities is: —Forestry - $15,222,693

Fisheries and Wildlife - $1,714,602
Animal enterprises - $24,383,561
Plant enterprises - $24,623,839

Data from the Louisiana Ag Summary Website.

Population - 40,544
Land area (square miles) - 595.22 Persons under 18 years old - 23.9%
Persons 65 years old and over - 17%

Local Issues and Plans for this year

1. Continue to serve the people of Webster Parish by offering outreach to clientele. Family and Consumer Science volunteer groups, Master Gardener volunteers, 4-H youth volunteers and adult leaders will all be served and utilized in outreach efforts.

Promotion of opportunities within each community in the parish.
Recruitment, training, support and recognition of both youth and adult volunteers.
4-H after-school and project club opportunities to expand outreach in outdoor skills, personal development and 4-H project work.

2. Promote the wise use of natural resources and protection of the environment.

Recycling efforts through the parish-wide newspaper collection program.
Environmental topic programs (water, conservation, recycling, composting) and presentations at parish events.
Promotion of environmental service-learning projects with 4-H clubs.

3. Build leaders and good citizens through 4-H youth development.

Educational focus on leadership in monthly 4-H club meetings.
Promotion and encouragement of 4-H clubs to conduct service-learning projects.
Increase recruitment of teen leaders through Junior Leader Club, school, parish, district and state level experiences.
Volunteer recruitment, training, support and recognition.

4. Strengthen families and communities.

Provide increased opportunities for family involvement in 4-H programming in 4-H clubs, after-school and project clubs, as well as special events and camps.
Businesses will receive support and special programming from AgCenter agents.
Programming for special interest groups such as family and community service clubs, com-munity groups (garden clubs, churches), Head Start centers, Office of Family Support, Community Action Groups, etc.

2012 Webster Parish Profile

Program Highlights

Who we reach:

How we reach them:

Expanding our efforts:

Parish Facts

Local Issues and Plans for this year

LSU AgCenter Bookmark