Four members of the Penn State Extension education staff to receive national recognition.

Jennifer Fetter and Sanford Smith

Penn State Extension Watershed Youth Development Educator, Jennifer Fetter, who is based in Dauphin County, and Extension Specialist, Sanford Smith, who is based in State College, are national winners of the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals 2013 Silver Award in the Innovative Program Category.

Fetter and Smith received the award for their organization of the first ever Dive Deeper Youth Water Educator’s Summit, which was held in Harrisburg, PA on September 27, 2012. The Dive Deeper Summit was a one-day, multi-state environmental education summit spotlighting innovative teaching about water. It was geared towards anyone who teaches youth about water, formally or informally.

83 Water Educators from across the mid-Atlantic region attended and 86 percent of the participants, who completed a post workshop survey, were able to give specific examples of their plans to change their water education programs in the next 12 months as a result of attending. The summit was supported by a grant from the USDA-NIFA Integrated Water Program.

Bryan Swistock and Jim Clark

Penn State Extension Water Specialist, Bryan Swistock, based in State College, and Extension Educator, Jim Clark, based in McKean County, are national winners of the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals 2013 Silver Award in the Innovative Program Category.

Swistock and Clark received the award based on their effort to assist private water supply owners interpret water test reports related to pre-gas well drilling. 548 Pennsylvania residents attended one of 8 extension workshops in North Central Pennsylvania and 346 (96 percent) of the 362 participants, who completed a post workshop survey, stated they could now identify and understand the information on their water test report. 

The project was a partnership between Penn State Extension, the Clearfield Conservation District, and the Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council, and was funded by a grant from the Colcom Foundation.

The awards will be presented during the ANREP Awards Banquet on September 19 at this year’s National Galaxy Conference to be held in Pittsburgh, PA.

(Reprinted from the Penn State Extension Watershed Winds newsletter.)

9/9/2013