About  our College

A founding college of the University, we have a long tradition of excellence in teaching, research and engagement programs that benefit the health and economic vitality of Nevada. We offer programs in:

  • agriculture, horticulture, rangeland & veterinary sciences
  • biochemistry & molecular biology
  • children, youth & families
  • community & economic development
  • health & nutrition
  • natural resources & environmental science

A message from the area director

Eric Killian

Southern Area Director Eric Killian

By Eric Killian

I was proud of the team at Extension for quickly transitioning their programs to a virtual format to ensure Clark County residents could still fully access the abundance of programming we offer throughout the pandemic.  As health guidelines have changed and restrictions have been lifted, Extension continues to work to bring high-quality, research-based programming to benefit locals  ̶   and is excited to be offering in-person classes and events again. However, after seeing the popularity of our online programming, Extension programs will also continue to offer classes using different modalities.

This summer, we’re in full swing preparing youth for the upcoming school year. Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program began hosting week-long day camps both at the Lifelong Learning Center and the A.D. Guy Knowledge Center in June and will continue offering them through July. Additionally, our youth programs can be found all over the valley, including at Las Vegas-Clark County libraries as they conduct classes as part of their Summer Challenge, and in partnership with the city of Las Vegas’ Fab Fridays located at Floyd Lamb Park. Despite the record-breaking heat, we’re already looking forward to the end of summer and beginning of fall when we will host Kick-off to Kindergarten at the end of August and the Healthy Kids Festival in late September.

Also coming this fall, be on the lookout for an announcement from our community and economic development team, which is focused on developing an online resource center for entrepreneurs and new businesses.

As I mentioned above, we are focused on delivering high-quality, research-based programming for Clark County. This would not be possible without the efforts of our dedicated team. As I’m proud of the work they do, I want to share some accomplishments of our distinguished faculty.  

Anne Lindsay and Aurora Buffington, who lead Extension's health and nutrition program, received a certificate of appreciation from the Accreditation Council for Nutrition and Dietetics for their outstanding contributions as preceptors for University of Nevada, Las Vegas nutrition and dietetic students. Buffington also was selected to participate in the 2021 cohort of the Food System Leadership Network Community Food Systems Mentoring Program. And, Lindsay received designation as a full professor.

Teresa Byington, Extension professor and state specialist in early childhood education, received a four-year, $1,115,836 Infant Toddler Child Development Associate Training and Coaching Program award sponsored by the Nevada Department of Education. And Nora Luna, Extension 4-H Youth Development Program faculty, also received a $10,000 sponsorship from the Anthem Foundation to support the 4-H Program.

We also want to recognize the incredible personal contributions of Chef Mike Ty for his work with the Chefs for Kids Program, which works with our health and nutrition team to both educate students about healthy food choices and also prepares breakfasts for  children and raises funds to support the program. He was recognized as one of our top supporters. If you haven’t already seen our College’s 2021 Awards Page, learn more about the other outstanding employees, supporters and students of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, Experiment Station and Extension.

We look forward to our continued service to the Clark County community. Be sure to check out our calendar to see what else we have coming up.

Extension Events Calendar
 

Extension sparks interest in youth with cosmetic science 

Young girl make soap using house hold ingredients.

Student uses household items to make soaps during an Extension cosmetic science workshop at Mirabelli Community Center. Photo by Ivianna-Kia Ridgeway. 

In an effort to engage youth who may not have been interested in traditional STEM programs such as robotics, University of Nevada, Reno Extension Program Officer Willie Daugherty developed a pilot program that focused on developing skincare products using STEM principles while also teaching workforce development and career readiness. The pilot program was launched three years ago, and according to Daugherty, it has been very popular, especially among girls ages 10-15.

“Knowing adolescents are often interested in things like make-up and body products, I looked for a way to capitalize on that,” Daugherty said. “So, after some research, I found a curriculum from a 4-H club in Iowa that taught youth how to make their own lip gloss.”

From there, Daugherty developed a curriculum that expanded the types of products they would develop and that tied to different scientific principles, such as properties of matter and chemical reactions. She also saw this as an opportunity for participants to gain valuable skills for their future.

Not only do the participants make products such as sugar scrubs, lip balms, body butters and spritzes while learning about scientific principles, but they also flex their artistic, technology and creative skills by designing labels and developing a marketing campaign to promote their products. Additionally, during the class, students work in pairs to provide an opportunity to learn communication and cooperation skills.

In addition to tapping into an existing interest, Daugherty focused on finding recipes that were all natural and typically found at home so that cost and availability were not barriers for anyone who is interested in participating.

“We use ingredients like coconut oil, citric acid, extracts and food coloring to make sure the course is accessible for those who are under-resourced,” Daugherty said.

While students are engaged in learning how to use science to make these products, Daugherty said they also use the time to inspire by teaching students about the spirit of entrepreneurship. For example, during the workshop offered in February, the class celebrated business ownership of women of color, also tying the class to Black History Month.

The program is offered year-round at various recreation and community centers in Clark County by Extension Community Based Instructors Iviana-Kia Ridgeway and Brooke Killian. Since its inception, the program has had nearly 500 participants.

 

Extension's Honey for Heroes Program provides hands-on training for local veterans

Man holds honey bee hive board.

Man holding a frame of a beehive. 

Extension's Clark County office in Logandale is starting a new program which seeks to soothe the nerves of local veterans, while also teaching them a new hobby. The program is called Honey for Heroes. It offers a full hands-on training in the art of beekeeping, completely free, to as many as five local veterans who sign up for the program. The veterans get to keep all of their supplies, including beekeeping suits, veils, gloves and all their various tools. Plus, each one will be given a hive of bees to work.

READ MOAPA VALLEY BEE ARTICLE
 

Wildfire Awareness Campaign is underway

Sky filled with smoke from a wild fire being extinguished.

Smoke fills the sky as a wildfire is extinguished. Photo courtesy of BLM. 

University of Nevada, Reno Extension and local, state and federal firefighting agencies are embarking on a six-month-long “Nevada Wildfire Awareness Campaign,” kicking off in May and running through October. As part of the campaign, Extension’s Living With Fire Program will be offering a series of webinars on wildfire-related topics.

Formerly, Extension and its partners concentrated their efforts on wildfire awareness during May, declaring it “Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month.”

“With the number of wildfires occurring in the West and the havoc they have wreaked in recent years, we just really feel that we need keep the drum beating strong all summer and into fall,” said Jamie Roice-Gomes, manager of Extension’s Living With Fire Program. “There is so much information that can help people make their homes and properties safer from the threat of wildfire, and we want to keep people thinking about this, and acting on it, throughout the summer, and really all year.”

As part of activities to kick off the campaign, the Clark County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation in support of the efforts. The Living With Fire Program was recognized alongside local, state and federal firefighting agencies at the Clark County Commissioners meeting in April, and details were shared about the collaboration between Extension and local, state and federal firefighting agencies to protect Nevadans.

Read the full story

 

Extension and Junior Livestock Association help pull off Junior Livestock Show & 4-H Festival

Three young boys play chess on a life-sized chess board.

Three young boys play chess at the Junior Livestock Show & 4-H Festival

Last year, the livestock show and auction, along with the Clark County fair, were cancelled suddenly, due to COVID-19 restrictions. After fair officials decided not to hold the events again this year, Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick was especially concerned for the youth who had been raising animals all year to sell at the livestock auction. Without an event to bring in a large audience, she was afraid they might not be able to find buyers for the animals they had worked so hard to raise. Kirkpatrick turned to  University of Nevada, Reno Extension and the Junior Livestock Association, who were able to pull together the Junior Livestock Show & 4-H Festival at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Logandale, April 8-10.

In an interview with The Moapa Valley Progress before the event, she stated, “I promised those kids that they would be able to showcase their livestock this year. That was really my drive behind this whole thing because I made that promise.”

Kirkpatrick raised about $115,000 for the event, and then solicited help from staff, volunteers and youth from Extension and the Clark County Junior Livestock Association to organize and run the event.

“Everyone worked really hard – staff, the kids, parents, volunteers,"  Northeast Clark County Extension Educator Carol Bishop said. “We pulled together the event in just five weeks.” 

The event was very successful, with thousands attending. Besides the well-attended livestock auction, there were many other activities for youth and families from Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program, including:

  • Hourly demonstrations with accompanying activities, including everything from ice cream-making to robotics.
  •  Exhibits from 4-H youth showcasing the projects in art, photography, quilting, robotics, raising animals and more.
  • Contests such as a “recycled garden” contest for 4-H and FFA Virgin Valley and Moapa Valley High School students.
  •  Ongoing activities such as cupcake decorating, mask decorating, playing chess, hula-hooping and cornhole competitions.

 Extension’s Master Gardeners were also on hand, showcasing a cactus garden project and giving away free seeds and tomato plants. There was also a rodeo and concert each night, food trucks, a pancake breakfast and various arts and crafts.

 

Extension faculty offer expertise 

Sign with four arrow posts that say help, support, advice, guidance.

Extension experts use their knowledge to provide helpful advice to the public. 

 

Extension faculty with expertise in their respective fields are a valuable resource for their communities. Over the past two months, Clark County-based faculty have shared their insight on a variety of topics on the University's website. For example, they have written about how parents can protect their children from the hidden dangers in baby food and teach young children to read, and on how we can celebrate healthy aging and be mindful of brain health.

 

Alfaro, H., Kozsan, T., Malloy, M., Wharton, C. 2021, 4-H 4 Nevada Vol 21, Iss 1, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno

Learn more about the author(s)

Hannah Alfaro
Hannah Alfaro
Molly Malloy
Molly Malloy
Claudene Wharton
Claudene Wharton
 

Also of Interest:

 
Addressing theoretical gaps in positive youth development for diverse youth: Fact sheet for the 4-H Youth Development Program. Trzesniewski, K. H., & UC ANR Diversity in Youth Development Workgroup. 2017, Oakland: University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Publication 8576).
Nevada Stakeholder Perceptions of Youth Educational and Mental Health Needs During the Pandemic
Nearly a year after the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in the U.S., it is evident that the pandemic is more than just a physical health crisis, especially for young people.
 Horrillo, S; Evans, W; Gallo, J; Norze, J; Stark, C; Sanchez, J; Demchak, M; Chvilicek, S; Bray, S; 2021, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno
New Year, New Reads!
Do you like to meet new characters, imagine worlds unknown and learn about notable people and events in history? Join us in this challenge of expanding your knowledge and reading skills!
 McGee, S. 2021, University of Nevada, Reno Extension
children learning about ember awareness
Attend Nevada Field Day to learn about Cooperative Extension and other University programs
Attend Nevada Field Day to learn about Cooperative Extension programs
 Fisher, J. 2018, Reno Gazette Journal
A.D. Guy AmeriCorps Member Recruitment
The UNR Extension, A.D. Guy Knowledge Center is recruiting for AmeriCorps members! Multiple positions are available. The date of service begins now and runs through July 31, 2021. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to support our youth and serve our community!
 McGee, S., Rojas, A. 2021, University of Nevada, Reno Extension 4-H