PROGRAM IMPACTS
4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
4-H Youth Development reached 12,196 total youth in Washoe County in 2021-22. Our programs empower youth to become thriving members of society through experiential learning and inquiry-based environments. 4-H youth learn to find their sparks, gain a sense of belonging, form relationships with their peers and caring adults, and demonstrate engagement in their communities. Long-term outcomes are greater successes in academic or vocational education, civic engagement, employment, economic stability, and increased overall sense of happiness and well-being. 4-H Youth Development has proven merit in Washoe County with high stakeholder praise and status. A total of 302 adult volunteers provided direct learning opportunities for youth in Washoe County. Volunteers contributed the equivalent of 1.8 million dollars to county wellbeing.
- 7,153 youth in School Enrichment Programs
- 3,744 youth in After School STEM Programs in 24 Washoe County Title I schools
- 87 youth in 4-H overnight Camp Programs
- 144 youth in STEM/STEAM Day Camps
- 214 youth in 4-H clubs facilitated by volunteers
- 854 youth in STEM Based Projects
LIVING WITH FIRE
The Living With Fire Program (LWF) teaches Nevadans how to live more safely in wildfire-prone areas.
LWF has developed a High School Wildfire Science Curriculum, where students learn about the role wildfire plays in local ecosystems and actions they can take to be more prepared for wildfire. These materials meet science course standards. LWF worked with 46 Washoe County School District (WCSD) high school teachers to gain their input on the development of the curriculum. Sixteen WCSD teachers participated in this five-month program. 100 percent of theses teachers are using these materials in the ’22-’23 academic year with over 1,500 students.
In 2021 a Living With Fire Podcast started and explored wildfire-related topics with land managers, scientists, fire professionals and community members. Nine episodes were released between July 30, 2021, and February 4, 2022. During period, a total of 2,756 episodes were downloaded.
The Program distributed 3,348 publications to 22 different Washoe County communities. LWF organized and hosted three online Zoom Workshops reaching a total of 160 attendees. LWF attended 10 in-person community events reaching a total of 252 Washoe County residents
LWF published four peer-reviewed publications to aid individuals with preparing for wildfire: “CodeRED in Washoe County”, “Flood After Fire Guide”, “Living With Smoke: How to be prepared for smoke exposure”, “Best management practices for livestock and equine during wildfire smoke events” and “2021 Little Valley Fire Restoration Update”. Find these and other information on the website.
RADON
Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and due to our mountainous geography, most of Nevada has elevated levels of radon. 21,000 people die per year in the USA from radon related lung cancer. This is preventable by testing your home and ensuring it has safe levels of radon.
Over 1800 Washoe County homes were tested for radon, 547 homes were tested during the home buying process, 268 homes were mitigated for radon. 96 Real Estate professionals were educated through continuing education classes, and 327 Nevada residents were taught about the dangers of radon exposure.
EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL READINESS
Washoe County Extension’s Early Childhood and School Readiness programs are designed to increase vulnerable young children’s interest, knowledge, and engagement in early learning activities, and to encourage and teach their parents to be positive forces for their children’s learning as they enter and progress through school.
Our STEM (Let’s Discover STEM), healthy children (Health Kids, Early Start), and early literacy (Family Storyteller) programs provided instruction with Spanish- and English-speaking families through direct education, social media, and PSE activities. The programs increased young children’s interest and engagement in early STEM, literacy, and healthy eating activities, and improved parents’ skills and confidence to help their children be healthy and succeed in school.
ALTERNATIVE CROPS AND SOIL HEALTH
Nevadans learn crop production sustainability by increasing the diversity of low water-requiring crops and improving soil health. Washoe County field trials and online classes taught cover crop, hemp grain and fiber, and forage production management. 225 participants in Washoe County learned about how to keep their soils healthy in the soil health workshop series. Field demonstrations taught 30 participants about cover crops and alternative crops at the Experiment Station on Valley Road.
HORTICULTURE
The Grow Your Own, Nevada program provides practical information on growing food at home, with the goal of reducing the number of food deserts in Nevada and helping residents become more self-sufficient. We taught eight separate classes in a live, online venue to a total of 945 Nevadans.
Green Industry Training is a course for professionals new to the nursery and landscape business, providing training on the latest skills to succeed in the industry. We provided the course for 45 green industry professionals, 24 of whom tested and achieved their certification.
Our Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper program is a US EPA Water Sense-approved certification program for training landscape professionals in water-efficient landscaping principles and practices. We trained 13 landscape professionals; seven attendees earned their QWEL certification for business in our community.
Weed Warriors is a two-day hands-on noxious weed education program provided by Extension in collaboration with the Nevada Dept. of Agriculture. The program trains weed management professionals.
WASHOE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS
Over the past year, our Washoe County Master Gardener volunteers logged a total of 3,814 hours of volunteer time, which translates to a public value of $108,880 and is equivalent to 2.1 FTEs of unpaid labor, significantly extending the reach of our horticulture programs. The Bartley Ranch Series where Master Gardeners held classes for 575 participants. Our Help Desk re-opened providing Washoe horticulture information in 1,049 emails, phone calls, and walk-in client assists. We participated in the 2022 Home Show with 539 people visiting our booth. Master gardeners beautified areas at the Northern Nevada Veterans home, Historic Old Huffaker School at the Bartley Ranch, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts and the Ronald McDonald House. We were able to grow and donate plant starts to the Veterans Home, The Old Huffaker School, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, Ronald McDonald House, and to each of the 213 people who attended our Master Gardener Plant Sale. We established a new relationship with Rancho San Rafael park supporting their community garden with educational events, hands-on activities, and integrated pest management.
FISCAL YEAR 2021 – 2022
Washoe Extension Income
Grants - $2,558,922
County - $1,792,191
State - $339,775
Federal - $174,515
Gifts - $14,327
Other - $36,471
County Funds Summary
Opening Balance - $2,028,921
Revenue - $1,827,802
Expenses - $1,802,299
Ending Balance - $2,054,424
