Through collaboration between the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK Cooperative Extension Service, the Cooperative Extension Summer Internship Program offers experiential learning opportunities for college students at extension offices across the Commonwealth.  

Eighteen students participated in the 12-week internship in summer 2024; nine were University of Kentucky students. 

Each intern is paired with a county, often their home county, and a program area. Interns were responsible for planning and executing a project or event, which they presented at a campus showcase. 

“The Cooperative Extension Summer Internship Program provides students with a unique opportunity to work alongside extension agents, doing professional-level work that improves the lives of Kentuckians,” said Stacy Miller, director of extension human resources.  

A Frankfort native who now lives in Montgomery County, Abigail McDonald interned with the family and consumer sciences (FCS) team at the Montgomery County Extension Office. This was the perfect fit for McDonald, who shadowed an FCS agent there as a young student and changed her major to human development and family sciences the very next day. 

McDonald’s project was The Vital Veggie, a plant-based cooking workshop that educated attendees about obesity-related health risks and demonstrated how to make a plant-based dish, herb pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes.  

Pre- and post-evaluations measured participants’ knowledge of plant-based dieting, obesity rates in Montgomery County, health benefits from a plant-based diet and whether they have previously made a plant-based meal. Before the workshop, 50% of participants did not know the health benefits of plant-based dieting. After the workshop, 100% of participants did—plus, McDonald said, they had fun making and sharing a meal.  

Katherine Woodward, an agricultural business senior at Murray State University, interned with the Logan County Extension Office 4-H Youth Development team.  

In partnership with Logan County FFA and Farm Credit Mid-America, Woodward and her extension colleagues hosted an Entrepreneurship Day Camp for 4-H youth. Attendees listened to lectures about starting a business and developing a business plan, then they brainstormed their own business ideas. 

Once attendees had a plan that included budgeting and marketing, each received $100 for their business. Over the next two months, 4-Hers developed their products, which they sold at the Logan County Fair. 

“Through this program, each 4-Her can benefit greatly from this experiential education learning model,” Woodward said. “They can learn invaluable life skills from money management to customer service that they will use for the rest of their lives.” 

Woodward never participated in 4-H as a child and said working with 4-H as an adult was “an eye-opening experience.”  

“Every day brings something new and different,” Woodward said. “This internship greatly influenced my career plans. The extension world is so different from other career pathways and allows for your impact to reach so many. Being able to work with my community and grow relationships there will impact me forever.” 

At the Warren County Extension Office, Colby Dye worked with the agriculture and natural resources (ANR) team on multimedia projects. A UK natural resource and environmental science senior, Dye noticed that Bowling Green’s rapid growth has put suburban residents in more frequent contact with nature and wildlife. 

Dye’s summer project was Backyard Biology, a video series of five-minute segments that showcased insects, amphibians and reptiles, and mammals. Disseminated via YouTube, social media and local news, the series collected more than 80,000 views and reached more than 13 countries.  

Within 24 hours of posting a video about insects, a local resident called to ask Dye about a Japanese beetle.  

“It was cool to see that and know the videos were making an impact,” Dye said.  

Dye’s environmental education background and “innovative” approach made him a great addition to the office, said UK Extension agent Joanna Coles.  

“Every new challenge and new skill I threw at him, he was willing to accept and learn about,” Coles said. “It’s always rewarding to help interns get where they want to be, learn new skills and have a successful summer.” 

The Extension Summer Internship Program benefits communities across Kentucky and college students preparing for their careers.  

“The work our interns do is outstanding, and the program has been an excellent source of networking and professional development for them,” Miller said.  

The Extension Summer Internship Program is open to students of any major who are enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at an accredited institution and have completed at least 45 academic credit hours. The application is open and available at https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/547038. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2024.  

To learn more about UK Cooperative Extension, visit extension.ca.uky.edu. 

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The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.