Making the most of a field day for students is the topic of a workshop slated for Thursday, February 10, 2011, at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. The Best Practices for Field Days workshop, which focuses on how to maximize the field day experience, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom on the Crookston campus. The $15 registration fee includes lunch.
 
Field days are community events that bring together professionals, volunteers and teachers with school children for a day of learning about their environment. In educational field days, students rotate through multiple presentations on environmental topics.

The Best Practices for Field Days workshop is designed to help organizers and   presenters improve the field experience for students by helping them learn and retain important concepts, plan a comfortable and memorable setting, ensure the day runs safely and smoothly, create more useful evaluations, market an event, and to employ designs that help connect youth with nature.

All workshop attendees will receive the Best Practices for Field Days: A Program Planning Guidebook for Organizers, Presenters, Teachers, and Volunteers and a companion CD of tools and templates. For more information, visit www.extension.umn.edu/FieldDays or contact Jolene Beiswenger at 218-281-8027.

The workshop is sponsored by University of Minnesota Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership and its partners University of Minnesota, Crookston, University of Minnesota Extension, Northwest Regional Development Commission, International Water Institute River Watch, Polk and Mahnomen Public Health Programs, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Linda Kingery, executive director, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, 218-281-8697, kinge002@umn.edu; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Seven projects have been supported through the awarding of $500 mini-grants from a unique working partnership focused on connecting children and nature. The mini-grant project goals are to connect children with nature, get children outdoors, develop community support for unstructured outdoor activities, provide multiyear benefits for encouraging a personal experience in outdoor places, help remove barriers to outdoor activities, such as access issues, safety concerns, and negativity of natural play or other concerns.

The partnership, which includes the University of Minnesota, Crookston; University of Minnesota Extension; Northwest Regional Development Commission; Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership;  International Water Institute River Watch; Polk and Mahnomen Public Health Programs; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, awarded the grants in December and is looking to fund a second round in February 2011.  Applications are encouraged.

The mini-grant opportunities are available to any school, club, group, community, or non-profit organization directly involved with educating or caring for children located in Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, and Wilkin counties. To be considered for the next round of funding applications must be received by February 1, 2011. For more information or to access the application form, visit www.umcrookston.edu/childrenandnature.

The seven projects receiving funding in December included several projects in the Crookston community: The Northwest Mental Health Center's summer program gardens will encourage children in grades K-6 to participate in gardens at 12 school sites tying nutritional benefits to working with nature in a garden. The School Age Care's school garden project will help support learning during the summer program using the garden at Washington School. Little Villagers Child Care  at the Villa St. Vincent will use their grant to provide children with outdoor program supplies including a toboggans, composter, bug nets, and shovels, etc. Highland Elementary School will purchase digital cameras to be used for the sixth grade's annual field trip to Itasca and for a winter survival unit at the U of M, Crookston's Nature Center.

The Ada- Borup Elementary School will use their funding to purchase digital cameras for their after-school science enrichment program for grades 3-6. In Newfolden, Minn., Marshall County Central's mini grant award will help defray transportation costs for a field trip to Wolf Ridge for a field-based science learning experience, and Marshall County's McCrea 4-H Club will use funds to learn about native fish in Minnesota through an ice fishing trip to Lake of the Woods.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Linda Kingery, executive director, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, 218-281-8697, kinge002@umn.edu; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The Torch & Shield Award recognizes the leadership of individuals and organizations who have been influential on the development of the University of Minnesota, Crookston; Northwest Research and Outreach Center; and Extension. It is the highest recognition awarded by the campus and this year three individuals and an organization will be honored with the award. A social, program, and banquet celebrating the award recipients will be held on Tuesday evening, October 26, 2010. The evening also  honors the donors who have given in support of the campus over the past year.

The event will be live streamed that evening at http://www3.crk.umn.edu/people/services/MediaServ/Stream.htm. Click on "Connect to Live Event"


The 2010 Torch & Shield Award recipients are:

Susan Brorson, Ph.D., is a professor and head of the Business Department at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. She has served as head of the department for the past six years.  Brorson has embraced and nurtured educational innovation.  First, through teaching as the U of M, Crookston transitioned to a technology-focused baccalaureate campus in the 1990s, and most recently, through her work as an administrator. Under her leadership, the Business Department has grown to offer five baccalaureate degrees online and serve more than 400 degree-seeking students. Her work on the campus spans more than 30 years, and she has served as a role model for young women and consistently championed the role of women through her support and encouragement. She has twice been honored by the U of M, Crookston with the Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2001 she was recognized by Women in Technology International for contributions to the advancement of technology. Brorson holds a doctorate in teaching and learning and a master's degree in marketing education from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and a bachelor's degree in marketing education from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Phil Baird is an associate professor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department at the U of M, Crookston where he has served since 1979. An innovative and dedicated instructor, Baird has served as an adviser to countless students. He has received Crookston campus recognition including UMC Student Association awards for Academic Adviser of the Semester, Outstanding Educator of the Year, and Outstanding Service to Students, as well as the Distinguished Teaching Award. He has also received the University of Minnesota's President's Award for Outstanding Service and the Horace T. Morse University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. For the past 28 years, Baird and Tom Feiro have taken his students each spring to the Deer River District on the Chippewa National Forest for a long weekend of planting trees and experiencing the meaning of service, hard work, teamwork, and responsibility. Their crews have planted more than 155,000 trees. Baird has also coordinated the Northwest Urban Forestry Workshop for the past 27 years; designed to provide training and the advancement of urban forestry for cities and counties in northwestern Minnesota and the region. Baird holds a master's degree in forest administration and management and a bachelor's degree in outdoor recreation resources management, both from Iowa State University in Ames.

David Hoff joined the teaching staff at the University of Minnesota Technical College in Crookston in 1967. He is responsible for starting the ag business program in 1970, served as interim chair of the Ag Division in 1988-89, and was involved in many of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conferences over the years serving as judging team coordinator from 1988-2004. Hoff initiated the discussion leading to a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Education Department at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul which allowed students to earn their agricultural education degrees on the Crookston campus. In 1978-79, he was part of a teacher exchange to Berkshire College of Agriculture in England. He holds a master's degree in agricultural economics and a bachelor's degree in agricultural education, both from North Dakota State University in Fargo.

KROX AM Radio 1260 is only the second organization to be recognized with the Torch &
Shield Award. Founded in April 1948, the
station has been broadcasting everyday for more than 62 years. It is owned and operated by Gopher Communications Company, which is comprised of Frank and Jeanette Fee. A community-minded radio station, KROX works in cooperation with the University of Minnesota, Crookston and covers news stories from the campus as well as broadcasting Insight Radio, a weekly radio program featuring students, faculty, and staff on the Crookston campus. The station is also dedicated to the broadcasting of Golden Eagle athletics and has traveled countless miles to bring athletic action to the fans. Staff members at KROX include: Frank Fee,  general manager, sales, news and sports; Jeanette Fee, office manager; Chris Fee, traffic director, announcer, Web site and sports; Tom Helgeson, sales; Raymond Lee, morning announcer and host of Valley Talk; MaryAnn Simmons, news director; Jacob Fee, announcer and Web site coordinator; Joshua Leyh, afternoon/evening announcer; Cecil Malme, Alisa Cardinal, Mark Anderson who serve as weekend and part-time announcers; and Stan Mueller, station engineer.

The purpose of recognizing someone with a Torch & Shield Award is to honor contributions of significance to higher education, the Crookston campus, and the region; recognize champions of UMC, NWROC, and Extension for their impact on the region through teaching, research, and outreach; and distinguish both high profile individuals and those who have been "quiet" contributors to the success of the U of M, Crookston. For more information or to view past recipients of the award, visit www.umcrookston.edu/torchandshield.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Corby Kemmer, director, development and alumni relations, 218-281-8434 (ckemmer@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Interactions with nature when we are children make a difference in our health and well-being. Simple steps can help reconnect young children with nature, and create a mass movement encouraging these interactions to improve health and wellness in every child.

The upcoming Connecting Children and Nature Conference, scheduled for September 29, 2010, at the University of Minnesota, Crookston will engage K-12 educators, parents, and public health workers, along with community leaders and resource managers, in an effort to reconnect children with the natural world.

Keynote speaker Cheryl Charles, Ph.D., will present The Ecology of Hope:  Building a Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature.  Cheryl Charles is President and Co-founder, with Richard Louv and others, of the Children and Nature Network (www.childrenandnature.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to building a movement to re-connect children and nature.  Cheryl will speak about the growing disconnect between children and nature, indicators of what Richard Louv calls nature-deficit disorder, and the scientific as well as common-sense evidence of the benefits to children from direct experience with nature on a daily basis in their lives.  Grounded in research as well as experience, Cheryl offers practical suggestions for action by parents, grandparents, physicians, urban planners, architects, designers, business leaders, public officials, academics, educators and others concerned about the nature of childhood, the health of communities and the future of the Earth.  The presentation will address why it is important to connect children and nature and what is the role of the conference attendees to do this work.
During the noon lunch, participants will share stories of their childhood memories of interacting with nature.

During the day breakout sessions will include such topics as nature engaged families; using technology to connect students and nature; environmental education resources; organizing a community bike/walk audit; fundraising for community projects; and a look at the health benefits when children and nature connect.

The conference is funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is sponsored by US Fish & Wildlife Services, Rydell Wildlife Refuge, Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Extension Environmental Science Education, University of Minnesota, Crookston, NW Statewide Health Improvement Program Cluster, Northwest Regional Development Commission, and U of M Regional Extension - Crookston.

For more information on the Connecting Children and Nature Conference, visit www.umcrookston.edu/childrenandnature or Deborah Zak at 218-281-8684 (dzak@umn.edu).

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 17 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Deborah Zak, director, Regional Extension Office, 218-281-8684 (dzak@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Fifty 4th through 8th grade students from the summer's "Reach for the Sky" Science and Math Academy on the White Earth Indian Reservation will go where few have gone before, without space suits and years of training. They will launch science experiments to the edge of outer space ("near-space" - the upper reaches of the atmosphere, above 80,000 ft) with 30 or more experiments that the students will build, to test science theories and to apply hands-on science and math to their world.  On-board cameras will document the view from so high in the atmosphere that the sky is black even in the daytime, and the curve of the Earth is visible.
 
The Reach for the Sky program will be launching experimental packages on two large helium-filled weather balloons early on Wednesday morning, June 9, 2010, from somewhere near the Circle of Life School (exact launch location is weather dependent and will be selected by Tuesday afternoon). Preparations will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

The two balloons will carry 8 student-built miniature spacecraft, with about 5 science sensors plus a camera in each one, as well as tracking radios. The students will work in teams on Monday and Tuesday to build their flying spacecraft laboratories and outfit them with sensors and cameras. The data they collect will be sent down by radio to computers on the ground, or downloaded once the payloads are retrieved. 

Working with university students from the U of MN's High Altitude Balloon Team, the students will use the data to address questions that they set out to answer earlier in the week when they built their experiments. "What does the landscape look like from that height?" and "Are we really facing global climate change?" and "How does the sun's radiation change as we go up?" and "How does the temperature change with the changes in atmospheric pressure?" are just some of the questions students may be trying to answer.  The balloons will have GPS units on them for tracking and will be recovered after the flight by the University's High Altitude Balloon team, directed by Professor James Flaten from the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium.
 
The Reach for the Sky project is in its 3rd year where culturally relevant science has been used to study various aspect of physics of flight, engineering, renewable energy, wind energy, human powered machines, and more. It is sponsored with the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development and the College of Extension, by a grant from the National Science Foundation ITEST division, and by the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium through the U of MN's Institute of Technology.

Contact Stephan Carlson at 651-283-7261 or Deb Zak at 218-686-6141 with additional questions.

The White Earth Academy of Math and Science, celebrating its twelfth anniversary in 2010, is an innovative summer program that provides opportunities for students and teachers to learn science and math using a curriculum that is relevant to the Ojibwe culture and leading to improved academic performance. The students will be visiting the Crookston campus of the University of Minnesota on Monday and Tuesday, June 28-29.

Contact: Dr. Stephan Carlson, 651-283-7261; or Deb Zak, 218-686-6141

PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELED.

A workshop created for better understanding of how to work and lead with people from multiple generations is being presented by University of Minnesota Extension. The U-Lead Workshop on "Understanding Generational Differences" will be held on the Crookston campus on Thursday, June 10, 2010. The workshop, slated to begin at 5 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center, is designed to help build a better understanding of generational differences in order to work and live together successfully. Cost for the workshop is $25 and registration must take place one week prior to the workshop; dinner is included in the registration fee.

The workshop is for county extension committees, commissioners, advisory boards, program volunteers and others interested in this vital topic in today's workplace. Workshop attendees will explore how four generations in today's society differ in values and views of the world, how multiple generational characteristics influence the ability of a group to work together, and identify ways to apply learning for effective group work with multiple generational members. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to learn more about the third U-Lead Advisory Academy. Learn more by reading the ULAA Generations Workshop Brochure. 

For more information, contact Cindy Weber at 888-241-3214. 

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Deb Zak, U of M Extension, 218-281-8684 (dzak@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)