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Felsen honored by CSU Extension

Noted for community engagement through 4-H
La Plata County 4-H Program Agent Greg Felsen was given the Distinguished Service Award for Community Engagement by Kathay Rennels, Colorado State University associate vice president for engagement.

La Plata County 4-H Program Agent Greg Felsen was honored last week by the Colorado State University Extension Office for his work in engaging the community through 4-H.

“The award celebrates people who are creating genuine partnerships and collaborations with communities, businesses or schools and utilize CSU resources to address or resolve community challenges,” CSU said in a news release.

Felsen was nominated by La Plata County Commissioner Julie Westendorff.

“Our community and society are experiencing challenges (technological, rural moving to more urban) that sometimes present challenges to 4-H to remain its relevance,” Westendorff wrote. “Over the last 25 years, La Plata County has seen fewer children growing up with exposure to agriculture and traditional 4-H themes. Greg has successfully helped foster growth in our 4-H programs at a time when many 4-H programs are struggling.”

One way Felsen has done this is by expanding the impact of 4-H with nontraditional and nonclub afterschool and school programs, including:

Creating a Natural Resources Camp, for which he received a Colorado Association of Extension Agents award.

Starting a science, technology, engineering and math enrichment program with kits to be lent to teachers in Lego Robotics, GPS/geographic information system technology, moving making and energy.

Offering Lego Robotic workshops and STEM activities during the summer, which sell out every year during 4-H Camp.

Receiving a grant for Come Alive Outside, a 4-H Giving Back garden at the Old Fort Lewis Campus in Hesperus, to involve young people in working outside and with nature. The garden donated hundreds of pounds of produce for the commodities distribution in September.

Involving La Plata County 4-H members in a state youth development program, where they went to Denver to work on a project at Children’s Hospital, while Denver kids came to work in the Giving Back garden.

Creating a Cowboy Ethics workshop, teaching young people how to be respectful and fair, which emphasizes the ethics of raising livestock.

“Greg’s programs are aided by generous donations of time, money and goods from the community at-large,” Westendorff said in the nomination, “and his far-reaching and diverse activities reach youth of all ages and interests. This allows 4-H in our community to be a diverse, thriving and relevant organization with a shared community vision focused on supporting both rural and urban youth to develop their life-skills and keeping them pointed in a positive direction.”

abutler@durangoherald.com



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