Get Involved

Virginia Cooperative Extension relies on volunteers to accomplish its mission. We believe that active citizen involvement in our programs makes a difference in our success. The work of volunteers at the local level helps us leverage our paid faculty and staff resources into a much greater impact for the people of Virginia.

There are many ways you can get involved with us. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss available opportunities.

In order to become a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, volunteers are required to attend a basic training class (a minimum of 40 hours of classroom and field instruction), advanced training (a minimum if 8 hours annually) and provide at least 40 hours of approved volunteer service to the community per year.  For more information or to apply, visit: http://www.vmnpeninsula.org/ or send questions to vmnpeninsula@gmail.com.

4-H Teen Club

The Hampton Teen Club is built around citizenship, scholarship, and a strong commitment to community service throughout the city of Hampton. Our club is comprised of a diverse group young adults ages 13-18, who proactively tackle the growing needs of all citizens throughout the city. Members of the teen club are held at a high standard, and their dedication and service shines through their work. The Hampton Teen Club is growing quickly and new members are always welcomed.

Family Nutrition Program-Youth, Susan Dale: Seeks Volunteers

Information that can help answer some questions about the Family Nutrition Program in the City of Hampton.

Today to help fight childhood obesity the Family Nutrition Program assists the youth of Hampton with health and nutrition. The program is a component of the United States Department of Agriculture and is managed by Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech.

The program is unique because the information has been researched by the elite professors at Virginia Tech and Virginia State Universities. A program assistant brings nutrition education to young people from age four to 19 with an emphasis on the relationship between food and the body. The qualifying youth are met in different sites in the city and they must receive at least six hours of nutrition instruction to meet the graduation requirements.

At this time two curriculums are being used. Below is a brief synopsis of these curriculums.

--Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids is for students in grades third and above. It focuses on six key topics SMART FOODS, SMART CHOICES, SMART DRINKS, SMART SNACKS, SMART ACTIVATES and SMART IMAGE. While those topics are taught the students learn about serving sizes, label reading, snacks, and exercising, to name a few. They also learn about Fast Food versus Junk Food as well as Food Safety. You can learn more about Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids in training.

--LEAP (Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschoolers) features 10 lessons centered on storybooks about health and nutrition. Each lesson is structured to include the story, reinforcement activities, and tasting activities. The duration or each lesson is approximately 30 to 45 minutes. There is also a family newsletter available for the students to take home.

Volunteers should be ready to train for three hours before teaching a class (for example two days for approximately 1.5 hours each day). In training you will learn which youth qualify for the program, how to facilitate the lessons as well as which curriculums to use. Since this is a government funded program there is a paper trail and how to maintain the necessary papers will be shared at training. Volunteers will also need to be committed to teaching the youth six lessons within the necessary time period. The scheduling of programs will also be explained in training.

Do not hesitate to contact Susan Dale, Family Nutrition Program Assistant – Youth at Virginia Cooperative Extension-Hampton Office. The office address is 101 N. Armistead Avenue, Suite 200, Hampton, Virginia 23669 and the office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call 757-727-1401 to speak to Susan Dale and leave a message if she is not available.