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In this issue
- • Families
find strength in grant-funded program
• Task
force takes on youth and family issues
• Des
Moines Initiative offers new learning opportunities
• Fight
fire with fire -- for better firefighter training
• Journey
into new agriculture ventures
• CIRAS
works on quality control in agriculture
• "Speaking
of skin cancer" -- A cooperative success
• Conferences
examine transitions in agriculture
- • Dairy
laboratory is "center of excellence"
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- The
Extension Connection
Winter 2000 homepage
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Previous issues
Fall
1999
Summer
1999
Spring
1999
Winter
1999
Fall
1998
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ISU Extension
homepage
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Task force takes on
youth and family issues
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People in Grundy Center felt their community
needed to work on youth and family issues. So four
years ago they formed the Grundy Center Youth and
Families task force.
"We wanted to make Grundy Center a better place
to live," said Allan Vyhnalek, task force
coordinator and Iowa State University Extension
education director for Grundy County.
The task force includes people from Grundy
County agencies such as the police department, the
juvenile office, Grundy County Public Health and
Head Start. Also involved are churches, school
administrators, youth and the newspaper. Vyhnalek
said the coalition meets about eight to 10 times a
year to talk about issues and how to improve the
community.
Pastor Paul Nelson has been with the task force
since the beginning. "In general, we talk about how
we can better improve relationships with children
of all ages and adults by helping young people to
better themselves and improve self esteem," Nelson
said. "Our goal is to strengthen relationships.
It's a local standpoint of what we can do right
here."
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The task force has discussed issues related to parenting,
drug use and self image of youth. The group wants to put
together a mentoring program for the high school and bring
back adult role model day, a successful event during the
task force's first year. "We're always looking for things we
can do," Nelson said.
The task force has been beneficial to the Grundy Center
community and to those involved. "It's been very
fulfilling," Nelson said. "It's a good way to get to know
people with the same goals."
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