Nebraska Extension recently announced their 2023 Extension Awards and Service Awards. Several staff members from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County were recognized!
• Excellence in Extension Team award for “Innovation” was presented to the Nit Kit Program team of Extension Educators Kait Chapman, Hayley Jackson and Jody Green (Douglas/Sarpy counties). The Team also won a Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association (NCEA) award for “Creative Programming.” Nit Kits are convenient kits designed and developed to tackle issues surrounding the spread and management of head lice in children. In 2023, the team trained 207 individuals and distributed 412 Nit Kits to 79 early childhood organizations and schools across 30 counties in Nebraska.
• Excellence in Extension Team award for “Research-Based” was presented to the Food, Health and Nutrition PEARS Leadership team, which includes Extension Educator Kayla Colgrove, as well as two other Extension staff. The team provided leadership for transitioning Nebraska Extension to the PEARS (Program Evaluation And Reporting System) national web-based system for data collection and reporting.
• Individual award for “Inclusive” was presented to the Extension Assistant Irvin Ramirez-Benavides has been invaluable in raising awareness of being inclusive of all members of the community served by Extension’s Nutrition Education Program (NEP), especially people who are often underrepresented