Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service - Harris County
Texas Community Futures Forum
LET'S TALK:
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
2019 was a great year for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, full of change and progress. We welcomed new staff, volunteers and county Extension agents. We are transitioning to a new office location, creating a strategic plan and have been building partnerships that will have a lasting and positive impact for our department. We’re proud to be working with a wide range of dedicated caring volunteers and organizations that allow us to reach thousands of youth and families each year.
In 2019, there were 1,306 volunteers that volunteered more than 149,916 hours of their time to lead, teach or support an educational program in the areas of Agriculture, Family and Community Health, 4-H and Youth Development, Community Economic Development or Horticulture for AgriLife. These educational programs are geared to teach our clientele how to improve agriculture and food production, advance health practices, protect the environment, strengthen our communities and enrich our youth.
We have continued to make great progress with our YMCA, Girls Inc, and Boys and Girls Club partners. Harris County was identified to join the Imagine Science Initiative awarded to support the operation of planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project. The goal of the initiative focuses on: a) helping youth to build knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors about STEM and STEM career pathways; b) enhance existing capacity to connect with and engage diverse and underserved youth; c) introduce innovations in coordinated STEM programming driven by the community-determined needs of youth, and d) develop a set of delivery strategies to encourage connection with STEM throughout the school year, in coordination with community systems, schools, and families. Through our combined efforts, we have reached more than 870 youth from our partnership.
The success of our organization is the community’s success. With the ongoing support of our County Commissioner’s Court, donors, partners, Leadership Advisory Board and volunteers, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be positioned for the challenges and achievements ahead in 2020.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Extension office at 713-274-0950.
Respectfully,
David D. Wright
County Extension Director – Harris County
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
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