Assistant/Associate Extension Agent (4-H Youth Development)

All Job Postings will close at 12:01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated).

If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progress will be saved as a draft. You will be able to access and complete the application through “My Draft Applications” located on your Candidate Home page.

Job Posting Title:

Assistant/Associate Extension Agent (4-H Youth Development)

Position Type:

Faculty

Department:

LSUAG PL4 - Southeast - Parish - St James (Dr. Renee C Naquin (00001094))

Work Location:

0101 St. James Parish Extension Office

Pay Grade:

Academic

Job Description:

(This is a grant-funded, non-tenure track position through 06/30/2028. Funding must be available for any continuation of appointment.)

Work Location: The extension office is in Lutcher, Louisiana. The area to be served is St. James Parish, which is in southeast Louisiana with a population of approximately 20,000 residents. The parish has 8 public schools and 1 parochial school. The parish has a potential youth audience of 2000 youth. In addition to school clubs, the parish 4-H program oversees four project clubs: Livestock, Shooting Sports, Junior Leader, and Sewing. The largest programs are Livestock (50-60 youth), Shooting Sports (40-50 youth), and Junior Leader Club (30-40 youth). This position will assist with the oversight of the Shooting Sports program and support Junior Leader Club meetings, activities, and events throughout the year. The program works with over 80 adult and youth volunteers and other non-profit organizations that help support youth programs. The goals of the 4-H Youth Development Program include increasing youth leadership development and community service learning; strengthening the partnership between 4-H and formal education; and expanding volunteer involvement to increase contact hours per youth. Agriculture commodities are sugarcane, soybean, perique tobacco, horticultural crops, and crawfish production.

Position Description : The LSU AgCenter is actively seeking applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service.

4-H Youth Development: The LSU AgCenter St. James Parish Office seeks a 4-H Agent to lead the parish-wide 4-H youth development program. You must demonstrate the ability to work effectively with cultural, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse audiences. Applicants must have abilities to build and maintain effective working relationships with 4-H adult volunteers, the St. James Parish 4-H Advisory Committee and Foundation, community-based and grassroots organizations, and peers in the LSU AgCenter organization. You will also provide strong leadership in the development of the adult volunteer system and youth-focused life skills educational content that is engaging and relevant to the audience. You will be part of a team that works together in support of initiatives designed to promote and support agriculture and strong families.

As a LSU AgCenter faculty member, you will also: work with agencies and organizations to assist or lead cooperative and interdisciplinary projects, both in the parish and through multi-parish efforts; provide service to schools outside of 4-H programming; develop creative works in support of programming, including presentations, professional posters, and web-based education; write scholarly publications related to the field of expertise; and participate in professional associations and service activities for the LSU AgCenter. You will document efforts through an annual plan of work (POW) and report of accomplishment. For those being hired as an Assistant/Associate agent you will be expected to attain promotion and tenure per LSU AgCenter guidelines.

What you will do:

• •Plan, develop, teach, evaluate, and report on youth educational programs that meet the needs of the parish’s diverse population in coordination with the St. James Parish 4-H Program and in alignment with the strategic direction of the Louisiana 4-H Youth Development program.
• •Deliver youth development programming through 4-H community clubs, special interest clubs/groups, school enrichment, day camps, after school programs, and other events and activities, emphasizing leadership, community service, and workforce development to name a few.
• •Coordinate youth and volunteer involvement in multi-parish, state, regional, and the national 4-H program and events.
• •Build and lead a strong volunteer base through recruitment, screening, training, and managing adult volunteers, including competency building using state and national 4-H research-based methods.
• •Teach and equip volunteers in educational methods to guide and support 4-H member projects in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), including animal sciences, environmental education, robotics, and agriculture, as well as the arts, entrepreneurship, career development, leadership, nutrition, healthy living, and citizenship.
• •Assess and identify opportunities for volunteers to serve in management and leadership roles; then recruit, train, and use volunteers in those roles.
• •Ensure the volunteer screening process is implemented and up to date and oversee all aspects of 4-H program risk management as directed by Louisiana 4-H Headquarters and local policies.
• •Develop program delivery strategies that include the use of deliberately focused virtual platforms. Employ up to 25% virtual programming as appropriate within parish technology resources and stakeholder needs.
• •Encourage and support health equity programming and systems for youth as resources are available.
• •Use a needs assessment to target programs focused on youth, reflecting the parish’s diverse population and the unique educational needs of St. James Parish.
• •Collaborate and develop strategic partnerships with parish and governmental departments, local businesses, and social service agencies to provide diverse and innovative educational opportunities for positive youth development.
• •Use resourcefulness, creativity, enthusiasm, and innovativeness to strengthen current educational programs while reviewing and implementing new policies, maintaining enrollments and records, assessing risks, communicating effectively across social media platforms, managing the program’s financial resources, and creating educational materials.
• •Seek and manage financial resources to support 4-H programming and ensure all financial policies are followed as instructed by LSU AgCenter and 4-H Foundation guidelines.
• •Follow all LSU AgCenter policies and best practices regarding affirmative action, program development, program evaluation, and reporting.
• •Develop and implement a communication plan for 4-H program participants, families, volunteers, and stakeholders using effective and contemporary approaches, including current social media.
• •Write content for various media sources (e.g., newspapers, radio, newsletters, web, social media) to promote programs, report on programs, and educate the public.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• •Experience in livestock production and working with youth on 4-H livestock projects.
• •Demonstrated organizational skills.
• •Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• •Ability to use social media in a variety of formats.
• •Comfort presenting in front of small and large crowds.
• •Experience establishing solid partnerships.
• •Highly self-motivated.
• •Innovative audience engagement and development.
• •Demonstrated skills in partnership development and project management.
• •Experience creating lesson plans, developing instructional materials, and applying teaching methods appropriate for the audience.
• •Experience managing volunteers.
• •Experience working in multicultural settings and coursework/training on multicultural topics.

Qualification Requirements: A baccalaureate degree in education, vocational education, agricultural sciences, family and consumer