June 1 – Prairie View A&M University’s Cooperative Extension Program’s Harris County 4-H Agent, Jeremy Peaches, and Family and Community Health Agent, Te’Anna Donaldson served on a panel hosted by North Carolina A & T University’s Cooperative Extension. The panel discussion focused on how each participant’s respective state’s extension program conducted programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Panelists provided insight into how agents, specialists, and program leaders, utilized their experience of maintaining programs and services during natural disasters to help during this pandemic. Speakers offered advice about conducting extension programming for extension colleagues across the country while navigating natural disasters and pandemics.
During the panel discussion, agent Donaldson and Peaches shared PVAMU’s extension’s role during recent natural disasters such as the Texas wildfires in 2011 and Hurricane Harvey. The conversation included lessons learned from past natural disasters as well as how the coronavirus impacted stakeholders and clientele.
Speakers emphasized the need for food security and how to help solve food system problems. The panel also included agents from Purdue University Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, University of Illinois Extension, and the University of Maryland. The information exchange provided tips, advice, and encouragement as we navigate through these trying times.
Despite their location, extension professionals concluded that we’re all in this together.
Te’Anna Donaldson
Harris County Extension Agent, FCS
tlreed@pvamu.edu
(713) 440-4900