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Dr. Ivory W. Lyles |
Arkansas 4-H is one of the programs recognized in a report examining gains made by the state to close the education achievement gap between students of different races and income levels.
The report, Education in the Post-Lake View Era: What Is Arkansas Doing to Close the Achievement Gap? was released in February. The report summarizes gains made in Arkansas education since the landmark Lake View decision handed down in 2002 by the Arkansas Supreme Court. The court upheld a lower court ruling that found the state’s education funding system to be inequitable and inadequate. The report also recommends next steps for continued progress.
Two areas that affect low-income and minority students the most are lack of educational opportunities in the hours outside the school day and during the summer. Research shows that extended learning opportunities such as summer programs and afterschool programs improve school attendance, behavior and test scores.
In a state where nearly 20 percent of school children must take care of themselves once the school day is over, after-school programs take on new importance. The report laments the lack of large-scale after-school efforts and recognizes two notable exceptions, 4-H and YMCA, which together touched an estimated 200,000 children.
In 2007 alone, 4-H touched the lives of 133,000 Arkansas youth.
"We have everything to be proud of with our 4-H programs," said Dr. Darlene Baker, assistant director of 4-H youth development. "We hope that through our Centennial Celebration, we will draw even more volunteers and school children to sign up - in recognition of the premier program it is."
Baker, who is also a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Best Practices for After-School and Summer Programs, said the Division of Agriculture has other programs that will prove effective in closing the gap.
"The work our Family and Consumer Sciences faculty is doing to increase parental involvement with their children and strengthen families will go a long way to helping close the gap," she said. "We have two areas of Extension that can really make a difference in the lives of Arkansas’ children and the future of our state."
The report is a collaborative effort of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Hendrix College and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
- Ivory W. Lyles
Honorary and Memorial Gifts
The following honorary gifts were recently received in support of programs and funds within the Cooperative Extension Service. This list covers gifts deposited January 1-31, 2008.
4-H General Scholarship
In honor of Aaron Warren
Gene and Mary Warren
Extension Service Retiree Scholarship
In honor of Fann Woodward
Merritt Royal
Pulaski County Horticulture Fund
In honor of Beth Phelps
Pulaski County Master Gardeners Association
Honorary or memorial donations may be forwarded to the Development Office, Cooperative Extension Service, P.O. Box 391, Little Rock, AR 72203. To ensure that proper notification is sent, please also include in whose honor or memory the gift is made and the mailing address of the person to receive the notification.
- Merritt Royal
Plunkett Awarded Epsilon Sigma Phi First - Timer Scholarship for PILD Conference
Don Plunkett, county Extension agent - staff chair for the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service, was recently awarded a $600 Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) First-Timer Scholarship to attend the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) Conference in Washington, D.C., April 28-30, 2008. Four ESP first-time scholarships are awarded annually with Plunkett receiving the South region award.
Plunkett will represent Epsilon Sigma Phi, Alpha Iota Chapter, as newly elected president for 2008 at the PILD Conference, and the $600 First-Timer Scholarship will help the Alpha Iota Chapter keep expenses down.
PILD is a public issues leadership program involving five Extension associations through the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP). The 2008 PILD Conference is headquartered at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
Extension professional associations from Arkansas send a chapter officer to this important training conference each year. Arkansas associations attending PILD this year are ACAAA (Mark Keaton), an AACES delegate, AAE4-HA (Josh Wright), ESP (Don Plunkett) and NEAFCS (Joy Buffalo).
The 2008 PILD Conference program is all about Connections and will allow participants to keep abreast of the changing public issues that impact our communities and affect Extension programming in Washington and on the local level.
Some important facts concerning the 2008 PILD Conference are:
Planning is being done now for Arkansas PILD participants to visit with the Arkansas Congressional delegation - the highlight of the Wednesday afternoon final PILD session. Prior to traveling to Washington, AACES will make appointments for the 2008 Arkansas delegation to visit with Arkansas’s Congressional representatives and senators.
- Don Plunkett
Engle Receives Highest Aquaculture Award
Dr. Carole R. Engle, director of the Aquaculture/Fisheries Center of Excellence at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), has received the 2008 National Aquaculture Association (NAA) Joseph P. McCraren Award for outstanding contributions in promoting the growth of aquaculture.
The award was given to Dr. Engle in response to her dedicated efforts supporting a scientifically-based approach to the regulation of Asian carp and her support of fair global trade practices. The McCraren Award is the most prestigious honor given by the NAA. Dr. Engle is the first person to receive the award for a second time. She was also honored in 2004.
Named in honor of Joseph P. McCraren, the first chairman and executive director of the NAA, in recognition of his service to the association and the industry, the award was presented during the Aquaculture America 2008 meeting in Orlando, Florida.
"I deeply appreciate this honor," said Dr. Engle. "While this work is part of my job, it means a great deal to be recognized by the aquaculture industry."
The Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, directed by Dr. Engle, includes 19 scientists, faculty and Extension specialists and 24 full-time research and Extension support staff. It is a research and Extension center dedicated to the development and transfer of timely, problem-solving information. Its primary mission is to respond to immediate and future needs of the state’s aquaculture industry and fisheries and aquatic resource managers through quality research and Extension programs.
"Dr. Engle is an outstanding professional and administrator," said Dr. Jacquelyn W. McCray, dean and director of the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences at UAPB.
"The aquaculture industry in Arkansas is fortunate to have her leadership and contributions via the UAPB Aquaculture/Fisheries Center of Excellence."
In addition to being the only two-time McCraren award winner, Dr. Engle has received many other industry awards including the prestigious Catfish Farmers of America Researcher of the Year award in 2003. She has also published more than 70 papers in refereed international journals, a recent book on aquaculture economics and more than 30 book chapters.
This year marks the third time in five years that the McCraren has been awarded to a UAPB faculty member. Last year the award was given to Dr. Andrew Goodwin, professor and associate director of the Aquaculture/Fisheries Center of Excellence. Dr. Goodwin was honored for his efforts in helping to protect aquaculture producers from Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS), a viral disease causing fish mortalities in the Great Lakes, while working to keep the regulations realistic and minimize the burden on fish farmers.
- Debbie Archer
Gifts-in-Kind (Noncash Gifts) Provide Value to Our Mission
In addition to cash contributions, donations of tangible property provide much value in fulfilling our mission of providing research- based information through non-formal education. Examples of gifts- in-kind include donations of animals, equipment, vehicles, trailers, chemicals, seed, software, supplies, patents and other technology rights, as well as unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses.
Fundraising events, such as auctions, produce opportunities for receiving gifts-in-kind. Tangible items that are donated are eligible for consideration as a charitable contribution. Further, the value of the purchase of any tangible auction item that exceeds the fair market value constitutes a deductible gift.
There are some non-tangible contributions that are not deductible under IRS guidelines but that comprise a real value to the U of A Division of Agriculture. Included as examples are donated services, such as those provided by architects, carpenters, electricians, lawyers, teachers, etc. Also, the provision of free broadcast time or newspaper space falls within this definition. The U of A Division of Agriculture can give these contributions "recognition credit" which is merely an internal process allowing the Division to recognize such contributions.
Similarly, land-leveling or flying services donated qualify for the "recognition credit" provision by which the donor can be recognized by the U of A Division of Agriculture. However, any real out-of- pocket expenses - such as gasoline - to provide such services do qualify as deductible charitable contributions in accordance with IRS guidelines.
Any unreimbursed costs for gas and oil that volunteers incur during their service in behalf of the Cooperative Extension Service may also be considered a gift. Volunteers may deduct the actual cost of gas and oil or may elect to use a standard mileage rate determined by the IRS to calculate a charitable value. The cost for parking fees and tolls incurred by a volunteer in behalf of his/her service with the Cooperative Extension Service also qualifies as a charitable contribution for the volunteer.
For gifts-in-kind that qualify for the IRS charitable contribution election, regardless of value, the Cooperative Extension Service has an obligation to our donors to ensure that they receive written communication acknowledging the gift. This statement should be on letterhead and should contain the date the gift was received, as well as a description of the donated gift-in-kind. The letter acknowledging receipt of the gift-in-kind should never list a value.
Form DIVAGR-01 under "Templates" is used to report gifts-in-kind to be acknowledged by the U of A Division of Agriculture. Not only will the donor receive written acknowledgement from the Vice President of Agriculture, the donor may also receive public recognition in Division publications.
For questions regarding eligibility or protocol, you may contact Merritt Royal, director of development (479-575-2322, mjroyal@uark.edu).
- Merritt Royal
Grants and Contracts
| Project Title | Award Amount | Principal Investigator | Granting Agency |
| FAZD County Animal Security and Health Network (CASHN) | $12,000.00 | Henry English | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff |
| Wildlife Habitat | $89,545.00 | Tamara Walkingstick | Arkansas Game and Fish Commission |
| Wellness Enhanced by Exercise and Eating (WE3) Project | $35,647.00 | Lisa Gilmore | AR Blue and You Foundation |
| Beef Council - Beef IQ Project | $1,250.00 | Brett Barham | Arkansas Beef Council |
| Fast Pyrolysis of Cotton Gin Waste to Produce Liquid Fuel | $30,872.00 | Samy Sadaka | Cotton Incorporated |
The Use of Gypsum for Improved Cotton Productivity |
$23,715.00 | Leo Espinoza | Cotton Incorporated |
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Achieving Profitable Cotton Production: Defining Optimal Seeding
Rates Over Varying Soil Textures |
$28,500.00 | Tony Windham | Cotton Incorporated |
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Total |
$221,529.00 |
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© 2006 |
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