Skip to main content

Name: Jay Staker

Current Position: Extension Youth Development Specialist - 10 years.

Hometown: Woodward, Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Zoology with an emphasis in Fresh Water from Buena Vista. Masters degree in Science Education from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences: Worked on the Meat Processing Team for Oscar Meyer. Taught high school science in Ballard for 25 years.

Hobbies: Fishing, reading, writing, biking, and woodworking.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To assist in making 4-H viable in the 21st century and better serve our youth.


Jay works in the Extension office here at Iowa State and is the title director for E-SET and the associate director for Education for the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. His roles support science education for children in Iowa, developing partnerships for science outreach and funding development. He also tries to stay current with technology while working with the Iowa Youth Technology Team.


When asking Jay about his job he told me that new challenges are fantastic and that he loves being pushed to learn new things and new skills while working with amazing people! He loves working with the Technology Team because it is an opportunity for teens to gain communication leadership and social skills. Jay thinks more kids should take advantage of these opportunities because it builds life skills!


What does 4-H mean to Jay? It means opportunity!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ISU Women's Basketball Game a Big Hit!

4-H Night at the Iowa State Women's Basketball Game was a huge success Saturday. It was great to see everyone out and supporting the Cyclone's. We hope everyone had wonderful time. A recap of the night.... Over 1000 4-H guests were in attendance Glen and Mary Jo Mente were recognized on the court for all the great things they do the Iowa 4-H Program One lucky fan won a basketball autographed by Bill Fennelley and the women's basketball team 4-H alum interview with Anna Grimley was broadcasted on Cyclone Sports Radio Network AND..... Chris Clover, famous 4-H mascot, made his appearance at the game throughout the night Overall, everyone had a great time. We have some fun pictures that were taken during the game, and we invite you to check them out at our facebook fan page located at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Iowa-4-H-Foundation/59560467951?v=posts&viewas=16926868

Alumni Spotlight: Lindsay Mickelson

When one thinks of 4-H, they might not jump to music. However, 4-H allows youth to develop skills that help in areas of creativity and performance. Lindsay Mickelson was a Dayton Tiger 4-H’er from Webster County. Involved in several project areas, she loved to show pigs at county and State Fair, cattle for a couple years, photography, baking and Share the Fun. “I have so many great memories from 4-H. From playing cards in the cattle barns with friends to earning trophies for raising a fine-looking pig,” says Mickelson. “Fair time was always my favorite time of year because it combined my two favorite things: hanging out with friends and tending to the animals. I can remember the first year when I started 4-H, we had our calves so tame we would lay on them in the barn, just because they would let us. Half the time the calves couldn’t care less, as long as they had food and water, they were happy.” Mickelson identifies 4-H as a steppingstone growing up, teaching her how t...

4-H Love Stories

Happy Valentine's Day! Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so we thought we'd share some 4-H love stories we've heard throughout the years. We hope you enjoy! You may even know some of the couples or have your own story to share. We'll start off by sharing a story about two generations in the same family who fell in love at 4-H camp! So what's your 4-H love story? Share in the fun by submitting your own story! Check back frequently to read more 4-H love stories! Happy Valentine's Day!