Past, Present, and Future of Extension

CTAHR celebrated 90 years of Cooperative Extension and 100 years of 4-H in Hawai'i on November 7 at the Ala Moana Hotel’s Hibiscus Ballrooms. Among the 250-plus attendees were current Extension faculty and staff members, retirees, and stakeholders. The program featured speakers including US and local lawmakers, along with special guest Karen Howell. She is the granddaughter of experiment station director Frederick Krauss, who started the first 4-H swine club with 31 plantation youth in Ha‘iku, Maui, in 1918. A 4-H signpost will be placed in the vicinity of Ha‘iku commemorating that auspicious beginning. In the typical Extension tradition. educational booths and interactive displays were offered in the foyer area outside of the ballrooms, showcasing a sampling of Extension’s agriculture and human resources programs and 4-H activities. Dean Nicholas Comerford, interim associate dean and associate director for Extension Kelvin Sewake, and state 4-H program leader Jeff Goodwin spoke on the past, present, and future of Extension and 4-H in Hawai’i. In addition to the luncheon, a special session for CTAHR Extension retirees took place in the morning, and in-service training sessions were held in both the morning and afternoon for current Extension faculty. The retirees joined the training sessions in the afternoon to share their past experiences and provide advice to the current employees. It was a busy and successful day for Extension! Photos of the event can be enjoyed here.