Growing Summer Impact: Strengthening 4-H Camps and County Fair Preparation Through Applied Evaluation

This internship will strengthen 4-H youth development programming in Wayne County by supporting summer day camps, a gardening and cooking camp, and youth preparation for the county fair. The purpose is to enhance youth experiences, improve program coordination, and strengthen the bridge between county Extension work and campus evaluation practice. Intended outcomes include documenting youth experiences in summer programs, working with staff to observe and coordinate across camp activities, and helping staff develop resources to help youth, volunteers, and families to prepare for county fair exhibits and demonstrations. With campus collaboration from Celeste Carmichael, the internship will also build evaluation planning capacity by embedding simple data-collection strategies and reflective practice. This project will advance both youth-facing programming and internal evaluation learning.

Roles and responsibilities 

The intern will assist in planning, implementing, and supporting delivery of two one-week summer camps, including activity preparation, daily coordination, and helping 4-H staff facilitate positive experiences for youth participants. The intern will also help prepare youth and volunteers for the county fair, including organizing materials, coordinating schedules, and supporting on-site preparation events. In addition, the intern may support up to two school-based gardens by helping coordinate gardening activities, providing hands-on support to youth, and participating in garden maintenance and early-season harvest or tasting activities. The intern will report to Melissa Spoon, 4-H Team Leader, and will meet weekly with campus collaborator Celeste Carmichael to integrate evaluation planning into their work.

Qualifications and previous coursework

This opportunity is available to non-graduating students in Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The ideal intern is motivated by youth development and has an interest in informal STEM, agriculture, gardening, or food-based learning. Coursework or experience in education, human development, horticulture, agricultural science, youth development, communication, or related fields would be helpful but not strictly required. The intern should be comfortable interacting with youth and volunteers, able to take initiative, and willing to help design activities that are engaging and age-appropriate. 

A driver’s license and access to a car is strongly preferred, as public transportation in Wayne County is minimal.

Learning outcomes 

The intern will gain hands-on experience in youth development programming, including planning, facilitation, and evaluation of summer learning experiences. They will learn how to translate ideas into activities, how to support youth and volunteers during fair preparation, and how to coordinate logistics in a community-based setting. With guidance from campus collaborator Celeste Carmichael, the student will build foundational skills in evaluation planning, outcome identification, and using data to inform program improvement. Overall, this internship will help students strengthen practical professional skills, reflective practice, and their understanding of how campus scholarship connects to Extension implementation and evaluation.