Local Programs
Programs
Staff and volunteers with the Prince William Cooperative Extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources program provide educational programs for individuals and business to implement sound practices producing aesthetically pleasing landscapes that have minimal negative impacts on the environment. Programs include:
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For more information and to access publications, please visit this link VCE Environmental Horticulture.
Financial Education
We provide education and counseling to help families and individuals help themselves manage personal finances. Programs are conducted by Virginia Cooperative Extension staff and trained volunteers.We offer education and confidential counseling for a variety of financial needs:
• You want to buy a home.
• You want to learn more about managing your money effectively.
• You have no savings, regardless of how much money you make.
• A temporary decrease in income would cause major financial problems.
• You are considering a home equity or consolidation loan to pay debts.
• You are obtaining cash advances on your credit card.
• You are having trouble making your mortgage or rent payments.
For more information on the Financial Education programs, please visit the following web link at VCE Financial Education.
Parent Education
Being a parent is a very important job, and yet very little training is available to prepare us. In a group with parents who share similar concerns, you are supported and encouraged in your efforts to parent effectively. Our concerned volunteers and staff understand the challenges of parenting. We want you to be the best parent possible! Virginia Cooperative Extension offers a variety of parenting programs at little cost to you. Our programs are open to all residents of Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Virginia Cooperative Extension’s classes offer you an opportunity to discuss practical and realistic approaches to the challenges of parenting:
• You want to know more about the next stage in their development.
• You’re getting no cooperation at home.
• You’re concerned about your child’s self image.
• You’re looking for new ways to work together as a family.
• You want some new discipline techniques.
To register for a class and for more information, please visit the following the web link at VCE Parent Education or call 703-792-6288.
Nutrition Education
VCE provides food, nutrition and health education for limited-resource families. Education involves healthy food choices, food preparation, active living, safe food handling, and thrifty food shopping. Programs include: Eat Healthy, Be Active community program for adults & age-appropriate food, nutrition, and health programs for school-age youth. Programming is grant-funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed). This service is offered to SNAP Eligible residents of Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park by trained staff.
For more information, contact
SNAP Adult Program Assistant Anita Eggleton (703)792-4722 anitae@vt.edu or
SNAP Youth Program Assistant Travis Dieffenderfer (703) 792-7217 travisd19@vt.edu
Click on this link for Prince William County 4-H and learn even more about the 4-H program in Prince William County and how to become involved.
4-H is the comprehensive youth development program of Virginia Cooperative Extension. Youth between the ages of 5 and 18 engage in hands-on learning experiences under the guidance of adult or teen 4-H volunteers trained by 4-H agents. 4-H programs use experiential learning opportunities to teach the latest research-based subject matter knowledge and to foster skill development in effective citizenship, leadership, and other life skills. The 10 areas of 4-H curriculum focus are: Animal Sciences; Communications and Expressive Arts; Environmental Education and Natural Resources; Jobs, Careers and Economics; Plant and Soil Sciences; Citizenship; Family and Consumer Sciences; Health, Nutrition and Wellness; Leadership and Personal Development; and Science and Technology.
Youth also participate in educational experiences at the Northern VA 4-H Educational Center. 4-H has both a school-based and a community-based delivery models to allow maximum access to Virginia's youth. The specific learning experiences a 4-H member participates in are shaped locally and supported at the state and national levels. 4-H members learn how to: make decisions, manage resources, work with others, and utilize effective communication skills. 4-H serves as an effective prevention educational program. Involvement in 4-H reduces the potential for dysfunctional involvement in the community by youth. The mission of 4-H is to develop youth and adults working with those youth to realize their full potential-becoming effective, contributing citizens through participation in research-based, informal, hands-on educational experiences.
Engaging with Communities
Virginia Cooperative Extension specialists in community viability work with Extension agents, campus-based faculty, organizational partners, communities, and individuals to further opportunity and build capacity in five program areas:
- Leadership & Planning
- Community Enterprise and Resiliency
- Community Food System and Enterprises
- Community Planning
- Emerging Community Issues
Examples of our work include training county elected officials, educating entrepreneurs, facilitating collaborative projects, supporting the growth of community food systems and local economies, enhancing agent skills and community capacity in facilitation and leadership, conducting problem-driven research, and creating publications and tools that address critical community needs.
Do you have a question about Community Viability?
Perhaps one of the Community Viability specialists below can help you. Contact a Community Viability specialist or direct a question to them using our Ask an Expert system.