This summer in Black Hawk County, there are two Rising Star interns. We are excited to introduce ourselves and our project!
I am Miles, and I am a sophomore in Hospitality Management. I am from Marion, IA, working in Black Hawk County this summer! In my free time, I like to read and spend time with friends and family.
My name is Willa, and I am a senior in Dietetics at ISU. I am originally from Colfax, IA. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, learning new recipes, and riding my bike. I am excited to get to know the community in Black Hawk County!
This summer, our goal is to increase visibility and accessibility of relevant resources for untapped populations here in Black Hawk County. A major issue is that many people in the community are unaware of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO). Therefore, ISUEO resources are not being utilized. Our first task is to identify the untapped population in Black Hawk County, then find the best ways to connect them with ISUEO programs.
We spent the week meeting the Black Hawk County Extension and Outreach office staff and coordinators. We learned everyone’s role and how they serve the Black Hawk community. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to meet the former Black Hawk County Regional Director, Michelle Temeyer, and talk to her about our project. She provided great feedback and suggested events for us to meet community members. Afterwards, we hopped over to We Arose, an organization providing community wellness programs focused on local food systems. There, we met with Kent Shankle, who runs the Waterloo Urban Farmer’s Market. This summer, we plan to attend the market a few times to gather insight into community needs. Following our meetings, we compiled a survey in both English and Spanish, which we will use to identify the untapped population. On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to complete our first surveys at a Tri-County HeadStart. We ended the week as guests on Rocki N Friend’s North End Update, a local podcast highlighting good things, events, and people in the Waterloo community. You can watch the episode on Facebook at Rocki N Chaveevah.
Stay tuned for our week 2 update!
