On RFD-TV: Mark Balschweid

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11/19/2020 Added

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Mark Balschweid, Head of the UNL Department of Ag Leadership, Education and Communication, discusses the expanded Rural Fellows program live on RFD-TV Nov. 17, 2020.

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[00:00:00.170]Well, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is working
[00:00:02.130]to improve and communities
[00:00:03.320]with the expansion of its Rural Fellows Program.
[00:00:06.130]For 2021, the initiative will place 200 students
[00:00:09.160]in as many as 100 communities.
[00:00:11.270]Head of UNL's Department of Ag Leadership, Education,
[00:00:14.460]and Communication, Mark Balschweid, joins us now
[00:00:17.840]for a further look, and Mark, thanks for taking the time
[00:00:20.290]to chat with us here this morning.
[00:00:21.890]So why is this program expanding so much this year?
[00:00:26.770]Well, good morning Janet.
[00:00:27.840]This is a program that has been extremely effective
[00:00:31.220]and important to many rural communities across the state.
[00:00:35.330]Student interns spend about 10 weeks
[00:00:37.790]over the course of a summer helping communities
[00:00:40.420]with projects that address important local issues.
[00:00:44.050]Often these relate to marketing and public relations,
[00:00:47.440]early childhood development, entrepreneurship,
[00:00:50.240]and business development,
[00:00:51.950]engagement of younger community members,
[00:00:54.290]and grant writing, among other things.
[00:00:57.510]Communities that host interns
[00:00:59.330]on average see a $28,000 economic impact
[00:01:04.160]as a direct result of the work that students do.
[00:01:08.130]And as a land grant institution,
[00:01:10.770]serving our state is a critical part of our mission
[00:01:15.170]and we know that we're in the midst of a time
[00:01:17.490]when many communities could use some extra help.
[00:01:21.400]What extra support
[00:01:22.780]are you supply supplying to communities this year?
[00:01:27.290]Well, this year, Janet,
[00:01:28.340]the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute
[00:01:31.740]of Agriculture and Natural Resources is making a total
[00:01:35.500]of $100,000 in grants available to communities
[00:01:40.130]that host the student fellows in 2021.
[00:01:44.380]Typically, communities are responsible
[00:01:46.780]for covering the $5,000 stipend
[00:01:49.440]that each student fellow receives,
[00:01:52.240]and we are providing $2,000 grants
[00:01:55.240]to help communities cover this cost
[00:01:57.770]because most communities host two fellows.
[00:02:00.740]Communities are eligible to receive up to $4,000 in support
[00:02:05.036]and communities that are new to the program
[00:02:07.560]will be given preference.
[00:02:09.440]Well, it certainly sounds like an exciting opportunity
[00:02:11.417]for the communities and also for the students.
[00:02:13.510]Can students still apply for this program?
[00:02:15.770]And if so, how do they go about it?
[00:02:18.540]They can, Janet.
[00:02:19.670]Part of the beauty of this program is that students
[00:02:22.450]from any institution in the state of Nebraska,
[00:02:25.240]including all four University of Nebraska campuses
[00:02:30.070]and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture
[00:02:33.270]and all other institutions of higher education in this state
[00:02:36.780]can take part in this program.
[00:02:38.940]Applications for both communities and students
[00:02:42.165]will be accepted until the end of the year.
[00:02:45.720]All right, well thank you very much for the insight.
[00:02:47.610]It sounds like a great opportunity.
[00:02:49.200]Head of UNL's Department of Ag Leadership, Education,
[00:02:51.720]and Communication, Mark Balschweid, joining us.
[00:02:54.710]Mark, we appreciate your time here this morning.
[00:02:56.700]Thank you very much for taking the time.

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On RFD-TV: Mark Balschweid

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