Virginia Cooperative Extension Speakers Bureau

Phil Blevins, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent will teach students the importance of honeybees and an overview of beekeeping. This presentation is for students in grades K-5 and is 30 minutes long.

Dr. Erica Feuerbacher, Professor at Virginia Tech, will go over in simple terms how to use rewards (positive reinforcement) to train dogs to do tricks and behave better. She will also tie this into how we can interact with other humans better using these same approaches--telling people what we like about what they do, saying thank you etc. There will be plenty of dog videos! This presentation is for students in grades K-5 and is 30 minutes long.

Dr. Erica Feuerbacher, Professor at Virginia Tech, will go over how dogs communicate, what their warning signals are, and how to stay safe around dogs. This presentation is for students in grades K-5 and is 30 - 45 minutes long.

When we place children in the care of other adults, we trust they will be safe; but we know we cannot be totally sure. When a supposedly trusted authority figure tells a child to do something wrong, it is a confusing and potentially dangerous experience. Dr. Eric Kaufman, Professor at Virginia Tech, will introduces students an age-appropriate strategy for intelligent disobedience. The intention is to teach the children how to make sensible decisions about instructions that they are given by adults, This presentation is for students in grades K-5 and is 15 - 30 minutes long.

In this presentation, Lenah Nguyen, 4-H Extension Agent will teach participants will about tree anatomy, the importance of forestry products in their everyday lives, and the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources. This presentation can be delivered to any K- 12 classroom but targets SOL 4.8 - Virginia's Watersheds and Natural Resources. This presentation is 30 minutes long.

Jeremy Daubert and Cynthia Martel, Dairy Science Extension Agents, can talk to your students on just about any topic related to Dairy Science. They can present to any students in grades K-12 and speak for 15 - 30 minutes.

Michael Carter Jr., Small Farm Resource Center Coordinator at Virginia State University introduces students to the multitude of contributions by people of African descent to agriculture. This presentation can be adapted for students from grades K-12 and can be 30 - 60 minutes long.

Mandi Dolan, 4-H Extension Agent, will help students examine soil horizons and investigate best management practices for soil conversation through this interactive lesson targeting SOLs 3.10 and 4.9. This presentation is for students in grades 3 - 5 and is 30 - 45 minutes long.

Using furs, skulls, and live animals, Bonnie Tillotson, 4-H Extension Agent will help youth learn about Virginia Wildlife. Youth will learn about native species, predators vs. prey, how skulls differ between herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores, and what wildlife need to survive. This presentation is for students in grades 3 - 5 and is 30 - 45 minutes long.

Ruth Wallace, 4-H Extension Agent, will guide students through a discussion of simple machines that we use all the time without realizing how much help they give us. The presentation involves going through the simple act of making chocolate pudding and discussing each simple machine used. This presentation targets VA Science SOL 3.2 and is 15 minutes long.

Ruth Wallace, 4-H Extension Agent, teaches students about soil components, organisms in soil, and the importance of soil as a natural resource. This presentation targets VA Science SOL 3.6 and 3.8 and is 15 - 30 minutes long.

Erin Morgan, 4-H Extension Agent, will help students compare the serving sizes and added sugar content of foods served at meals and various family celebrations. This presentation targets Health Education SOL 4.2 and is 30 minutes long.

Ruth Wallace, 4-H Extension Agent, can provide multiple presentations about all aspects of watershed education - topography, water quality, place-based stewardship, freshwater ecology, erosion, and conservation. SOLs addressed include VA Science 6.6, 6.8. 6.9, LS.5, LS.9. These presentations can be adapted for students in grades 3 - 8 and can be 15 - 45 minutes long.

Tim Ohlwiler, Horticulture Extension Agent, will introduce students to soils and soil health. Topics covered will include testing, mapping, organic matter, and cover crops. This presentation can be adapted for students in grades 3 - 12 and can be 15 - 60 minutes long.