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Purdue Extension Proposes Bilingual Program Assistant Position; Commissioners Defer Decision to June 16
Summary
Purdue Extension director Chelsea Brewer proposed eliminating a vacant administrative assistant post and adding a bilingual program assistant to expand outreach to Hispanic residents; commissioners asked for more time and set a June 16 review.
Chelsea Brewer, county extension director for Purdue University Extension in DuBois County, asked the commissioners to approve a staffing change that would eliminate a vacant administrative-assistant role and add a program-assistant position dedicated to bilingual outreach and 4-H programming.
Brewer said the county’s Hispanic population has risen (Purdue demographic figures cited: 7.9% in 2020, 9.7% in 2023 and about 10.2% in 2024) and that many school populations already have substantial Hispanic enrollment. She described the new position as a program assistant who would run a Juntos 4-H club (a Hispanic-family-focused 4-H program), conduct classroom and library outreach in families’ preferred languages and support community health and diabetes education in Spanish when needed.
Why this matters: Extension leaders said the bilingual hire would broaden access to education and health-prevention programming, potentially improving health outcomes and youth engagement and helping the county reach residents who face language and access barriers.
Board response and next steps: Commissioners expressed general support but asked for time to review job descriptions and costs. The board set the matter to return on June 16 at 11:00 a.m. so commissioners can consider the proposal with materials Brewer will provide.
Direct quote from presenter: Chelsea Brewer said the bilingual program assistant would "be responsible for running that club as well as everyday programming around Hispanic related needs that we're seeing."
