Oklahoma County budget board hears OSU Extension on 4‑H, nutrition and Strong Dads programs

At a county budget session, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service staff presented updates on three programs — 4‑H youth development, the Community Nutrition Education Program (CNET) and the Strong Dads fatherhood curriculum — and asked the Oklahoma County budget board for continued support.

The presentations outlined local participation and program outcomes and emphasized the role county funding plays in sustaining staff and partnerships. Lori Goodberry, area coordinator for the Community Nutrition Education Program, said the program’s five local nutrition education assistants reached 215 adults (covering 597 family members) and 914 youth in school and after‑school settings during fiscal year 2024.

Why it matters: the programs serve low‑income families, school‑age children and men in recovery across multiple Oklahoma County school sites and community organizations. Continued county support, presenters said, would maintain staff capacity and partnerships that deliver hands‑on nutrition education, youth development opportunities and parent‑focused supports.

Lori Goodberry described CNET’s local reach and measured outcomes. “We educated 215 adults that reached 597 family members, with 914 youth covered in school programs, after‑school programs, and alternative education programs,” she told the board.

Karen Potter, a volunteer leader with the Metro North 4‑H club, framed 4‑H as a long‑term investment in youth leadership. Reading from the Extension strategic plan, Potter said, “Achievement of this mission will result in capable, competent, and caring citizens,” and described examples of how 4‑H participation helped county youth build public‑speaking and leadership skills.

Rosanna Reynolds, representing Latchkey Child Services, described a partnership with the Extension nutrition program that began as a two‑site pilot and expanded in the 2024–25 school year. She said the company now runs the CNET program at 17 Oklahoma County school sites and serves “over 500 students daily in 17 of the schools that we’re doing the CNET program with,” spanning multiple school districts.

Presenters also reviewed Strong Dads, a fatherhood curriculum delivered in English and Spanish. Aneisha (Alicia) Galera (presented in the meeting as the Strong Dads coordinator) said the workshop runs 12 weeks and is supplemented with case management and weekly check‑ins tailored to participant needs. Ryan O’Toole, chief development officer for First Step, described a partnership connecting Strong Dads to First Step’s recovery programs and said the agency is “building a new men's kitchen” as part of broader capital improvements and programming for men in recovery.

A Strong Dads graduate, Austin Juli, described personal benefits of the workshop, saying participants found peer support and practical coping skills: “There is hope. There's something on the other side of that,” he told the board.

No formal budget action or binding direction to staff was recorded during the presentations; presenters publicly thanked the county for past support and asked the budget board to continue that funding. The board recessed for lunch during the session and later returned; the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Background: speakers identified Extension staff and local partners and used school‑site pilots to expand nutrition lessons and family engagement. Presenters emphasized that program stability depends on consistent staffing and partnerships, and they asked the budget board to consider that context when reviewing county allocations.

Closing: presenters and board members exchanged brief comments of appreciation but did not vote on new funding at the session. The board recessed for lunch and later adjourned after the presentations.