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University of Illinois Extension highlights youth training, pumpkin‑composting and paid internship
Summary
The University of Illinois Extension reported staff ServSafe certifications for youth food-safety training, a pumpkin‑compost event that diverted about 3,240 pounds from landfill, upcoming webinars, and a paid summer internship focused on natural resources and environment programming.
Carla Belzer, director with the University of Illinois Extension unit serving Lee County, briefed the county board on program activity from November through January and highlighted several community‑facing initiatives.
Belzer said two of the unit’s 4‑H staff recently obtained ServSafe youth certification and the extension will offer a food‑handler certification for teenagers, planned for April, to help youth develop workforce skills and prepare for entry‑level food‑service jobs. “We had 2 of our 4 H staff members, become trained in ServSafe certification for youth,” she said.
She also reviewed outreach events, including the unit’s second “pumpkin smash” held in November. The event diverted about 3,240 pounds of pumpkins from the landfill to composting, Belzer said, and involved partnerships with local career‑center building trades students who constructed event apparatus. The extension is planning additional workforce and natural‑resources programming, including a paid summer internship that is open to college students enrolled in the spring 2026 semester; Belzer said the internship will focus on natural resources, energy and environment.
Belzer drew attention to webinars on data centers, legislative updates, and climate and energy funding outlooks available through the extension’s local government education offerings and its YouTube archive.
The extension’s programs were framed as workforce development and community education with continued outreach planned for spring and summer.
