Virtual Internship Program. USDA. A model for other agencies

Virtually Redefining Internships at USDA

Posted by Sarah Buikema, Dora Flores, and the entire AMS Dairy Programs Virtual Internship Team, on May 7, 2012 at 4:00 PM

Dora Flores, Dairy Programs Virtual Intern Program Team Lead, communicates with Daman Wandke. On May 7th, Wandke was invited to participate in a White House ceremony honoring “Champions of Change” within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math for people with disabilities in education and employment.

The definition of “being in the office” or “being on the clock” is changing.   Most organizations—government or private—have a multi-generational workforce that may or may not be in the same location. Our team alone has four generations with varying comfort levels in using different technologies. Through our virtual internship program, we have strengthened our ability to work seamlessly regardless of physical location.

Every year college students come to Washington, D.C. to spend their summer break gaining valuable work experience and making solid connections. Many students return to school having made a good impression on potential employers. Through its new virtual internship program, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has successfully extended this summertime experience, giving new meaning to making connections and creating a model for others to follow.

Since 2001, our Dairy Programs have offered virtual internships. Virtual internships are like regular internships, but the students work from a remote location. Most of these interns came to Washington, D.C., for a summer internship and returned to school to finish their degrees.  During the school year, the student interns stayed connected to AMS by working with the agency on a part-time and intermittent basis. The Virtual Internship Program (VIP) goes above and beyond, since it also works as a Leadership Program.

It’s a win-win situation for our agency because we get to attract bright, young students and then retain their knowledge. As leaders and innovators they are typically very busy – not only with their academics, but also with extracurricular activities.  Sometimes this limits their ability to commute to and from internship programs that are outside their community, so a virtual opportunity is a perfect fit.

Daman Wandke, Virtual Intern, communicates with Dora Flores. Wandke came to USDA Headquarters in Washington D.C. and stayed with the agency as a virtual intern while seeking a degree in Management Information Systems from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.

Communication has been both a challenge and a success for this program. We often use Microsoft Live Meeting, Office Communicator and similar programs, relying on technology and new communication tools to stay connected. Our projects encourage our interns to focus on collaboration and creativity, leading to innovative ideas, and injecting new approaches into our government processes.

The use of different technologies makes our students well-suited to evaluate the ways that the agency communicates with the general public. Some of their projects include testing new software, like the new Public Comment Analysis Tool, and reviewing our website to make sure it’s accessible for people with disabilities.  They have also proposed innovative ways to communicate with un-served and underserved farmers.

In an age where government agencies are using webinars and similar technologies to communicate with the public and increase transparency, our experience with the internship program has made our agency a leader. We are developing our Virtual Internship “Leadership” guidelines to present to the department as an option for all USDA interns, and our program has become an example for other agencies.

In the summer of 2007, the USDA and the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) hired a virtual intern by following our model. Working from home, the intern was responsible for maintaining the HSI website after his traditional summer internship ended.

We encourage other agencies and offices all over the country to develop similar programs to improve public communication and general access. We are excited for the upcoming internship season. If you are interested in becoming one of our virtual interns or want to learn about how you can start your own program, visit our internship site for more information.

BEMA Celebrates. Older Americans Month 2012 - Never Too Old to Play!

Older Americans Month 2012

Never Too Old to Play!

May is Older Americans Month, a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation for the older adults in our community. Since 1963, communities across the nation have joined in the annual commemoration of Older Americans Month—a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to celebrating the contributions and achievements of older Americans.

The theme for Older Americans Month 2012—Never Too Old to Play!—puts a spotlight on the important role older adults play in sharing their experience, wisdom, and understanding, and passing on that knowledge to other generations in a variety of significant ways. This year’s celebrations will recognize the value that older adults continue to bring to our communities through spirited participation in social and faith groups, service organizations, and other activities. 


As large numbers of baby-boomers reach retirement age, many communities have increased their efforts to provide meaningful opportunities for older adults—many of whom remain physically and socially active through their 80s and beyond. Current trends show that people over age 60 account for an ever-growing percentage of participants in community service positions, faith-based organizations, online social networking as well as arts and recreational groups.

Lifelong participation in social, creative, and physical activities has proven health benefits, including retaining mobility, muscle mass, and cognitive abilities. But older adults are not the only ones who benefit from their engagement in community life. Studies show their interactions with family, friends, and neighbors across generations enrich the lives of everyone involved. Young people who have significant relationships with a grandparent or elder report that these relationships helped shape their values, goals, and life choices and gave them a sense of identity and roots.

The Black Emergency Managers Association is joining in the national celebration of Older Americans Month 2012 with activities and events to promote intergenerational engagement and recreation.

We invite you to join in the fun! To find out how you can support Older Americans Month 2012 and take part in intergenerational play, contact your local Area Agency on Aging by visiting www.eldercare.gov or calling 1-800-677-1116 to find ongoing opportunities to celebrate and support older Americans




http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Press_Room/Observances/2012/Older_Americans.aspx

IPS: Interesting articles on food supply, and other issues.

New Projects Dispel Myths and Spread the Truth About Vaccines Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Canada, May 3 - In northern Pakistan, one in ten children dies before the age of five from diseases such as polio, measles or hepatitis, despite the availability of vaccines. And while health workers feared visiting this region, which includes the mountainous Swat district controlled by the Taliban until 2009, local people also fear the potentially life-saving vaccines. MORE >> Epidemic of Premature Births in Rich and Poor Nations Alike Charundi Panagoda and Stephanie Parker* WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS, May 3 - Fifteen million babies, or more than one in 10 infants, are born prematurely each year. Over one million die soon after birth, or survive to face a lifetime of health complications, says a new report by the World Health Organisation and co- sponsors. MORE >> Urban Farming Takes Root in Brazil’s Favelas Fabiana Frayssinet NOVA IGUAçU, Brazil, May 2 - Women in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of this city 40 km north of Rio de Janeiro no longer have to spend money on vegetables, because they have learned to grow their own, as organic urban gardening takes off in Brazil. MORE >> Chinese Miners Dig Deep for Death Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore BEIJING, May 2 - China is notorious for containing some of the world’s deadliest mines - a reputation that has been corroborated in recent months by a series of fatal accidents. China is the world’s largest consumer and producer of coal. But the mining industry is beset by illegal operations, dangerous working conditions, local corruption and cover-ups of fatalities. MORE >> Q&A: Restructuring the Planet's Food System Charundi Panagoda interviews DANIELLE NIERENBERG of Worldwatch Institute WASHINGTON, May 1 - Thirty percent of food is wasted globally, while one billion people go hungry and another billion are obese. MORE >> Q&A: Ghana's Youth Are "The Future of the Nation" Aline Jenckel interviews SAMUEL KISSI, executive coordinator of Curious Minds, a youth advocacy organisation in Ghana UNITED NATIONS, Apr 28 - With a whopping 40 percent of Ghana's population under the age of 24, the government's ability to foster their development and include them in the country's development are critical to the country's future. MORE >> Q&A: How to Empower Youths to Take Charge of Their Health and Sexuality Mathilde Bagneres interviews ORIANA LOPEZ URIBE, youth activist for sexual and reproductive health services and information UNITED NATIONS, Apr 28 - Young people aged 15-24 make up a quarter of sexually active individuals, yet they comprise half of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) infections each year. MORE >> AGRICULTURE: Farm Animals Join Rio+20 Agenda Johanna Treblin UNITED NATIONS, Apr 28 - Human development and biodiversity will not be the only focus of the Rio+20 Earth Summit in June, for which representatives of hundreds of states and non- governmental organisations (NGOs) will gather to discuss sustainable development. MORE >> India Serves Up Costly Cocktail of Vaccines Ranjit Devraj NEW DELHI, Apr 27 - Ignoring widespread concern over the safety, efficacy and cost of pentavalent vaccines, India’s central health ministry has, this month, approved inclusion of the prophylactic cocktail in the universal immunisation programme in seven of its provinces. MORE >> Malaria Adds to Myanmar’s Woes Marwaan Macan-Markar BANGKOK, Apr 27 - Political reforms unfolding in Myanmar (or Burma) are giving health workers a chance to address a resurgence of drug-resistant falciparum malaria in the war-torn ethnic minority enclaves along the country’s eastern borders. MORE >> Wiping the Iron Dust Off Their Feet in Small Brazilian Town Fabíola Ortiz RIO DE JANEIRO, Apr 26 - The 380 families living in Piquiá de Baixo, a small town in the northeastern Brazilian state of Maranhão, are fed up with having to endure high levels of pollution from nearby steelworks in their water, air and soil. MORE >> Read more IPS reporting on Global Health here.

USDA Food Safety

How Far Has Food Safety Come in 150 years?

Posted by Alexandra Tarrant, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service, on May 3, 2012 at 1:06 PM

Throughout the year, and this month in particular, USDA celebrates 150 years of existence. The legislation that established USDA was signed on May 15, 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln. At that point, food safety wasn’t a major concern for the People’s Department.

The turning point for domestic meat inspection really came in 1905 and 1906, after Upton Sinclair published The Jungle. The details of the book described unsanitary working conditions in a Chicago meatpacking house, putting meat consumers at risk for disease. This led to the passing of legislation providing for meat inspection. Over the years, Congress passed the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the Egg Products Inspection Act, which the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) enforces.

Inspection changed from a sight, smell, and touch approach to a more science-based method when Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) was implemented between January 1997 and January 2000. And science and technology improvements have allowed our inspection to evolve as well, with the implementation of new policies like testing ready to eat meat and poultry products forListeria monocytogenes, applying stricter Salmonella and new Campylobacter performance standards to raw poultry products, and declaring that six additional serogroups of pathogenic E. coli (in addition to E. coli O157:H7) are adulterants in non-intact raw beef.

FSIS is in the process of fully implementing a dynamic, comprehensive data analysis system called the Public Health Information System, or PHIS. This system will allow the agency to collect, consolidate and analyze data in a more efficient and effective way, ultimately leading to better protection of the public’s health and a more preventative approach toward inspection.

For more information about FSIS’ history over the years, visithttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/About_FSIS/Agency_History/index.asp.

DOL: Grant Funding for Veterans Training

US Department of Labor announces availability of approximately $12 million in grants to provide job training services for more than 6,000 veterans

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $12 million in grants through the Veterans' Workforce Investment Program to provide job training and skills development services that will help approximately 6,000 veterans succeed in civilian careers.

"These men and women served our country, and now it is our turn to serve them and to support them. The grants announced today will help ensure our nation's veterans receive the assistance they need as they make the transition to civilian life," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said.

Through funds provided by this program, veterans will receive skills assessments, individual job counseling, labor market information, classroom or on-the-job training, skills upgrades, placement assistance and crucial follow-up services. Veterans also may be eligible for services through other Workforce Investment Act programs for economically disadvantaged or dislocated workers.

The department will award at least 10 grants in 10 states on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies and nonprofit — including faith-based and community —organizations. Grantees must be familiar with the areas and populations to be served, and have demonstrated that they can administer effective programs.

More information about the Department of Labor's unemployment and re-employment programs for veterans can be found at http://www.dol.gov/vets/.

The solicitation for grant applications is available at http://www.dol.gov/cgi-bin/leave-dol.asp?exiturl=http://www.grants.gov&exitTitle=www.grants.gov&fedpage=yes.

It also may be viewed at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/vwip/main.htm.