New 4H agent in Jackson County

As of December 11, Ben Knowles is the new 4-H agent at the Jackson County Extension Office. The position was formerly filled by Heather Kent, now the regional 4-H specialized agent for north Florida.

 

“As a youth, my involvement with 4-H was very rewarding and provided me with many valuable learning experiences, as well as a lot of fun memories. As the county 4-H agent, it is my desire to help volunteers and community leaders provide Jackson County youth with learning experiences that are meaningful and fun.”

 

Knowles has already made it a goal to meet face to face with as many community members as possible. “Currently, I am in the process of meeting volunteers and community leaders and visiting our 4-H club meetings. I am looking forward to working with our current 4-H clubs and helping volunteers establish new clubs throughout the county.”

 

Growing up, Knowles was very active in a variety of 4-H programs in his home town and throughout the state. He was a member of the county horse club, served on county and district councils, attended State Congress, competed in district and state horse shows, and attended 4-H Camp Timpoochee, in Niceville. Knowles also spent four summers in the employ of Taylor County Extension’s 4-H summer day camp programs as a counselor.

 

Knowles is from Perry, Florida, and a graduate of Florida State University. He earned a B.S. degree in biological sciences in 2007 and an M.S. degree in secondary science teaching the following year. During graduate school, Knowles completed student teaching internships at Leon High School and Swift Creek Middle School in Tallahassee.

 

4-H is the youth development program of Florida Cooperative Extension, a part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 4-H offers a variety of programs for young people, ages 5-18. There are many ways to get be involved with, and to participate in, the 4-H program. With the help of your 4-H agent, you can discover exciting new programs and activities. For more information, contact Jackson County Extension, at 1-850-842-9620.