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ISU Extension & Outreach, Dickinson County Welcomes New Youth Coordinator

February 13, 2023 Steve Schwaller

(Spirit Lake)– Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Dickinson County, has a new Youth Coordinator. Noel Petersen of Arnolds Park officially joined the staff today (Monday). She tells KUOO news she’s very excited to be in the new position…

“I’m actually originally from California so we did a little 4-H when I was younger growing up, but I really started working more with the 4-H and the kids in the programming when I was part of Offutt Air Force Base’s Child and Youth programs, so 4-H was one of our additional curriculums that we used, so that’s when I started doing it when I was out in Omaha.”

Petersen holds a bachelor’s degree in child development from California State University-Sacramento, along with a master’s in education from Wayland Baptist University in Fairbanks, Alaska and a master’s degree certificate in youth development and assessment from the University of Nebraska. She most recently was a Head Start Education Coordinator at Upper Des Moines Opportunity and prior to that worked in youth programming at the Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha for six years.

Petersen says she’s impressed with the offerings of the Dickinson County 4-H and Youth programs and looks forward to building on them…

“They have so many things going on. I never realized how far it could expand out with, you know, aeronautics stuff, and teaching them how to cook, and just a lot of hands on things going on, just not the typical stuff I think of growing up with 4-H, it’s just, there’s so much more.”

She encourages youth not already involved to get signed up…

“Get involved. It is well worth it. It is fun, you get to meet other kids, there’s a lot of other things going on outside of it. There’s so much experience they can have doing 4-H. There’s so many things they can learn and share with others.”

Petersen joins current K-12 Educator Hannah Dibble, Office assistant Amy Benge and Adult Program Coordinator Sue Boettcher in the Dickinson County ISU Extension and Outreach Office.

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