UMaine Extension at the Hall of Flags!
February 6, 2020
The Hall of Flags at the State House in Augusta is only slightly younger than the state of Maine itself and it has evolved over the years. This area was created just after the Civil War to allow for the posting of the colors of all the Maine regiments that fought in that conflict. Each year this small central hall in the State House is opened up to various state organizations and groups to display and discuss their programs with legislators. The overall theme for the 2020 UMaine Extension displays will be “UMaine Extension Engagement Across the State.”
From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, UMaine faculty, staff, and students will be in the Hall of Flags in the State House to showcase how Maine’s flagship university makes a difference in all 16 counties. UMaine Extension staff will be available to discuss how their work impacts Maine’s communities — in homes, businesses, and on farms — throughout the state.
In addition to the overarching display about University of Maine Cooperative Extension, there are six programs being represented at the capitol this year:
- Master Gardener Volunteer Program,
- Plant Disease ID,
- Tick ID,
- EFNEP 50th Anniversary,
- Maine 4-H STEM Toolkits, and
- Maine 4-H Camps and Learning Centers.
That same day UMaine Extension 4-H youth will also serve as legislative pages.
This will be Hannah Carter’s first Hall of Flags event as Dean of the UMaine Extension and in her travels she can speak to UMaine Extension’s engagement firsthand. Each of these programs has created displays that can also be used in future programming and at future events. What does this mean for you? Encourage your local 4-H youth to apply to be a legislative page so they can participate that day. As an added bonus, the pages will also be eligible to attend a special Bicentennial Exploration program with the Maine State Museum. Encourage your local representative to take time to meet the pages from your town and also visit the displays of our programs. Good luck to all the participants on their day at the State House.