Dr. Joice A. Jeffries
Program Specialist, 4-H and Youth Development
Dr. Joice A. Jeffries tapped as President - Elect
of the Texas Affiliate of AAFCS
(Prairie View, TX). She's been at Prairie View A&M University less than three years,
but the 4-H and Youth Program Specialist is making positive impacts in the College of
Agriculture and Human Sciences and in the Lone Star State. Just recently, peers of the
Texas chapter of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)
elected Dr. Jeffries to fill the office of President – Elect, 2015-2016, becoming President
of the Association on June 1, 2017. Previously, Jeffries served as Secretary of the
Association.
The Texas Affiliate is the largest association of family and consumer
sciences professionals in the United States.
To her credit Dr. Jeffries, serves as the Principal Investigator (P.I.) of the One Kid At
a Time (OKAT) livestock program for kiddos in K-12. In addition to learning responsibility
in the OKAT program, students gain "touchy-feely" lessons on goat management skills
and "rodeo show skills” while teens prepare for upcoming rodeo competitions.
Connecting professionals and touching lives are target initiatives for the national
AAFCS body. Jeffries work amplifies this mission. Along with her colleagues, Dr. Jeffries
developed the Design Studies curriculum, a new four-year degree program in the College.
Jeffries also spearheads the Western Soiree Symposia, an informal platform where the
university family and community gather at the Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Farm and Ranch
(“The Farm”) to learn about agricultural research initiatives and be inspired by a guest
luncheon speaker.
Dressing in cowboy & cowgirl garb, jolly attendees test their
nimbleness at various skill-a-thon stations such as dummy cattle roping, horseshoe
throwing, archery, goat-milking, and other “Agri-science” booths.
Since 2014, the 4-H and Youth Development Unit boasts a new workforce development
program, The Career Smart Spotlight.
Since that time, six students were hired in
internship positions after attending the career readiness event. CAHS interns in 2014
were Bruce Johnson and Brice Peterson. This years’ interns are Trayvon Barnett, Keith
Hamilton, Bruce Johnson and Brice Peterson.
The Arkansas native is an advocate for student achievement and leadership. Providing
the leadership for the San Antonio Livestock Exhibition (SALE) Scholars, she and the
Scholars make road trips twice a year for volunteering at the San Antonio Stock Show
and Rodeo and attending SALE’s annual board meeting.
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