Jenny Jordan

Jenny Jordan serves as a Navy 4-H Youth Program Specialist within the Department of Youth, Family, and Community Sciences at North Carolina State University, leveraging over thirty years of Cooperative Extension experience to develop youth programs for military-connected families. Her role encompasses creating training resources for Navy Child and Youth Programs field staff, supporting Extension educators, and facilitating nationwide 4-H initiatives through the Navy 4-H Partnership.

Her academic foundation includes:

• BS in Home Economics Education from the University of Georgia
• MEd in Community Wellness Health Promotion & Education from Georgia College and State University
• EdS in Adult Education from the University of Georgia

Jordan's research focuses on experiential learning frameworks that amplify youth voice and partnerships, with particular emphasis on military contexts. She designs educational interventions that transform volunteer engagement through leadership development models like Georgia 4-H's Board of Directors and Ambassador programs, prioritizing risk management and community-driven solutions. Her methodology centers on harvesting innate learning desires to foster sustainable behavioral change across diverse audiences including community leaders, youth, and military personnel.

Analysis of her 2014-2023 publications reveals consistent themes in boundary-spanning practices between academia and communities, with significant contributions to volunteer management systems and women's agricultural leadership. These works predominantly appear in extension-focused journals, demonstrating her commitment to bridging scholarly research with practical program implementation in land-grant university contexts.

Her professional recognitions include:

• 2017: NCAE4HA Volunteer Team Award
• 2014: NAE4HA 25 years of Service Award
• 2014: NCAE4HA Volunteer Team Award
• 2012: NAE4HA Educational Package Team-Southern Region Winner
• 2011: GAE4HA Army Youth Award
• 2010: Outstanding Supporter, Georgia National Guard
• 2008: NAE4HA Meritorious Service Award-National Honoree
• 2006: NAE4HA Educational Packaged Curriculum – Southern Region Winner
• 2006: NAE4HA Educational Technology Team-Southern Region Winner
• 2004: NAE4HA Educational Package Program-National Winner

Jordan has secured over $100,000 in grants for leadership initiatives while delivering 1,000+ presentations to 40,000+ individuals. Her advising impact manifests through training 4,000+ Navy 4-H field staff and developing co-authored resources like the Community Leadership Program and Georgia Mentoring Scan, though she lacks formal graduate advisees. Current projects center on the Navy 4-H Partnership's expansion through websites like 4hmilitarypartnership.org, with future work targeting enhanced military youth program accessibility.

She operates within the Navy 4-H Partnership ecosystem, collaborating with military childcare systems and Extension networks to deliver programming through platforms like militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil, focusing on creating adaptable educational frameworks for transient military communities.