The long-term objective of FRIT is to provide school students with the skills and knowledge to recognize, analyze, and make decisions relating to Pennsylvania s forest resources. Two such institutes based on this model are in the planning stages in other areas of the state. FRIT will also be written up in a future college publication as an example of interdisciplinary programming. One positive local impact has been the interaction of Extension and Continuing Education.
Preliminary discussions are underway for future such endeavors.
The other great impact of FRIT is that it serves as a model of what can happen when extension volunteers get involved with the staff in programming. This institute is a great example of grassroots programming. Six borrowers from the USDA Farm Service s Agency were trained in financial management. These people received instruction on creating and using balance sheets, income statements, and projecting cash flow. Evaluating the financial statements and correcting any identified problems also was discussed.