Extension Educators Coordinator III
Office: 
Portage County OSU Extension
Phone: 
330-235-7115
Biography: 

 Jill Halligan is the 4-H School Enrichment contact for Portage County OSU Extension.

Our office offers a multitude of resources to educators in Portage County. OSU Extension has a resource library available to our county educators. Teachers are welcome to call or come in to reserve our kits that include lesson plans in a variety of topics. Jill will also review the materials at pick up with you to ensure you get the most out of the project. Jill will also come to your classroom, offer after school programming, and lead 5-, 3-, or 1-day summer camps at your school. She also teaches 4-H Yoga and coordinates the CARTEENS program with a partnership with the State Highway Patrol and the Juvenile Court.

Jill loves nature and the outdoors; she grew up on a farm with horses and rabbits in Columbiana County with a love for all animals. She has been teaching throughout NE Ohio for more than 15 years so she may look familiar to you.

Jill is an OSU certified Master Gardener, Master Rain Gardener, and Certified Volunteer Naturalist. She’s an ambassador for Monarch Joint Venture and is passionate about saving monarch butterflies from becoming extinct. She’s been studying and teaching about Ohio’s native plants and wildlife since 2007. Jill is also a certified NASP archery instructor and loves sharing her joy of archery with kids. In her spare time, she enjoys time with family (including her dog, Loki), nature photography and getting her kayak out on the lake.

In 2015, Jill established her certified wildlife habitat on her 5-acres in Rootstown. She is also active in removing invasives from her forest understory and establishing native trees and plants to her landscape. The most recent additions to her land are the Pawpaw grove and Elderberry patch.

Jill is excited to be a part of Ohio’s 4-H program. 4-H has so much to offer all kids, no matter what their interests are; from raising cattle to sewing prom dresses- 4-H has a project for that! She is especially thrilled to take 4-H materials to the classroom so that all kids can benefit from the learning experience 4-H offers. She strives to continue giving back to her community through volunteerism, support, and education.