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Tuesday 7:30am - 6pm Wednesday 7:30am - 6pm Thursday 7:30am - 6pm Friday 8am - 6pm

U of I Extension Carroll-Lee-Whiteside Unit

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U of I Extension Carroll-Lee-Whiteside Unit

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University of Illinois Extension: Carroll, Lee, and Whiteside Our main office is located in Sterling with satellite offices in Mt. Carroll and Amboy.

Delivering educational programs for youth, families, farmers, gardeners, businesses, schools and organizations in Carroll, Whiteside and Lee Counties. University of Illinois Extension is part of the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. We believe in you. We believe in Illinois: its people, its diverse neighborhoods and communities, and our shared future. We believe that health and wellness are the foundation for individuals, families, and communities reaching their full potential. We believe in and promote a culture of service as fundamental to strong and healthy families, neighborhoods, and state. We believe that the long term sustainability of the environment and agricultural productivity requires stewardship and care. We believe in and respect youth’s potential to change the world, and work to support nurturing communities and opportunities to learn and grow. We believe in the state of Illinois and we are committed to our mission linking local communities to the University, to develop programs, tools, and knowledge that will support needed change. Our mission is to align research to needs and translate research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. We address key issues in Illinois. Our work focuses on five grand challenges. Illinois Extension leaders work with a network of local stakeholders to define annual priorities that allow us to respond to evolving and emerging needs while still ensuring meaningful progress toward key outcomes in each of the five grand challenge areas. This blend of long-range focus and local accountability is a powerful strategy that ensures we stay true to our mission while we serve communities across the state.

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11/02/2026

Registration closes today!

Are you a parent, teacher, coach, youth group leader, or other adult community member who regularly interacts with young people?

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This 5-hour training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Join us November 30 from Noon to 5 PM at the Whiteside County Extension office. Register at go.illinois.edu/YMHFAWhiteside by November 2.

11/02/2026

This coming Saturday, November 7th, is the 3rd annual Pumpkin SMASH! Now that the fun of pumpkin carving and Halloween is over, bring your pumpkins to Sauk Valley Community College on 11/7 from 10 AM to Noon for a smashing good time. We've heard that the trebuchet from Whiteside Area Career Center will return with some improvements from last year! 🎃

10/29/2026

The 3rd Annual Pumpkin Smash at Sauk Valley Community College will be Saturday, November 7 from 10 AM to Noon. It's sure to be a smashing good time!

Like the changing leaves, fall can feel fleeting. The porch pumpkins will decay.

Then what? Where do the pumpkins go? Think recycling and composting.

The reality is pumpkins are organic waste that, when included in the trash, fill landfills, release the greenhouse gas methane as they decompose, and leach water into nearby waterways.

Add in some fun, de-stress, and recycling while smashing pumpkins with Illinois Extension at a Pumpkin Smash community composting event in early November.

🔗 Find a smash event site near you this November by checking out the calendar at https://go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash or https://scarce.org/pumpkins

🔗 Read more at Recycle Pumpkin Season with a Smash at Illinois Extension Composting Events: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/recycle-pumpkin-season-smash-illinois-extension-composting-events

Illinois Extension’s smash events are in collaboration with SCARCE, an Illinois environmental nonprofit that started Pumpkin Smashes in 2014.

10/28/2026

We are 10 days away from the 3rd annual Pumpkin Smash!!

Join Sauk Valley Community College and Illinois Extension by recycling pumpkins into compost at our free, outdoor Pumpkin Smash at the field by Dillon Mall. After pumpkin picking and carving ends, it's time to SMASH those pumpkins!

Saturday, November 7, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sauk Valley Community College Field by Dillon Mall
173 IL-2, Dixon, IL 61021

🔗 Learn more about the event at: go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash. Have additional questions? Email Bruce Black at [email protected].

10/28/2026

West Carroll THUNDER students experienced the weather first hand today with a visit from the Storm Science team! Tornado Nick reminded us that “When thunder roars, head indoors!” Students experienced the tornado chamber, watched a cloud develop in front of their eyes and some lucky students visited the Vortex-1 used to track tornadoes across the Midwest. Support was provided by a HUD STEAM grant administered by 4-H staff, University of Illinois Extension. Illinois 4-H ; West Carroll CUSD 314

10/26/2026

Don't forget to RSVP by November 1 for our November 8 hike at Starved Rock! If you need a ride let us know!

10/23/2026

Are you ready to level up your food safety skills and earn a nationally recognized certification? Join us for the ServSafe Manager course designed specifically for teens interested in starting their own culinary business, food service careers, boosting their resumes, and college applications or leadership roles.

What You Will Learn:
-Food safety principles
-Proper food handling and sanitation
-Prevention of food-borne illness
-Leadership in food service environments

Register at svcc.edu/commedenroll

10/19/2026

🎃🍎 CAN AN APPLE PREDICT YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE? And what did colonial pumpkin pie REALLY look like?

Forget everything you think you know about Halloween! 👀 Kierstyn Long and Bruce J. Black from Illinois Extension are digging into spooky apple folklore, mysterious plant traditions, and a historic pumpkin dessert that might change the way you look at pie forever.

Plus, get ready to SMASH some pumpkins for a good cause! 💥 The Great Pumpkin Smash is bringing medieval-style pumpkin launching and eco-friendly fun to the Sauk Valley!

🌿 Get the spooky history and all the smashing details in Along the Rock Episode 211!

🎧 Watch now: https://theradar.online/along-the-rock-s3-ep-211-halloween-apple-folklore-pumpkin-pie-history-the-great-pumpkin-smash-🎃-part-2/

Address

12923 Lawrence Road
Sterling, IL
61081

Opening Hours

Tuesday	7:30am - 6pm
Wednesday	7:30am - 6pm
Thursday	7:30am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm

Telephone

+18156323611

Website

https://extension.illinois.edu/clw

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