Volunteer 4-H International Programs and Extension Specialist Emeritus

Mary Crave became interested in Extension Education as a career when she was a 10-year Rock County 4-H member. After taking part in the International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) program to Sri Lanka, she discovered she could combine her passions for 4-H and cross-cultural programs with her profession.
Mary worked with the University of Wisconsin-Extension for almost 40 years as an extension home economist and a state specialist in the Family Living, Youth Development, and Program Development and Evaluation areas.

As a volunteer for more than 40 years, Mary trains Wisconsin 4-H youth participating in international exchange programs through orientation and re-entry workshops, focusing on cultural understanding and sensitivity, and interpreting and communicating their exchange experiences for themselves and 4-H clubs and communities.

The latter half of her career she worked, through the University, with USDA and USAID on almost 20 international development programs in Africa and Central America, focusing on extension methods, gender in agriculture and youth development. With the National 4-H Council she managed a project to build 4-H programs in Africa, especially in Ghana and Tanzania. Mary has made nearly 60 trips to Africa alone. In retirement she leads study abroad courses for UW-Madison students.

Mary Crave uses her talents to maintain a global vision of 4-H and shares that with Wisconsin 4-H communities and beyond.