Sandra Prez leads 4-H metro programming in Lake and McHenry Counties. Her work focuses on 4-H youth development programming for after-school programs at schools and libraries, as well as outreach to community groups and other youth-serving organizations. Prez engages youth who are new to 4-H with innovative programming including 4-H Robotics and ‘4-H Juntos’ (‘Together’) a Spanish-language college readiness program. Prez provides training for youth which include life skills for leadership that are inclusive of the diversity in their lives. Prez also provides 4-H leadership, training, and programming to military youth at Great Lakes Naval Station, Great Lakes.
Prez attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her bachelor’s degree in English. After studies in Bilingual Education at the Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, México, Prez received her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Aurora University, Aurora, IL. Prez has worked as a teacher and administrator in Mexico, as well as at schools in Round Lake, Mundelein, and Waukegan.
Prez is a certified facilitator and train-the-trainer for Washington State University’s Navigating Difference Cultural Competency Program. For the past five years, she has provided this pioneering 3-day training for Extension staff across Illinois. Prez is a member of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) and the Illinois Extension Professionals for Youth Education (IEPYE).