By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – 4-H members in Tucker County used their heads, hearts, hands and health to provide service to the local community last week as they celebrated National 4-H Week. Wendy Wolford, 4-H Program Assistant, said all of the county 4-H members were encouraged to wear 4-H shirts to school throughout the week.
“We wanted them to get the clover out there and put it into the schools,” Wolford said. “The Four Leaf Clover 4-H Club decorated the Parsons Town Bridge in honor of National 4-H Week. They also painted the arena down at Camp Kidd for community service.”
Wolford said the Tucker County 4-H Extension Office challenged the area 4-H Clubs to do community service during the week.
“That way, the kids and the clover can be seen working in our community,” Wolford said. “We do new enrollment in the month of October and have open enrollment throughout the year. We encourage kids to come out and start joining clubs now.”
Wolford said in the past, 4-H was mostly geared towards agriculture and home economics. “But now it has changed and we do more things like robotics and STEM projects. We have a livestock judging team and we are getting ready to hold our first livestock camp at Camp Kidd,” she said.
“We are getting ready to do our Officer Training School in November and to wrap up National 4-H Week, we held our Achievement Dinner Sunday where kids will receive their awards from throughout the year.”
Wolford said the 4-Hers learn about visual presentations and public speaking in their clubs. She said Clover Buds is open to kids age 5 to 8 and said they get to attend meetings and do all of the stuff the big kids do.
“They are there and learn the pledge, the games and the songs,” Wolford said. “There is always an educational component for them separate from the older kids. They work on project books as a whole and they participate in our January poster contest. We have a clover bud day at 4-H camp. Last year we had 20 participants in clover bud day during 4-H camp.”
Wolford said in November, there will be leader training. “We are always looking for additional help from adults,” she said.
“4-H in Tucker County is growing by leaps and bounds right now,” Wolford said. “Now is the time to join.”
Nearly one in four youths in West Virginia participates in a WVU Extension 4-H event. Whether it’s day camps, shooting sports, robotics, or public speaking competitions, youths in the state are connecting, engaging, and “learning by doing.” The result is youths who leave a lasting and positive impact on the communities where they’re raised.
4-H is rooted in tradition but changes to meet the needs of the times
For more than a century, 4-H has focused on agricultural science, electricity, mechanics, entrepreneurship, and natural sciences. Today, 4-H out-of-school opportunities also exist in subjects like rocketry, robotics, biofuels, renewable energy, and computer science.
4-H makes a positive impact
WVU Extension’s strong 4-H program fosters an innovative, “learn-by-doing” approach with proven results. The 4-H Study of Positive Youth development, conducted at Tufts University, shows youths engaged with 4-H are:
· Nearly two times more likely to get better grades in school;
· Nearly two times more likely to plan to go to college;
· 41 percent less likely to engage in risky behaviors;
· 25 percent more likely to positively contribute to their families and communities; and
· Performing better in science, engineering, technology, and applied math subjects and are more interested in pursuing science careers.
4-H’ers make healthier lifestyle choices
According to a national study, 4-H’ers – regardless of their background, socioeconomic status, race, and gender – thrive through the health and safety education and experiences they receive through 4-H programming. In fact, young people in 4-H are:
· More likely to have healthy eating and exercise habits;
· Less likely to have sexual intercourse;
· Shown to have had significantly lower drug, alcohol, and cigarette use than their peers.
4-H opportunities exists in all 55 counties for youths and adults
In West Virginia, our 4-H opportunities continue to motivate more than 85,000 West Virginia youths who are successfully developing skills for healthy living, citizenship, science, engineering, and technology. Guiding them are more than 6,500 Extension-recruited and Extension-led adult volunteers. Across the state, 4-H volunteers’ expertise and time are valued at more than $15 million.
4-H Camping
More than 25,000 youths enjoyed summer fun and learning at more than 200 weeks of WVU Extension 4-H camps across the state.
4-H is quickly becoming a global initiative
· 4-H reaches 7 million young people in more than 70 countries.
· WVU Extension’s 4-H faculty and staff have helped build 4-H programs in Patagonia, Chile and Guanajuato, Mexico.
· WVU Extension welcomed youths from Japan, China, and Vietnam at 4-H programs in summer of 2015. Programs included month-long family visits, 4-H camps and tours across the state.
· Each year, 4-H’ers in our state participate in the International 4-H Youth Exchange, or IFYE, program. These young people travel to other countries, live with host families, and experience other cultures. The focus of the IFYE program varies from agriculture work experience, to volunteering, to leadership development. However, all West Virginia IFYEs return home, and tour the state’s local 4-H meetings to share their knowledge and experience with fellow 4-H’ers.
4-H is reaching other populations in new ways
· More than 3.5 million girls and young women hold leadership roles in 4-H today.
· The 4-H positive youth development experience is proven effective with a 100-year history of agricultural and economic development.
· WVU Extension’s Cabell County 4-H program uses grant funding to assist at-risk youths in building successful futures through a partnership with the National Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The program provides opportunities through after-school tutoring, educational field trips, and 4-H club work.
· 4-H brings hands-on technology and science education and training to rural communities through programs like Lego Robotics, rocketry, GPS exercise and more.
· The WVU Extension Service is the primary outreach division of West Virginia University. With offices in each of the state’s 55 counties, Extension faculty and staff develop and deliver programs in leadership, rural and community-based economic development, youth development, workforce development, and health education.
The WVU Extension Service is the primary outreach division of West Virginia University. With offices in each of the state’s 55 counties, Extension faculty and staff develop and deliver programs in leadership, rural and community-based economic development, youth development, workforce development, and health education.
Tucker County has three special interest clubs – shooting sports, teen leaders and the JETS, which is the junior equestrian team.
Additional information about Tucker County 4-H is available by calling 304-478-2949 or online at http://tucker.ext.wvu.edu/.