by Julie Pigott Dillard | May 18, 2020
For years, kids and teens have enjoyed a week at 4-H Camp and have participated in day camps in their home counties. But this summer, those traditional activities have been put on hold.
4-H Agents in the Florida panhandle know that summer just isn’t summer without 4-H camps. So, they are bringing summer camp to you with new camps introduced each week through the end of July! Beginning May 18th, registration is open for these virtual summer camps:
- Range Ready Shotgun Camp
- Culinary Arts
- Tailgate Grilling
- Lead with 4-H – Civic Engagement and Community Leadership
- Graphic Design
- 4-H STEM Challenge – Roller Coaster Science
- Rabbits and Poultry
- From Seed to Food and Plant to Plate
- Having Sew Much Fun
- #Beekeeper
- W.O.L.F. Camp – Wildlife & Outdoors Leadership Focus
- And more…
4-H Summer Adventure Camps are open to youth ages 5-18 years old, and you don’t have to be a 4-H member to participate. They are also free of charge! Our website, pictured above, will give you a description of the camps, intended ages, and registration link. Click to view the camp description and registration page.
To register, you’ll enter your camper’s information, and choose your camps. Once your camper is registered, you’ll be contacted by email by a UF/IFAS Extension 4-H agent with a direct link to the camp page. All camps are formatted to work on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
For more information about 4-H in your county, find your local UF/IFAS Extension office.
by Niki Crawson | May 15, 2020
Trent Grimes, 4-H Senior
Trent Grimes joined 4-H in 2012 to be able to spend some extra time with his friend, Kyle. Trent joined the Santa Rosa County 4-H Club, Bockin’ -N- Eggs 4-H when he was 11 years old. What began as a poultry club quickly became a livestock club focused on community service, so Kyle and Trent had a fascinating first community service project assisting the Panhandle Equine Rescue with a no-cost castration clinic. On that first community service project day, Trent and his club helped with 28 procedures that day! There’s a story to tell about that event, for sure, but we will leave that for another time. From that day on, Trent has had a passion for 4-H and community service.
Trent has been a vital part of many events on the county, district, and state levels. Trent has even participated in a community service project for youth in foster service in Tennessee for the last three years. When asked about his time in 4-H, Trent replied, “My experience in 4-H has been awesome. I have been able to see places and meet people that I wouldn’t have normally been able to. I have always enjoyed 4-H University, and I have mowed a lot of grass to be able to go every year!”
Trent is referring to one of the primary skills membership in 4-H has given him. Trent is a young entrepreneur and has been able to finance many of his statewide 4-H trips by mowing the neighbors’ lawns. As the years have gone by, Trent has been able to increase his clientele of Grimes Grass, his landscaping company. Currently, Grimes Grass has 31 clients.
Trent Grimes has always had a heart for service. He serves with his 4-H club and family to assist with the annual Veteran’s Day Cookout, where together, Santa Rosa County 4-H holds a cookout for 400-500 Veterans and their families. Trent also serves on the Florida 4-H State Executive Board, where he can help plan multiple statewide events. His heart of service does not end with 4-H; he serves his senior class at West Florida Baptist Academy as the Senior Class President. Through 4-H, Trent has learned public speaking skills, communication skills, and excellent organization skills. After graduation, Trent will continue to pursue more customers for Grimes Grass and build his business. As any true fan of the University of Florida, he hopes to fulfill his dreams of someday working at a gator farm.
Trent is just one of the many outstanding 4-H members in Santa Rosa County and across the state of Florida that has served his 4-H club and community well. Where his 4-H journey has brought him over the course of eight years will help him to navigate along the new path for the many years to come, confident with the various essential life skills he has learned along the way.
To find out more information about 4-H programs that can offer essential life skills such as independence, organizational skills, and goal setting, to your children or to volunteer with 4-H, please contact your local UF/ IFAS County Extension Office.
Special thanks to Prudence Caskey, UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County 4-H Agent, for providing this article and pictures.
by Niki Crawson | May 8, 2020
We all agree that the last three months have been unusual and, for the most part, the majority of the population has done a great job of handling the challenging situation in the world fairly well, considering. I say this as I lead into the fact that, as the Holmes County 4-H Agent, I have had the honor of working with many and great youth and families in my career. And, of those youth and families, they have handled the COVID-19 pandemic well. Included in these youth are our graduating Senior 4-Hers, who have missed out on quite a few 4-H traditions that typically close an important chapter, their final 4-H year, in their life’s book, only to introduce many new chapters in the coming months. These graduating senior 4-H members in Holmes County 4-H (and surrounding 4-H counties) have handled this disruption with grace and maturity, which lets me, volunteers, and parents know that they have truly learned and applied the essential life skills taught throughout the many club meetings, workshops, events, and activities along the 4-H journey!
In the closing of their senior 4-H year, three Holmes County 4-H graduating senior 4-Hers share some of their 4-H wisdom with us…
Issi Teck, graduating 4-H Senior
ISABELA TECK
Isabela “Issi” Teck has been a member of Holmes County 4-H for eight years. Issi transformed from a young, shy 4-H member into the bright, confident young woman that she has become today as she prepares for college in the fall. In addition to being a 4-H member, Issi also serves in the role of a teen volunteer and camp counselor. Issi shared that one of her favorite 4-H memories is when she went to camp for the very first time and her camp counselor was Emily Shelby. She stated remembering how Emily helped her to feel like she belonged and how much she loved camp and it made her want to come back the next year and become a counselor. Issi did in fact become a camp counselor every camp year until this year, when COVID-19 occurred.
Issi shared advice for fellow 4-Hers – “Never be afraid to step up and get involved. You’ll miss out on so much if you wait to try something new.” And when asked about advice for those not in 4-H, Issi said she wants to tell them, “4-H helps you become someone better because you get out of your comfort zone and you make new memories.”
Seth Smith, graduating 4-H Senior
SETH SMITH
Seth has been a 4-H member of the Holmes County 4-H program for nine years, joining as an extremely shy kid. He grew up in the 4-H program with teen leaders that took him under their wings and groomed him to be a great leader himself, filling local and district 4-H club officer roles for several years, and grooming the next set of 4-H teen leaders.
Seth participated in numerous local, district, and state 4-H events throughout his 4-H involvement, including 4-H University week, which he states was where one of his favorite 4-H memories took place. He said attending 4-H University week was one of his favorite 4-H experiences because he stayed at the University of Florida dorms for the first time, got to see the Gainesville area, met new 4-H friends and participated in new and different 4-H workshops and activities. It was an overall 4-H experience he enjoyed very much.
Seth’s take on 4-H is simply join 4-H for those that are not already members. For those that are 4-H members? Seth’s advice is plain and simple and 180 degrees from when he started nine years ago – don’t be bashful, get involved! He explains that 4-H has volunteers that are good role models that take the time and are dedicated to helping us.
Kiley Music, graduating 4-H Senior
KILEY MUSIC
Kiley Music has been a member of the Holmes County 4-H program for six years. Kiley, not known to be shy, brought the silly smiles to our club meetings and activities every month! Thus, it was no surprise when she shared that her favorite memory was having fun playing Marshmallow Paint Wars at Camp Timpoochee and was able to sneak up and tag me, her 4-H Agent, with all the colors of the rainbow, while I was innocently taking pictures, outside the game borders, I might add! It was a fun day full of sunshine, laughter and good memories.
Kiley’s advice to those friends still in 4-H is to not be afraid to be who you want to be and try something new in 4-H that you have not tried to do before.
4-H PROUD
4-H agents, peers, volunteers, parents and community partners are proud of these three 4-H seniors and the many more seniors across the state and nation that have fulfilled their 4-H journey as successful youth members. We look forward to the many accomplishments they will continue to make as young adults in their future endeavors.
To find out more information about 4-H programs that can offer essential life skills such as independence, organizational skills, and goal setting, to your children or to volunteer with 4-H, please contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.org.
by aschortinghouse | May 1, 2020
Often times we think of 4-H programming in the traditional context of agricultural education through school and community clubs. What we often forget is how diverse an audience the 4-H program actually serves. Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola is the home to two youth centers, the NAS Pensacola Youth Center and the Corry Station Youth Center. Every day the staff of these centers welcome and care for military youth in their charge. The staff at these centers work diligently to incorporate 4-H programming into their centers, serving as 4-H screened and trained volunteers. They provide the youth they serve a myriad of opportunities to develop life skills as well as give back to their community.
4-H Projects
Youth participate in a workshop led by Santa Rosa County Horticulture Agent, Matt Lollar, during the Try a Day of Camp designed to provide youth a one day introduction experience to the Florida 4-H residential camping program.
The NAS Pensacola 4-H club and the Corry Station 4-H club offer their youth a chance to engage in all aspects of 4-H programming. While some youth may be involved in the 21 day long embryology project, others may be focused on the archery programs, or maybe they are even doing both! Youth from these centers are often engaged in community service projects like volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House or collecting various items for those in need. Not to mention the grilling, hay bale decorating, and fair entries OH MY! To make a complete list of the projects the youth at these centers are involved in would be… exhausting! These clubs facilitate high quality programming through the dedication of the staff at these centers. Without them, these programs would not exist.
Breaking the Mold
NAS Pensacola 4-H Club placed second in the 2019 Escambia County 4-H hay bale decorating contest.
While one might have the mental image of a 4-H volunteer being a parent or relative of a youth already in the program, this is not the case for many of the volunteers with the NAS Pensacola and Corry Station 4-H clubs. These volunteers are unique. They complete the 4-H 101 trainings, participate in county and district wide events, and facilitate some of the best programming Escambia County 4-H has to offer. Yet, could you list one name of a volunteer who is involved in these clubs? While these volunteers run 4-H programs year round and are constantly focused on providing on new opportunities, they are not often as visible as one might expect.
We Need All Kinds of Volunteers
Youth participate in STEM activities during 4-H Club meeting.
These volunteers break the mold of a traditional 4-H volunteer. They serve a tight knit community who face many obstacles the majority of us could never comprehend. Through all of this though, these volunteers provide a sense of stability for the youth they serve. While 4-H programming is offered at Navy youth centers across the nation and the world, the volunteers at NAS Pensacola and Corry Station Youth Centers are exemplary. They even have a national award to prove it! The staff at these centers were the recipients of the 2019 National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Military Partnership Award. In comparison, this award does little to truly recognize their impact on the youth they serve. While youth center staff may not be “traditional” 4-H volunteers, they fill the need of the communities serve. A 4-H volunteer is most effective when they are able to understand the needs of the community and are able to adjust the programming to fit that need. Often times, it is through the volunteers that go unnoticed, traditional and unconventional alike, that the youth we serve are afforded the opportunities that 4-H programs offer year round.
For more information about UF/IFAS Extension programs or to learn more about how you can serve your community as a 4-H volunteer, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension.
by Caroline Chappell | Apr 24, 2020
It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week! Our 4-H volunteers invest their time into our community’s most valuable resource – our future!
Today we want to thank Stacey Warden who has led the Jackson County 4-H Livestock Club for the past six years. Stacey coaches our livestock, meats, and poultry judging teams and helps us host poultry and livestock workshops. A former 4-H national champion poultry judge herself, Stacey has coached teams that have competed successfully at the local, state, and national level.
Stacey loves to compete, but her dedication to her club members isn’t limited to just driving them to judging contests. She goes above and beyond to help her club members learn new skills, meet their goals, and chase their dreams. When asked about the impact that Stacey has made, Jackson County 4-H Livestock club member Taylor Yoder said, “Mrs. Stacey has done so much for me since I met her. She has taught me a lot about livestock and has grown my love for it. She is always pushing me to be the best I can be without overwhelming me.” Stacey’s service to her community has earned her statewide respect, but what’s truly special is that she’s captured the hearts and minds of her club members right here in Jackson County. Thank you for your service, Stacey!
Are you interested in volunteering with 4-H? Learn more about volunteering with Florida 4-H or contact your local UF/IFAS Extension to learn about 4-H in your county!
by aschortinghouse | Apr 23, 2020
Anne Peterson, recipient of the 2019 Elaine Keir Memorial Outstanding Volunteer Award.
For over 40 years, Anne Peterson has served as a volunteer for Escambia County 4-H. Anne began at an early age taking riding lessons in a barn led by a local 4-H horse club leader. That barn was where she began to adopt the knowledge and culture she would strive to emulate for the remainder of her 4-H volunteer career. Anne’s early years largely impacted her path in life, and ultimately led her to volunteer with 4-H.
Many Roles
Anne began volunteering with a club as a young adult, and from there. pursued every opportunity to continue her service. From volunteering at county events to volunteering at sleep over camps like Camp Timpoochee during the summer, she took the opportunities she believed in most and supported them whole-heartedly. Anne has served on multiple committees and boards at the local, district, and state levels with the goal of sharing her experiences and looking for ways to make the 4-H program stronger and better. From the horse program to the legislative program, Anne has participated in the planning and execution of county, district and state wide events. Ms. Anne even volunteers on the Area North 4-H Horse Show Committee and State 4-H Horse Advisory Committees, even though she does not have any youth who compete in the events.
A Legacy
Anne has not only invested years of volunteer service in 4-H, but she also shares with others her dedication and passion for 4-H and youth development, which continues to inspire the youth and families she works with. Anne’s impact has been felt in the projects she has taken on, but her ever-steady impact on the individuals she encounters, reaches far beyond what is immediately observable. Anne has never strayed far from her passion that was sparked in that barn, and as she continues to serve others, she is leaving her fingerprints
on their lives as well as the 4-H program. Anne has also received multiple awards for her service over the years, some of which include the 2019 Florida 4-H Horse Program Elaine Keir Memorial Outstanding Volunteer Award, and an induction to the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame.
A Lesson for Us All
While Anne has demonstrated an astounding longevity in her volunteer career, we must remember that she too was once a new volunteer. We all serve a role, however little or large we perceive the role to be, every role is important as that is the only way we can continue to offer quality programs. The saying “it takes a village” holds true to 4-H programming. To be an extraordinary 4-H volunteer, one need not do every role, but do one role to the best of their ability, as it is through the team of volunteers and agents that an extraordinary and impactful program is created. One role builds to other roles, and it is left to you to decide what role you will take. Regardless of the role, you have the chance to positively impact youth in your community, so ask your county 4-H agent how you can help “make the best better.”
To learn more about volunteering with Florida 4-H, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office to learn about 4-H in your county.
