by Suzanne Wilson | Aug 16, 2013
It’s time for our 4-H clubs to start the new 4-H year. If your 4-H club took time off for the summer break the first club meeting can be a little crazy. Everyone will want to catch up and share their summer adventure stories. Why not take advantage of this excitement and make it part of a club meeting. There are several factors that will determine your options. The age of your club members, socio-economic factors, and family dynamics should all be considered. Be mindful of everyone’s family circumstances. Set ground rules so everyone is treated with respect. As the 4-H club leader, it is important for you to create an environment where your members feel safe sharing experiences and ideas.
4-H is Like a Roller Coaster
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by Whitney Cherry | Aug 16, 2013
Out of the mouths of babes:
- “4-H brought me closer to my grandfather.” – 9th grade 4-H member
- “I have developed a better work ethic and communications skills.” – 9th grade 4-H member
- “4-H has taught me leadership and commitment that I can use for the rest of my life.” – 9th grade 4-H member
- “4-H gave me the confidence to do more things.” – 7th grade 4-H member
- “4-H has helped get my family together.” – 5th grade 4-H member
- “4-H makes you think to help others and be kind.” – 5th grade 4-H member
And my personal favorite:
- “I can cook so my mom won’t have to all the time.” – 5th grade 4-H member
There you have it! Join us on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 6:00 PM Central for the first session of Make a Difference Mondays, where you can learn how to make positive differences in the lives of youth just like this!
Contact your local extension office for more information or go to: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/4hn/make-a-difference-mondays/
by Whitney Cherry | Aug 15, 2013
You are making a difference:
- Studies done with 4-H youth show adults in their 4-H clubs make them feel important (65%) and listen to them (64%). (Perkins & Butterfield, 1999).
That’s all the difference in the world to child.
Join us on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 6:00 PM Central for the first session of Make a Difference Mondays, where you can learn how to make positive differences in the lives of youth just like this!
Contact your local extension office for more information or go to: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/4hn/make-a-difference-mondays/
by Whitney Cherry | Aug 14, 2013
The out-of-school hours constitute the biggest single block of time in the life of a young adolescent (Council on Adolescent Development, 1992).
- What are they doing with it?
With the help of 4-H volunteers like you… anything they want!
Join us on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 6:00 PM Central for the first session of Make a Difference Mondays, where you can learn how to make positive differences in the lives of youth just like this!
Contact your local extension office for more information or go to: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/4hn/make-a-difference-mondays/
by Whitney Cherry | Aug 13, 2013
In 2001, Kirk Astroth and George Haynes of Montana State University published research which found the following:
Compared to other youth, 4-H youth are more likely to:
- Succeed in school, getting more A’s than other kids
- Be involved as leaders in their school and community
- Be looked up to as role models by other kids; and
- Help others in the community.
But this is the real reason we volunteer with 4-H:
Join us on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 6:00 PM Central for the first session of Make a Difference Mondays, where you can learn how to make positive differences in the lives of youth just like this!
Contact your local extension office for more information or go to: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/4hn/make-a-difference-mondays/
by Whitney Cherry | Aug 12, 2013
The countodown is on to the first session of our Make a Difference Mondays Volunteer Training Series. We are just one week away from our first session! This session is going to be great for all volunteers interested in leading a 4-H club. New or experienced… you will learn things that will help you get through this 4-H year with ease! Great organizational strategies from presenters Kay Brown and Julie Dillard will help you in your quest for success! For more information on this series go to: https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/4hn/make-a-difference-mondays/
by pmdavis | Aug 2, 2013
4-H and Foods, sounds pretty yummy to me! In fact cooking projects are a great example of how youth learn about foods by partnering with adults in the kitchen to plan and prepare them. Most 4-H cooking projects explore the science, nutrition and history of cooking while promoting healthy eating and resource management.
As an adult partner you will help youth learn how to select, prepare and store food items. You can help them explore the many methods of cooking, which include roasting, stir frying, grilling, barbecuing, smoking, boiling, steaming, braising and microwaving. The USDA’s MyPlate (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/) can help you to plan meals and make balanced food choices.
Remember when cooking with kids safety is first. Have supervision. Never allow youth to cook without asking for permission. Remind youth that clean is good! Keep hands and surfaces clean, if the children you work with have long hair be sure to tie it up. Also be sure that they do not have loose clothing that can catch on fire. Help youth identify and know how to safely use common tools in the kitchen including knives and other sharp objects, hot items such as broiler, toaster, stove or microwave and teach them measuring methods. Remind youth to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. We certainly don’t want any of those food borne illnesses coming our way.
Help youth read the directions and follow the recipes. They should check to be sure that they have all of their ingredients before beginning their cooking project. If the project requires cutting skills start simple with something soft like a banana and a plastic knife. Demonstrate the technique then have them try the actions. Teach them the following rules for working with knives.
-
Paula and Nakobie cutting tortilla
Cut with caution.
- Focus on one task at a time.
- Never point a knife at a person.
- Always hold knife by handle.
- Use a cutting board.
- Go Slow. Take your time to learn how to cut. Beginners can start with sturdy plastic knives.
Remember to demonstrate how to wash produce and handle meat safely so you do not have cross contamination of foods. Help youth find what it is about cooking that excites them! There are recipes for snacks, side dishes, main dishes, quick breads and desserts that are great starters for youth cooking. Great projects to start with are the national 4-H Foods Curricula, or Florida Department of Agriculture Xtreme Cuisine, Nebraska 4-H has some easy kid friendly recipes or see the handout made by Bay County Extension about kid friendly foods.
by Melanie Taylor | Jul 19, 2013
From the sand to the ocean, camp to the pool, water parks to the playground – summer usually means high-energy for kids enjoying time off from school. It’s a good idea to keep on hand a stash of cooling, nutritious snacks to satisfy ferocious appetites and picky palates.
One such snack for high energy kids is called BANANA SUSHI… Sushi is a Japanese food consisting of cooked rice, combined with other ingredients, usually raw fish or other seafood. Sushi is unique based on the preparation method and how it’s rolled up and sliced into bite size pieces. This is a unique teaching opportunity to discuss the Japanese culture and its different style of foods and eating methods. When you use this recipe, explain to the kids they will be making their own fun and tasty version of Sushi using bananas.
Banana Sushi
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Banana, peanut butter, rice krispies cereal
Directions:
- Coat a banana with peanut butter. (For a cool treat on an especially hot day freeze the banana several hours before preparing.)
- Roll in rice krispies cereal.
- Slice into bite size pieces (like sushi).
- Eat and Enjoy!
- Encourage the kids to use chopsticks and to learn more about Japanese eating utensils.
Here are some more healthy and refreshing DIY treats that kids of all ages can prepare on their own or in group settings such as day camps and 4-H club meetings:
•Make your own trail mix with a combination of nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, and cereal pieces. Try a selection of several healthy cereals, pretzels, nuts, and crackers.
•Dried fruit – banana chips, mango, and apple, papaya, pear, or peach slices.
•Plain popcorn sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or flavorful spices.
•Baked pita or bagel chips dipped in cool, refreshing hummus.
•Skewer cubes of firm cheese (cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack), alternated with chunks of fresh summer fruits.
•Fresh fruit salad – Cut up apples, pineapple, bananas, oranges, and berries or any fresh, in-season fruits. Throw in dried cranberries or raisins, and sunflower seeds or slivered almonds. Top with a dollop of yogurt.
•Berry parfaits – Layer fresh berries with granola and yogurt or freshly whipped cream.
Of course, as you make theses treats with your 4-Hers be sure to incorporate the importance of their nutritional value to their daily intake based on the current MyPlate recommendation. You can find more kid-friendly information on MyPlate at http://www.choosemyplate.gov.
by Whitney Cherry | Jul 8, 2013
The National Association of Extension 4-H Agents has awarded the 4-H agents in the Northwest Extension District of Florida their national award for Excellence in 4-H Volunteerism. This award is given to the agent or group of agents who show(s) an unequaled dedication to providing quality volunteer development programs. In our district, each county provides local volunteer training and development, but we also work as a district to bring you opportunities like our district-wide volunteer leader forum at 4-H Camp Timpoochee and district-wide shooting sports volunteer trainings in each discipline each year.
While the agents are to be congratulated for working hard and receiving this award, many thanks go to our wonderful volunteers throughout the district who support 4-H programming in Florida. Every club leader, project leader, camp volunteer, fair judge, and so on, is in part responsible for the success of Florida 4-H. We are so grateful for your unwavering dedication to 4-H Youth Development. Furthermore, we invite you to continue to help us “Make the Best Better” through our Make a Difference Monday’s volunteer training series. The series will begin August 19, 2013 and will run the third Monday of every month through April 2014. Your local extension office will be able to provide you with further details including topics for each session in the series.
by Sherri Kraeft | Jul 5, 2013
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One word: Incentives
Youth enjoy 4-H summer camp because it provides a welcoming environment where they can learn and grow. They get to make new friends and participate in activities like, archery, swimming, canoeing, rocketry, kayaking, arts and crafts, and more. When they come home from camp singing camp songs and relating their awesome experiences, they encourage their friends at school as well as fellow club members to come with them during the next year. With this in mind, how can club leaders and other volunteers encourage youth to participate in camp if they have never attended or have never considered attending?
At this time of year, camps may already be over for your county 4-H program, but it is never too early to start planning for next summer. As club leaders, when you begin thinking about fundraising and club program planning for the fall, consider incorporating some “camp incentives” for youth who might want to plan to attend camp next year. Here are a few ideas:
- Include fundraising percentages or credits given to members who participate in and plan club fundraisers. Maybe 10% of the funds they raise for the club in a particular fundraiser will go to their camp fees, etc.
- You may offer full or partial scholarships to youth who demonstrate leadership or take on an officer role in a community club setting.
- Allow 4-H members who turn in a completed and well-produced project book to be rewarded at the awards banquet with a camp price reduction or prize to be used in conjunction with camp attendance such as a club t-shirt or goodie bag with camp related items.
While funding for camp can introduce challenges for some club members, these obstacles when handled appropriately and quickly can provide terrific learning opportunities for youth who earn their way to attend camp and have a wonderful experience while there.
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