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National 4-H week celebrated
 | | Members of the Valley 4-H In-school club help themselves to a nutritious and easy snack. Pictured (l-r) are Megan Parker, Nikki McDaniel, Lauren Turner, Britney Chestnut, and Brayden Gillispie. (Photo courtesy Christine Hodges) |
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WARM SPRINGS and MONTEREY - Bath and Highland counties youth will join others in Virginia and across the nation to celebrate National 4-H Week, Oct. 7-13. This year, 4-H will focus on its programs that teach youth about science, engineering, and technology.
"National 4-H Week is a great opportunity to explore your options and find the scientist, engineer, or technologist in you," said Bob Meadows, associate director of 4-H youth development for Virginia Cooperative Extension. "By the year 2013, national 4-H has a goal of having one million new members in science, engineering, and technology programs. Virginia is doing its part by offering exciting project areas and camps for you."
In Bath and Highland counties, more than 300 youth participate in a variety of 4-H programs, including livestock judging, envirothon, and forestry teams, horse clubs, livestock clubs, a K-9 club, community clubs, and In-school clubs focusing on history, health and nutrition, science and natural resources, and much more. For information about Virginia 4-H and National 4-H Week activities in Bath and Highland, contact Christine Hodges at chodges1@vt.edu or (540) 839-7261 in Bath County and (540) 468-2225 in Highland County.
National 4-H Week marks the beginning of the 4-H program's 106th year of existence. 4-H originated from a need for basic agricultural education for youth, but today the program offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes career and economic education, citizenship, communication and expressive arts, family sciences, and leadership.
To celebrate National 4-H Week, the 4-H flag will be displayed at the Bath County Courthouse in Warm Springs, and at Highland County schools in Monterey beginning Monday, Oct. 8, until Friday, Oct. 12.
Science, engineering, and technology is an integral part of the 4-H curriculum. Through project clubs, in-school and after-school groups, and other programs, Virginia 4-H teaches high-tech skills and gives its participants practical, hands-on applications of science skills through biotechnology, robotics, computer technology, space and flight, and engineering sciences. 4-H youth are taught observe the world, ask thoughtful questions, predict outcomes, and conduct experiments.
As Extension's youth development service, Virginia 4- H engages youth ages 5 to 19 in hands-on educational programs and activities designed to help them gain the knowledge, life skills, and attitudes that will further their development as self-directing, contributing, productive members of society. Virginia 4-H has more than 160,000 members and 20,000 volunteers in its programs and activities. Last year, more than 24,000 children and teens benefited from a 4-H camping experience.
Virgina Cooperative extentsion brings the resources of Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the people of the commonwealth. Through a system of on-campus specialists and locally based agents, it delivers education in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, community viability, and 4-H youth development. With a network of faculty at two universities, 107 county and city offices, 13 agricultural research and extension centers, and six 4-H educational centers, Virginia Cooperative Extension provides solutions to the problems facing Virginians today.
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