November 29, 2021 |
Carbon County 4-H recently announced the Achievement Award winners for the past year that wrapped up in October.
Bigfoot 99 talked with Emily Haver, the UW Extension Educator who heads up 4-H Youth Development in Carbon County.
With eight clubs active in the area, about 200 young people are enrolled in 4-H in the county. The awards cover a range of ways kid, families and volunteers stay engage in 4-H activities throughout the year. They include personal stories, like how one young member coped with the isolation and social distancing during the year of the coronavirus. Other awards honor how an individual or a club demonstrates community caring.
This year’s community caring award went to the two Plate Valley clubs, B.E.V.O. and Saratoga’s Finest. Last Christmas, members of the two clubs paraded their animals around the senior center as a gift of holiday cheer for residents and staff.
At the very top of the list of award categories is the record book. The record book is essentially a journal. For an outsider unfamiliar with 4-H, the concept of the record book provides a key insight into what the organization is all about. Some 4-H clubs across the country require participants to keep a record book. Clubs in Carbon County don’t, but Haver said 4-H participants here are encouraged to document their projects and experiences throughout the year. Journal-keeping, Haver said, provides invaluable life-time skills.
“Do, Reflect, Apply” is a 4-H Fundamental. The $10 description for it is the “experiential learning process.” Stated simply, it’s learning by doing, and it is the cornerstone of 4-H and its mission of positive youth development. Keeping a journal allows a participant to describe their project an keep track of it. Sometimes plans don’t work. Haver said the record book provides a way to track both successes and failures, incorporate feedback, and apply strategies to improve.
A lot of that learning has nothing to do with agriculture. 4-H stands for Head, Heart, Hands and Health. There’s nothing in there about farm and ranch. One of the founding organizers of 4-H in Kansas, Otis Hall, famously wrote more than 100 years ago, “We’re not trying to make farmers out of all these boys. We don’t care how many hogs or cabbages he raises. We’re trying to build self-reliance, good judgment and character.”
The building process is documented in the record book.
Bayla Berger, Alaina McNees and Hanna Lee were this year’s first place record book winners from the three different age classes. Tuff Weber, Raden Miller and Ryon Miller were the second place winners. Kaylee Stocks, Emily Donough and Bethany Heward were the third place winners. Haver said those record books will be both a scrap book and a ticket bigger opportunities in life.
As you might suspect, many of the kids involved in 4-H Clubs here come from the ranching communities at the south and north end of the county. Many more have never set foot on a ranch, and may never have been around cows pigs and sheep until fair time in August.
Haver talked about the diverse membership in Carbon County 4-H Clubs.
With nearly 50 different projects for kids to get involved in each year through their 4-H membership, Haver admits she can’t be involved in all of them. She gets help, lots of help. About 40 adults, many past members, volunteer to head up and coach the various project, like swine, dogs, as well as the arts and crafts projects like sewing and photography. This year’s volunteer award winners are Sam Buffington , Olivia Roybal, Ashlea Roberts and Clay Orchard. Haver said the volunteers are critical to making 4-H work and have a positive impact.
In a time of social disruptions and discords, 4-H provides a time-tested way to foster positive, lifelong values. Haver, who herself was involved in 4-H growing up in Southern Colorado, encourages anyone interested to find out more about 4-H.
Visit Carbon County’s 4-H & Youth Development website: https://wyoextension.org/carboncounty/4h-youth-development/
