Did you know that Garland County 4-H members are involved in a vast variety of project work outside traditional agriculture and are gaining life skills in other areas? Its true, Garland County 4-H has something for you! We follow the three program areas put in place by Arkansas 4-H which are, Civic Engagement and Leadership, Healthy Living and Science.

The Arkansas 4-H website explains that "4-H has placed emphasis on the importance of young people being engaged, well-informed citizens. By connecting to their communities and leaders, youth understand their role in civic affairs and are able to expand their role in decision-making processes. It's clear that civic engagement provides the foundation that helps youth understand the big picture of life and learn the skill sets that will allow them to become wise leaders for the future."

In Garland County 4-H, members are given the opportunity to take on leadership roles such as serving on the officer team for their club, acting as a committee member for an event their 4-H Club is hosting, or even giving a speech on a topic they are most passionate about at County, District and State O'Rama. 4-H youths are also involved in many community service projects whether that be individually pursued or club-wide.

"A core belief of 4-H is Health, as evidenced by the four H's in the 4-H clover: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. 4-H is committed to the physical, mental and emotional health of our nation's youth so they may lead healthy and productive lives into adulthood. 4-H has become a national leader in health-related educational issues including chemical health, mental and emotional health, foods and nutrition, physical health and safety," according to Arkansas 4-H.

Garland County 4-H youths are involved in Healthy Living project work. In fact, this past year one of our outstanding 4-H members received recognition from Arkansas 4-H as a district intermediate record book winner for their work in Enhancing Health and Well-being.

The last area that Arkansas 4-H focuses on is Science. They explain that "For over 100 years, 4-H has engaged young people in cutting-edge science learning, including areas such as animal science, food science, welding, electricity, and plant/crop science. More recent project areas include aerospace, robotics, geospatial technologies, computer science, and multimedia. Recognizing that the United States is falling dangerously behind other nations in developing its future workforce of scientists, engineers, and technology experts, National 4-H has committed to address our nation's critical challenge by preparing 1 million new young people to excel in science, engineering, and technology."

Garland County 4-H youths participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, or STEM, projects and day camps throughout the year. The 4-H'ers also raise livestock to show at the Garland County Fair and not only learn the basic care of their animal, but learn the science behind it, too, such as studying breeding genetics to pick out their next sire, or learning how to give proper vaccinations. Garland County 4-H youths also participate in the yearly 4-H Poultry Chain where they purchase and receive up to 20 chickens to raise and show at the county fair.

As you can see, there are opportunities available for everyone in 4-H. To join Garland County 4-H, please call the Garland County Extension office, 501-623-6841 or email me, Carol Ann McAfee, at [emailprotected] for more information.

Master Gardener

information

Master Gardener meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month by Zoom. They're open to the public and guests are welcome. For more information call the Extension Office at 623-6841 or email Alex Dykes at [emailprotected]

EHC information

Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC contact Alison Crane at 623-6841 or email at [emailprotected]

Read this article:
Oh, the places you'll go in Garland County 4-H - Hot Springs Sentinel