This article was written by our own Shea Ann DeJarnette to be published in the
Robesonian and Robeson Journal on Sunday, January 31, 2016.
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Alex Evans teaches Kennedi Lyons how to do an electric project.
Both youth are members of the Dirty Rascals 4-H Junior Master
Gardener Club. |
Do you ever feel like
you’re being pulled in so many directions that your head is about to spin off
like a top? It seems things have gotten
even more hectic thanks to the introduction of technology. That same feeling
has trickled into our children’s lives and schedules. They go to school and, at an early age, we
want them involved in extracurricular activities. The choices range from athletics to video
gaming; we often don’t know which way is up.
Whether you want your child to be involved to keep them busy or the fact
that it looks good on college applications, the question is which activity is
best for your child?
Some things to consider when helping your child choose an extracurricular
activity - cost, commitment, time, logistics, and passion. The best activities are those your child is
passionate about. Colleges are looking
for students with passion who have whittled down to one or two organizations
but have done great things within those organizations. The problem is children often don’t know what
they are passionate about. When picking
an organization, find out what is expected in terms of time commitment, wallet
commitment, and family scheduling. For
example, when I was in band, I was committed to being a part of it. My mother bought an instrument and made sure
I practiced 45 minutes every night.
However, when it came time to have afterschool practice, Saturday games,
etc., we were unable to pull off the logistics and my band career ended
abruptly. Remember, these activities,
although meant to enhance your child’s life, depend very much on the rest of
the family, so choose wisely.
There are lots of great programs out there, and I have to say, I am
partial to 4-H. First, we work with boys
and girls between the ages of 5 and 18.
We are committed to an experience for them, one they get to
determine. If they love animals, love to
talk, are artistic, want to try something new like an electric project, or
climbing a rock wall, we have something for them. Meetings are meant to fit your schedule. For example, the majority of our clubs meet
once a month. We also have a place for
parents to be volunteers and will offer trainings and certifications. Being a 4-H member has little to no
cost. The majority of our programs we
offer are either free or at reduced rates thanks to funding from United Way of
Robeson County. We do our best to make every
opportunity available and affordable to our youth. The other great thing about 4-H is we allow
your child to grow in the program offering them different experiences as they
get older. The learning challenge
increases, but so does the fun. Finally,
always wanting to prepare our youth for the next step, 4-H offers an ACT prep
course, college scholarships, and even opportunities to be on a college campus.
Did you know, 40 percent of 4-H alumni who graduate high school go on to
complete a university degree? In most
other programs, only 28 percent of their alums do the same thing.
So if you are looking at extracurricular activities, find what suits
your child and your family best. While
you are looking around, think about trying out 4-H. We are cost and time effective, create
passionate leaders, and want to prepare your child to succeed in the
future. Really, what more could you ask
for?
For more information,
please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent with
North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by
E-mail at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at
http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/. North
Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit
themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race,
color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or
disability. In addition, the two
Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.
Some of the things the Officers brought up at the meeting included: the next election, in order to be eligible to run for a County Council 4-H
officer and to have voting privileges, 4-H members must attend a minimum of
two County Council and Leadership meetings and must have fifty percent
attendance at their 4-H club meetings (at least 4 club meetings). 
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