Robeson County 4-H

  It gets harder each day to make sure our 4-H Biotech Day Campers have a new experience that we hope they will never forget, and along the way they just happen to learn something while having fun.  This morning we worked on our team building skills playing games like rock paper scissors (on steroids) and human bowling.  Once our counterparts from Hoke and Bladen Counties joined us we had a special guest to join us, Detective Kevin Graham from the Robeson county Sheriff's Office.  Detective Graham talked with our group about forensics, processing crime scenes, and his experiences in law enforcement.    After a quick snack we were up and working on our problem solving skills.  Playing games that made us find a way to pass a hula hoop around a circle without using our hands, finding ways to lower a hula hoop without tipping it, using only the pads of our fingers, and other such fun that illicted smiles, and laughter to fill the entire auditorium. ...

  Every once in awhile our best plans don't always work out.   Wednesday for our 4-H Biotech Day Camp was just that way.  However we are all in agreement that our rearranged schedule worked out just fine.  We started the day by meeting at the Robeson County Office where we played a variety of team building and communication games that would come in handy for later.    Our first adventure of the day was to head to the Robeson County Planetarium where we took part in a program about the Hubble Telescope.  We learned about everything from stars, galaxies, and constellations, to how a telescope really works.  It was impressive knowing that science thought of years ago are helping us explore the universe today and constantly challenging our knowledge.   After our incredible program our group was a little hungry.  So we headed to Golden Corral where everyone could find a little something to make their stomachs happy.  Our youth split ...

We're baaaaack!  That's right day two of 4-H Biotech Day Camp found us back in Raleigh today.  Our first stop  did not exist when we did this five years ago, Hunt Library on North Carolina State University's Campus.  Although our group was not so sure about going to a library, the first thing they saw when they got there changed their minds about libraries in general.  The book bot is a robot that fetches books from rows of stainless steal drawers.  Each drawer holds more than 100 books, cataloged with bar codes.  When a student or other library user orders a book from their smart phone (yes, the library has an app) the robot pulls the book, hands it off to a human library worker who labels it and places it on the check out shelf.  It takes two minutes from the time to choose a book to when it is available for pickup.  The book bot has access to over two million books.  Now parents if you are wondering if the Dewey decimal system sti...

Our 4-H Summer Fun Program switched into full gear this morning as we left the office on our first full day of Biotech Day Camp.  Today we were headed to Raleigh to join day campers from Hoke and Bladen Counties.   Our first stop was Marbles IMAX theater where we enjoyed the double feature Under the Sea 3-D and   the Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3-D.  The first movie introduced us to the world under water, the creatures that live there, and the Eco system they survive on.  The Ultimate Wave introduced us to to some incredible surfing but also some other surprising information.  We learned how waves are created, how the waves get bigger, and how the waves help support an underwater ecosystem.  We also learned about how the island was created from underwater volcanoes and how the culture of the Island was developed and exists today.  Both films taught us about how humans have impacted the coral reefs and how we can start making changes to help devel...

  It's hard to believe that it's Friday already.  As we loaded the van at the 4-H office this morning our campers were tired, but happy about another day of fun and adventures.  When we arrived they split up with the guys heading straight to the basketball court to take part in the pickup game that starts each morning, and the girls headed to the rec hall for a whole new group game that I'm not sure I've seen before.  At nine thirty the big bell rang and it was time to head to the day's activities.      Today our schedule was a little different.  Our campers hit the lake for swimming and canoeing, the rec hall for group games, and the fire pit for a nature and camp fire starting lesson.  Our campers got to see some new parts of the camp and experience some new adventures.  The best part of all if this?  Making new friends and having a chance to have fun and accidentally learn about things like team work, public speaking, and pro...

It's our next to last day at Millstone 4-H camp and our day campers are having the experience of their lives.  Each day has been a little different offering our campers all sorts of new experiences.  Today on the schedule is Archery, Canoeing, and Arts and Crafts.  After we broke into our groups shortly after arriving and followed our counselors off into the wooded unknown.  Archery has quickly become a favorite activity of our campers now that they have learned the mechanics they are mostly practicing and getting better all the time.  Canoeing is more than just getting in the boats now it"s also about jumping in the lake and having fun in the water.  Those who were a little worried about the water earlier in the week seem to have overcome their fears and are jumping into the murky natural pool without hesitation now.  Arts and Crafts was a new and neat experience for our creative youth.  They got to cut out stencils they made from card stock an...

  Mother Nature may have put a damper on our plans Monday but by day three of Our 4-H Millstone day camp adventure we are blazing our own trails.  We were so excited when we arrived and headed straight for the rec hall so we could split up into our groups then it was off to activities.      Today we are off to archery, canoeing, and group games.  For thoose of us who learned about shooting a bow and arrow it is our chance to practice and maybe hit a bullseye.  If archery wasn't our campers thing there was a big game of 3-D 9 square going on.  Thank goodness for the beachball they were using because it was being tossed into the air and has to stay airborn between the grids.  The great thing about this game...every 30 seconds or so someone was out, everyone shifts and a new person comes in.  That kept the waiting line short and moving.  The new activity for the day was canoeing.  We broke into pairs and got a quick lesson in ...

We loaded up and left the 4-H office a little after 8 am to head to Camp Millstone for day two of our adventure.  Everyone came back to give it a second go around and we are so very happy about that.  When we got there our campers joined campers from Anson, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland Counties.  The staff was glad to see everyone and they headed to the rec hall to split into groups for the day.  Groups are divided by age so all our young ones are together and the older ones are together which allows for similar challenges and experiences. The groups split up among archery, riflery, and group games.  During the day each group got to try their hand at everything.  Often they got to try more than once.  For those who had never shot a bow and arrow or a rifle it was a fantastic experience.  They learned about safety, being respectful of the weapon, and how to listen to their range instructors.  Group games took on many forms, from ...

Well this is a first for our 4-H Summer Fun Program.  Today we loaded up our Day campers and headed to Millstone 4-H camp in Ellerbe, NC .  This is a traditional camp where campers can expect to swim, canoe, learn about archery, take part in arts and crafts, and more. We left the 4-H office bright and early however Mother Nature was not cooperating.  We left in quite a storm and by the time we made it to our destination it was clear as could be.  All the campers jumped in the pool and had a magnificent swim to start the day off.  After getting out and getting dried off it was time for a few quick rec hall games before heading to the dining hall for for lunch.      Lunch included a make your own sandwich selections, tat or tots, peas, and a sugar cookie for dessert.  Now admittedly we had some entertainment during lunch that ewe weren't expecting.  Mother Nature put together quite the fireworks show complete with her own music selec...

  Did you catch this article written by Janice Fields, Family Consumer Sciences Extension Agent?  It's hit all our major print outlets this weekend.  Read on.....   " I recently had the pleasure of working an entire week with 15 fabulous youth during our 2 nd   annual 4-H Junior Chef Academy. It was awesome seeing those young people learning not only how to cook but also learning proper etiquette during a meal, seeing food businesses in action, and creating their own food businesses. One of my favorite memories of this academy was watching these 9- to 13-year-olds sitting down to a meal at a fine dining establishment (Pinehurst Resort) for their first time. They not only learned which utensil to use for each part of the meal but also how to sit in the chair, where to place their hands, and under what circumstances to excuse themselves from the table. In addition, they learned where to place their napkin before leaving the table, how to talk during the meal...

We woke up bright and early this morning like we have for the last week .  This morning instead of breakfast and cabin cleaning it was time to pack up to head home.  As we located all that we brought with us and a few extra items we may have obtained while here it was time to start saying good bye to all our new friends.  After breakfast and dropping off our items in predetermined locations it was time to head to the rec hall.  After a brief fashion show of lost and found items...it was time for the big honors.  Each counselor gave each camper their own personalized award.  Some campers might have gotten the best smile award, others may have been 2 peas in a pod, or perhaps the truth seeker each award was tailored made for them.  After the awards ceremony it was time for the slide show .  All those pictures we have taken over the last week were combined to show the best moments of our time at Betsy Jeff Penn. After laughing and enjoying all the...

  Its hard to believe this is our last full day of camp at Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center .  We woke up to wonderfully cool temperatures this morning and were ready and raring to get to the activities at hand.  Of course first stop was the dining hall for a wonderful pancake and sausage breakfast.  Once we were fully fueled it was time to hit the trail and have some fun.  The older campers headed into the woods for high ropes while the younger campers took to hit the water and archery range.   High ropes involve several challenge courses including the pamper pole, zip line, and rope bridge.  The point of the course is to challenge yourself in a safe environment.  For many youth who take the challenges they are proud of what the accomplish and are able to tackle obstacles with a new confidence.     The adventurers spent the night at the outpost and had to clean up their campsite before returning to the normal activities of the day.  ...