Problem Solving at its Finest

  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.  It was a great morning of learning and fun.

  We took a brief break to eat (we do that a lot in a case you haven't noticed) lunch.  On today's menu, pizza, corn, and fresh watermelon.  It was a great time to sit down and share a meal with our new friends.  After lunch it was time to get down to some serious business.

  We were informed that a crime had been committed on the patio of a two bedroom, one bathroom home near the beach.  We all traveled to the crime science (out back of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office) and had five minutes to observe everything.  When we came back in we had to write down everything we noticed.  When we went back out our eight groups were assigned sections of the crime scene to process.  We drew sketches of our grids and collected what was the before heading back in to process our evidence.

  When we got inside our chief gave us some more information that had been collected.  Our victims body, which officers said did not have an signs of trauma or blood disappeared on the way to this morgue.  There is a rumor that the victim is not dead, and has been seen at a nearby gas station but that had not been confirmed.  We were given case files with suspects, their statements, footprints, and fingerprints.  It turns out our victim was not nice yet very rich and all of our suspects were not only with him when the incident occurred but also mentioned in his will.  Armed with this information and the evidence collected it was up to our day campers to tell us what happened.

  A our campers got up at the end of the day and delivered their scenarios, everyone had a different idea and story on how it happened, who did it, and if our victim was alive or dead.  It was a great day as they demonstrated critical thinking skills.  At the end of the day we celebrated our hard work with a snack and the. Our visiting counties headed home.  

  One more day left of 4-H Biotech day camp....what will happen tomorrow???  Hmmmmm....the answer smells a little fishy.

One Small Step for Man...One Large Step for 4-H Biotech

  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 up and we were no longer separated by county lines as our day campers reached out to make friends and are looking forward to seeing each other, each day.
  After lunch we loaded back up in the vans and headed to the Lumber River State Park.  There we met with Park Ranger Ronnie.  He told us all about the state park and introduced us to some of the animals that live there.  None of these animals were hunted and killed, becuase they are safe in the state park.  Some were killed by automobiles, or other instances and are now on display so youth like our day campers can learn what these animals look like (and how big they can get).  When Ranger Ronnie was finished with our youth it was time for us to do a little science at the park.
  We headed down to the Lumber River and learned all about black water rivers.  Then it was time to do a little natural magic.  Armed with mason jars, coffee filters, cups, and bowls (not to mention what was around us) we set out in teams to build water filters and filtered the river water, into what we hope would be drinkable (although we didn't try).  Our filters took many forms and we tried several types before we found something that worked.  The teams did great jobs and were able to make a noticeable difference with their filtered river water.
  After all that it was time to head back to the office and start processing what is coming up tomorrow...everyone is getting ready to bring their magnifying glasses with them as we solve the puzzle of What's Up? tomorrow.

Watch Out Raleigh

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 still exists, well it does with about a thousand books on the shelves in the library.

  The other thing we learned about this research library is that books are just one of the many features. Did you know that the library has more than 100 different types of chairs, in more than 80 colors?  If that doesn't impress you maybe the technology room will.  This is a room where you can come and see the different technology that is available for you to check out, everything from laptops, to iPads, and even gaming systems.  Wait there is more.  They have a technology room that shows each time someone, anyone in the world makes a change to Wikipedia, and will also show newspapers from around the room.  We had to admit that was really cool but the next room was so cool it made UNC die hearts change their future school of choice to NCSU.  The gaming room can allow users to play and design games.  Classes are held in this special room that has special glass walls.  With a tap of her smart phone the librarian turned the glass white so you can not see in or out.  All the gaming gadgets in this room had our young gamers ready to submit their college applications today.

  After that technology buffet it was time go think about a food buffet.  We loaded up in the vans and headed to Fountain Dining Hall for a lunch of many choices.  We ate just like, and along with, college students.  Burgers, pizza, hot dogs, chicken, and other selections we on the menu.  The highlight was probably the NCSU soft serve ice cream, made fresh across the street.  Such good stuff.  

  After digesting it was time to head to Pullen park to meet with a mad scientist.  Truly a mad day of experiments that centered around dry ice.  Our mad scientist, with Mad Science, made George Washington shiver as he crossed the Delaware or at least while she had a quarter sitting on the dry ice.  Ice bubbles, shampoo bubbles, gasses, sublimation, and all sorts of new science terms and fun.  When our and scientist was done we each got cups to take home with us.  Our cups change color when there is something really cold in them, you know like dry ice.

  After a great day of fun it was time to head home and start thinking about our adventures tomorrow....I wonder if we will need safety gear tomorrow for experiments???

It's a Surf and Turf Kind of Day

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 develop and not kill off reefs and maintain this important ecosystem.

  After the double feature it was time to head to lunch.  Today we had a better than pic nic lunch.  What does that mean?  Well we ate outside between the the North Carolina History and Science Museums in the courtyard.  Ants were not plentiful and Chick Fil A delivered fried chicken sandwiches that we all enjoyed.  After cleaning up we headed it was time for our next stop, the NC Natural sciences Museum.

     Once inside the museum we broke up into smaller groups and explored.  Although we enjoyed all of it our favorite part had to be the new section of the museum that had the learning labs.  There we played with computer generated 3-D models of planets, robotics, and got to see what a 3-D printer can do.  There were rather stations to play with an d learn from as well as more on ecosystems.  In other words if we could think it up there was probably something there on it.  It was so much fun!

   After all of this fun it was time to load our vans and head home.  It was a great day of learning and we can't wait to see what's in store for tomorrow.

Our Last Day of A New Adventure

  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 problem solving.
     Of course we worked up quite an appetite and were very happy to have hot dogs with all the trimmings, tator tots, and veggies for lunch.  Of course this was followed by ice cream for desert.  After cleaning up from lunch we got a chance to fill out evaluations about our camp experience and say what we liked and didn't like.  They are actually going to listen to the kids?  Imagine that.
     After lunch it was back out to activities to finish up the last of the three.  After we finished our schedule it was time to head to the cabins to change and jump into the pool.  As everyone cooled off in the pool the mood was slightly subdued as we realized it was about time to head home on our last day.  After climbing out and drying off we headed to camp store to grab our afternoon snack.  On the way we picked up our shirts that we created at Arts and Crafts the day before.  After we finished our snacks we loaded up in the van and headed home.  When we got there we said our goodbyes, collected our official camp t-shirts, and started thinking about our next 4-H Summer Adventure.
     As we mentioned before this is the first time there has been a day camp at Millstone 4-H Camp and we have to admit we are really hoping they do it again.  For folks who have never experienced a traditional camp experience, and aren't sure about spending this many nights away from home.  Anger great thing about Milkstone is that it is home to our NC 4-H Museum.  It's worth taking a few minutes to go through the Ellis peanut house and learn the history behind it and all inside.  Well, let's just say with a visit to Millstone you could not have a finer experience.

What a Great Adventure

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 and placed it on dark t-shirts.  Then they sprayed the stencil with bleach leaving behind a cool design.  The instructor then dunked the shirt in cold water which stopped the spread of bleach.  After wringing them out they will go in the camp dryer during the night and be ready to be unveiled sometime tomorrow.
  Of course all of this fun let us build up a healthy appetite.  Although we must say the food is so good here many of our campers are looking forward to lunch even more so then their activities.  Today on the menu were hamburgers, broccoli, french fries, and jello or pudding for dessert.
  After lunch we finished our last activity on the schedule and then literately jumped in the pool.  today was the first day we jumped in the deep end (if we passed the swim test).  So it was a very exciting day of swimming.  After we had our fun splashing each other and playing water games it was time to get out and dry off.  The camp store was  open for snack, then we loaded up  and headed home.  There were a lot of sleepy heads nodding in the back but it was a fun day and we only have one more to go....

Things are Heating Up at Camp Millstone

  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 paddling (as well as life jackets) and we were off and floating.

     Needless to say when lunch time came around we were famished.  It's a good thing too because the kitchen staff had prepared another one of their award winning meals.  One the menu today, chicken strips, peas, Mac and cheese (it was homemade and out of this world), a salad if you so chose, and sugar cookies for dessert.  There wasn't much time to let all the food digest before we err out and about again.

   We finished up with the last of our three activities and then we changed and jumped right into the cool blue waters of the pool.  There is nothing like winding up the end of the day by cooling off and playing with all our new found friends.  After getting out and sort of drying off, and changing we hit camp store for our snack and then climbed into the van to head home.

     Now it might have been really quiet on the ride home but it may have been because all the fun of the day almost everyone was asleep.  When we got back to the office everyone woke up and started talking about all the fun we would have tomorrow.  Stay tuned because things are bound to heat up again tomorrow.

Things are Looking Brighter

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 tag games involving bats and vampires to three dimensional four square ( actually nine square but the concept is the same), the campers were out and moving just having fun.  Little do they know that they are also working on their problem solving skills and tea working abilities. 

  Of course lunch time was welcome as everyone was famished.  Mini corn dogs, French fries, and mixed vegetables were on the menu.  There were many trips to the kitchen in hopes of refills on this tasty meal.

  After lunch it was time to finish our activites (two before lunch and one after).  Then it was time for everyone's favorite activity (just as the sun made a bright and shiny appearance) swimming!  Everyone jumped in the pool to cool off and play winding up a great day!  

  After changing clothes it was time to grab a snack from the camp store, jump on the van, and leave making sure we make it back in time to meet parents and head home.  What a great day of fun and sunshine was had by all.  Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store.

Milling Around with a New Experience

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 selection.  Now her selection of the audio portion was quite load, and the storm knocked out the power.  So let me say now how proud I am of our campers who hung in there, even though the elements were tough.  The staff was exceptional getting up and leading camp songs for about an hour and getting everyone involved in the fun.

  When Mother Nature let up and the power was restored it was time to vacate the dinning hall and head out into the wilderness.  Admittedly it was not that far into the wilderness, actually just around the dinning hall.  We had youth at the craft shelter making old fashioned lanyards.  Another group was in the rec hall playing games.  The last group was at the Nature Shelter talking nature, animals, insects, and playing games.

  At 3:45 it was time to load up and head home.  The rain made the day a little different but we had a good day and are looking forward to returning tomorrow.

Reflecting on 4-H Jr. Chef Day Camp

  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 2nd 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, and cell phone etiquette. They didn’t know exactly how to act or speak yet handled the experience quite well, probably better than some adults. It was priceless! Following our meal, Executive Chef Thierry Debailleul provided a tour of their expansive kitchen. He also shared the story of his culinary journey, hopefully, inspiring future chefs in the group.

Another favorite memory of the week included touring La Farm Bakery in Cary. Each young person baked his or her own loaf of French bread (baguette). What a tasty prize for each! Youth and adults alike were amazed at the huge European steam-injected oven at this bakery. Each drawer was lined with stone to hold heat like old-world ovens, producing a crispy crust. The youth also learned about making lattes, yeast as a leavening agent, and the three-day process they use to bake old-world style bread.

Another experience was working with the local foods and tourism agent to learn about local foods at the farmers market and new terms like “value-added products.” They had the opportunity to talk to farmers about produce and value-added products sold at the Robeson County Farmers Market. While on the field trip in Pinehurst, teams searched the local businesses for value-added products.

Foods they prepared from scratch included spinach and chicken quiche, crepes, French toast, chocolate mousse, blueberry jam, butter cake, and decorator icing. Many had their doubts about eating spinach, but there was very little quiche left on any plates. Their favorite foods seemed to be the crepes. They also learned how to decorate cakes and cookies.

As a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, I’m usually preaching to eat half your plate in fruits and veggies. In addition, this academy provided a wide range of culinary experiences and skills these youth can use for a lifetime at home and in a career. They learned measuring, math, food safety, nutrition, and much more.

Another grand opportunity for these youth was working with our Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) on reading nutrition labels, making healthy food choices, and learning about whole grains. As you can see, we had an activity-intense week.

One of the greatest compliments we receive from this camp is when a parent or grandparent comes in and identifies the skills their child learned from this camp as things they now do in everyday life. Then it seems like these youth are having more than just fun cooking up things. They are gaining skills that will last the rest of their lives.

For more information, please contact Janice Fields, Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Janice_Fields@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."

Following the Crumbs to Find Our Way Home

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 smiles it was time to load our stuff up and head home.  Big thank you to Christian and Jonathon, our L.I.T's for helping us load our luggage on the bus. Also a thank you to Libby Burney for spending the week with us at camp and being a big help to the horse girls.  Our bus ride home was quiet as our campers dozed on and off and we thought back on a great week.
  When we pulled into the parking lot we found lots of our family members that we left behind on Sunday.  As we got luggage off the bus, hugged our parents (and even some siblings), and collected t-shirts it was time for the final goodbyes.  Several campers asked if they could go back next year, and hugs were given as we said goodbye.  Thank you to our sponsors, Indian Education and Murphy Brown for making this trip possible for so many youth.  Especially thank you to the parents who entrusted their children to go to camp with us, and allowed us to share this incredible experience with them.

Can't Believe We're Coming to the End

  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.  The Trekkers were offsite at Pilot Mountain.  There they camped out, rock climbed, and even took a trip down the Dan River in the canoes.  Can't say they all returned dry, but can say the life lessons learned were tremendous.

  After a full day it was time to make sure our stomachs were full and the spaghetti dinner definitely did that for us.  After our last flag lowering it was time to head to the big dance.  Now if dancing wasn't your thing there were games, and face painting going on.  At some point or another everyone found themselves on the dance floor.  After the dance it was time for campfire.  Our last campfire was filled with laughter, fun, songs, and just a little sadness as we headed back to our cabins to shower and start packing before we lay our heads down and sleep.  Big trip home tomorrow.  Stay tuned there will be more to come.