Interested in Taking Youth to Mars?

 

This years 4-H STEM Challenge is Mars Base Camp.  Dr. Misty Blue-Terry, 4-H STEM Specialist with North Carolina A&T State University has offered to host a training on this kit for North Carolina 4-H Volunteers on Saturday, September 19th from 10:00 am - 12 Noon via Zoom.  During the time together, we will be able to walk through two of the activities in the kit with the focus on getting familiar with the activity and discussing strategies for virtual implementation.

 

Having a kit is not mandatory, but would be helpful.  Kits can be purchased here: https://shop4-h.org/products/mars-base-camp-stem-challenge

 

If you are interested in this training opportunity, please fill out the Google form below no later than Friday, September 4th at 12 Noon.

 

https://forms.gle/oM9ZMgGSj9bB4D277

 

The Grow Box

 

Liz Driscoll, our resident 4-H Plant Geek at NCSU is sharing this really neat learning opportunity for your child.  This opportunity is the introduction of a new pilot project - the Grow Box. The Grow Box is a "subscription box" program that delivers garden fun for families right to their door. It is a partnership between North Carolina 4-H and the JC Raulston Arboretum and is funded through an Extension Innovation grant. It is intended to grow and nurture the agricultural curiosity of our current 4-H families and possibly lure new ones into the fold and connect kids to the wondrous plant world of the JCRA. 

Grow Box

A program of Garden Fun for your family delivered to your door from North Carolina 4-H and the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University.

Register through Eventbrite today

The Grow Box gives youth and their families the opportunity to explore their backyard or the natural spaces near them with guided activities designed to develop their science skills. You’ll grow plants together, search for seeds, observe pollinators, and get creative with the hands-on activities in each box. 

Every two months, The Grow Box will be delivered to your door packed with engaging, hands-on activities for your family. Inside you’ll find plants or seeds, tools for outdoor exploring, an activity book packed full of information including plant profiles from the JC Raulston Arboretum’s gardens and fun garden games, and a garden journal to document your garden adventures.

September's Grow Box program is fall vegetable gardening.
Estimated shipping date for September/October: September 16, 2020

• Enjoy planting vegetables and strawberries with your kids, discover how to save seeds, create fun plant labels, grow microgreens, and more!

Themes of the following months will change with the seasons:  

• November/December: changing leaves and propagation
• January/February: evergreens and cones  
• March/April: spring and pollinators

The Grow Box can be purchased individually – no need for a year-long subscription. Order one for the entire family or one for each child in your house. Just make sure to order by the required deadline to ensure that your family receives their box. Only 50 boxes will be produced each rotation, so make sure to sign up early! You’ll be notified by email when the box ships so you know to watch the mailbox for its arrival.

We hope that during this time of a pandemic, this will bring North Carolina 4-H and the JC Raulston Arboretum to your doorstep.

Nature Adventure-Virtual Learning for Educators and Families

 

Calling all teachers, homeschool families and educators who want to spice up your fall education plan! Announcing Nature Adventures, a virtual learning program aligned with NC state teaching standards on NC ecology and the natural sciences.

Nature Adventures is a 7-part series of 45-minute educational sessions for the fall semester developed and taught by professional Environmental Educators from North Carolina's premier 4-H Camps. This program is provided for FREE for teachers and families. Check out the session schedule below. All programs are aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and are presented live over Zoom. Can't make the live event? Register for the recording and go at your own pace!

LEARN MORE at our website, grab material lists, and review standards alignment

This program is free, but requires registration                            REGISTER HERE

PROGRAM SCHEDULE Coastal Ecology Sept. 18, 9 am Students will explore the vibrant ecology of the Albemarle Sound, learning about the plants and animals that call this unique ecosystem home. Presented by The Eastern 4-H Center Beaver Pond Explorations Oct. 1, 9 am Students explore a decades old beaver pond habitat, learn how to identify evidence of beaver activity, and discover why beavers are important to many other plants and animals. Presented by Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center Pine Forest Ecology Oct. 14, 9 am Explore the unique Longleaf Pine ecosystem of the North Carolina Sandhills with a wildlife expert, featuring one of the most beautifully restored Longleaf Pine stands in the south eastern US. Presented by Millstone 4-H Camp. Stories in the Stars Astronomy Oct. 27, 1 pm Students investigate the myths behind constellations, learn about current astronomical events, and explore what they can find in the night sky right now. Nature Crafts Nov. 9, 1 pm Students will build simple nature crafts like toad homes and bird feeders, then use their crafts to collect data, make observations and develop inferences about the natural world and the species they find there. Outdoor Survival Skills Nov. 20, 9 am Students will learn survival skills including the Rule of 3, the Ten Essentials, how not to get lost, and how to survive in the wilderness. Then students will apply what they've just learned with a mock survival scenario where they have to make decisions about how to survive. Sharks Teeth & Fossils Dec. 8, 9 am Students learn where and how to find & identify fossils. Students will explore different types of fossils and dive deep on shark teeth. The session instructor will share his personal fossil collection to show and tell what he's found over the last ten years.

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Making Lemons into Lemonade

This article was written for the Robesonian and Robeson Journal by Wendy Maynor, 4-H Program Associate.  It can also be located on the NC Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center website.

I know you have heard the old saying “making lemonade out of lemons.” That is exactly what the Robeson County 4-H Program is doing. Like many programs, due to the pandemic we are not able to meet face to face. So, we are learning to be more creative and think outside the box through virtual programming. In other words, our members are still learning, and having fun along the way.

Summer camp, virtually? For the last few months 4-H has offered the following camps, most of them free of charge, to all 4-H members:  Jr Chef; Arts & Crafts; Biotech; Cloverbud; Overnight Camp; Congress; Citizenship; and Junior County Retreat. Multiple parents stated their children really enjoyed and appreciated the camps, and they are on board with future 4-H virtual programming. The campers said they learned new things, and “every single day” they had fun. Also, our 4-H teens were given the opportunity to teach workshops to our younger youth. It gave the teens a sense of responsibility and accomplishment; it allowed the younger 4-H members to have someone to look up to, as well as dream about the fact they could be one day leading a group. For the Robeson County 4-H program, those are the same successes as normal, just delivered differently.

School is now back in session. If you are looking to supplement what your child is learning in school with some fun, hands-on activities download the 4-H app. Just go to your app store and download “4-H Now!”. This is a free download. When you open the app, search for Robeson County 4-H. From there you can join 4-H, sign up for programs and contests, and see what our amazing youth are doing. Just about everything we are offering is free for our youth.

I know change is hard for a lot of people, probably most of us. We are so accustomed to face-to-face interaction in almost every aspect of our lives, and now we are mostly communicating by technology of some sort. It’s not just education online, but a lot of adults are working remotely and depending on virtual meetings, conferences, and learning online too. Not only does 4-H offer virtual programming to youth, but we also have virtual volunteer trainings, workshops, and conferences that are provided for all volunteers.

Learning new ways of doing familiar things can be stressful. It’s important to keep youth engaged, offer hands-on activities, open discussions, and interactive components to keep them focused. Our goal is to successfully work together by building partnerships, working with youth, parents, families, and the community during this pandemic to ensure the youth of Robeson County can be the best they can be.

Keep your children and yourself engaged with the Robeson County 4-H program. The program has a perfect mix of virtual activities for both youth and their families. Until we can meet again face to face, we have navigated new ways of engaging and learning while having fun virtually. Stay connected with 4-H by downloading the 4-H app, through the  4-H blog, or our website. You can also find us on Facebook at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center. We would love to have you help us keep this 4-H lemonade sweet by joining the program.

What To Expect Going Back To School

 

4-H Top 4

 Good morning everyone.  Hope the first day back to school has gone well for everyone.  We are thrilled for everyone to be starting a new school year.  We are working toward exciting things in 4-H as we look toward wrapping up the end of our year.

-By now you have probably heard that the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair has been cancelled due to Covid-19.  However I am pleased to announce that the fair is still sponsoring our 4-H Animal Shows.  Those shows will be virtual.  Even though we have been down this road before this time will be a little different.  Last time we could not have poultry in the building but our youth could be there.  This time we could probably have the animals but not the youth.  So we are looking at a new format that will allow youth to show us their animals while also talking to the judge.  We will get information to our participants as soon as we work out the logistics which includes folks with connectivity issues.

-4-H Artastic is still going to happen.  This year we won't take items to the fair, since it will not open but we will still judge items and give awards and ribbons as part of our 4-H Contest.  You can register your items online by clicking this link https://forms.gle/WayLxj4XNWKTtJecA or you can register from the app (look under programs and you will see the link).  To learn more about the contest check out this flyer.  For questions please contact Wendy or Shea Ann at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu or Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.  When you drop off your items at our office you can let Kareis Britt or Christy Prevatte know they are for 4-H Artastic and they will be able to take care of it for you.

-We are also pleased to announce that The Great Sunflower Contest is also continuing for those who registered and received seeds.  Thanks to the support of the Robeson County Extension Master Gardeners who are offering the premium money for this contest.  To make this easier on our folks who are taking part all you have to do is register your Sunflower on the artastic link (Choose the sunflower option from the drop down menu) and you can drop it off at our office at the same time you drop off your artastic entries by September 14th.  For more questions about this program please contact Mack Johnson, Horticulture Extension Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Mack_Johnson@ncsu.edu.

-Last but certainly not least we are excited that our 4-H Four County Master Volunteer Training, series is back.  Volunteers we will be meeting over zoom at starting at 6:30 pm on Monday, September 14th.  We will be exploring what working with youth will look like in phase three and beyond.  For those volunteers who still need training hours for the year please think about taking part.  We will do our best to make it fun and interactive as possible.  This is the link for registration https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4-h-four-county-master-volunteer-training-tickets-117442835683, and it can also be found under programs on our app.  For more information about this program or if you need help registering please contact Wendy or Shea Ann.

That is all for this week.  If you have not downloaded our 4-H App please consider doing so, it is a free download and the easiest way to keep up with programs, deadlines, and signing up.  Just go to your App store and download 4-H Now!  when you open it search for Robeson County 4-H.  Click on that and you will be ready to go.  

Hope you have a great week.  Thank you for being a blessing to our 4-H program.

Wendy, Christy, and Shea Ann 

Playing in Dirt and Getting Paid for It?

 Hey folks, below is a note from Liz Driscoll the 4-H Youth Specialist who leads some seriously awesome programs.  Please check out the link for great information.

Hello friends, 

You all know that I think soil rocks and I hope your youth dig it as well! Did you know that there is an abundance of opportunity to study soils at NC State and go on to a rewarding career in soil?

The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences has put a spotlight on soil! Please share this story with all the youth in your world as well as partnering teachers and educators that would be interested in sharing soil careers with their high school students.

Thanks!

Liz

Individual & Community Preparedness Newletter

 

Financial Preparedness

Financial Resilience - Tools for Your Community FEMA works with partners to promote individual and community resilience. This September, FEMA will highlight financial readiness during National Preparedness Month. In collaboration with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), FEMA will host a National Preparedness Month webinar on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET. You will hear experts from the FDIC and CFPB give real-world examples of how to be more financially prepared for emergencies or disasters and share tools that can help individuals and communities increase economic resilience. FDIC will focus on the financial preparation and disaster recovery information in their Money Smart for Adults curriculum, where you can find practical knowledge, skills-building opportunities, and resources. CFPB will feature its Start Small, Save Up initiative, which offers tips on building savings, including guides on starting an emergency savings account, saving at tax time, and opening a bank account. A booklet that users can fill out to plan their savings goals is also available. In addition, check out these free resources that can help you financially prepare for the future: Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) Financial Emergency Fact Sheet Your Disaster Checklist You can register here to participate in this webinar. Throughout National Preparedness Month, use the hashtag #BeReady to join discussions around financial resilience. To learn more about financial preparedness, please visit www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness.

Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events, entities, organizations, services, or products. Please let us know about other events and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included in future newsletters by contacting  FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov.

Missing the Fair

This article was written by Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Extension Agent, for the Robesonian and Robeson Journal and can be found on the NC Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center website. 

I am writing this with an abundance of mixed feelings. On Tuesday, August 11, 2020,  the fair board called a special meeting to decide if there would be a Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair this year. After going back and forth for months (and I do mean months) the board decided it would be best not to open the fair this year.

On one hand, I praise the board members for thinking about the health and well-being of the more than 70,000 people that attend our 9-day fair. Not to mention the health and well-being of the hundreds of folks who work with the carnival and volunteer with the fair board. That was a hard and brave decision to make for our community.

On the other hand, I am sad. Sad we will not have an event that in recent years has helped bring our community together after hurricanes. Sad for our vendors, entertainment, and carnival operators who are desperately in need of the business. Sad for our crafters, bakers, and antique collectors who work all year to make things that deserve to be judged for a blue ribbon. Most of all, I am sad for our farmers and our children. The fair celebrates what makes Robeson County great, the economic backbone of the community, and that is agriculture. It gives us a chance to educate youth on raising animals, baking, and crafting, where agriculture is the common thread. I am sad because we will all miss the laughter, the lights, the food, and the family fun.

Did you know that agricultural fairs conservatively generate almost 24 million dollars a year in North Carolina? That’s according to Kevin Hardison with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who is tasked with estimating those numbers. So what? How does that affect you? Well, think about the Robeson County Fair. Maybe your favorite thing to do is get a collard sandwich or ribs from one of the churches that are fundraising by selling food at the fair. Think about nonprofits like the Robeson County Domestic Violence Center and United Way that have fundraising events at the fair. Think about these organizations that raise money at the fair to take care of our community members. Would you willingly take the money you spend at the fair ($8 admission + $25 ride band + $20 to eat = $53 roughly, per person) and donate it to one of these groups in hopes they can continue to help the community?

Not having a fair is devastating in many ways to our community. However, having a fair and creating an event where people might get sick, spread the virus elsewhere, and lose their lives…folks, that’s a no brainer. We want you alive to come back and be part of the fair in 2021. We want you to be healthy, and this year that means no fair. Hold on tight though,  because I have a feeling the fair in 2021 is going to be bigger, brighter, better, and safer than ever before…after all, we have a little more time to make that happen, and do it right. We will miss you at the fair this year, but we can’t wait to see you back in 2021.

From the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair

Please see the message below from the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair 

"With great sadness, we are forced to announce that the Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair Board members voted tonight to cancel the 2020 fair. At the heart of this decision was the health and well-being of you, our patrons, vendors, entertainers, carnival workers, and yes, our board members.

Please know we have explored options from opening with a huge variety of safety measures in place, to just opening portions of our fair such as the carnival and food vendors, to virtual shows and exhibits, and even creating a whole new online experience for you. However, in our hearts we knew that it would not be the same quality experience that you deserve and we refuse to sell you short.

As previous years have shown us with the challenges of hurricanes, the fair has been a healing event for the community, and the economy. As much as we all hoped that would be the case this year COVID is reminding us that your life is more important. So, we will wait until 2021 and take the time to look at some new ideas, plan for bigger and better, and continue to pray for you, our community, and our partners in this fair, that you remain safe, healthy, and strong to join us in the future.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Robeson Regional Agricultural Fair."

4-H Horse Curriculum Insight Needed

 

2020 NC State 4-H Horse Program Cloverbud Curriculum Survey

Hello Everyone! During this time devoid of live programs and events, the NC 4-H Horse Program Staff are focusing efforts on curriculum development. The first project that is being tackled is a new, state-wide curriculum for our 4-H Horse Program Cloverbud members (ages 5-7). To begin this process, it would be extremely helpful if industry supporters, and agents, parents, and club leaders that work with youth in this category would take a quick moment to fill out a short survey about areas in which this curriculum should focus (link below). NC 4-H Horse Cloverbud Curriculum Survey Thank you so much for your participation!

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension. Extension's 4-H program is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina. We help over 247,000 young people grow into active, contributing citizens each year.