2020 Gives Us A Different Perspective

     This article was written for the Robesonian by our own Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent.

     Welcome to 2022. What’s great about a new year are the possibilities and hope for a positive future. We have lots of things we are looking forward to in our lives, communities, and world this year. That being said, we have a lot of things to look forward to in 4-H. We started back, masked, face to face last year and even had overnight camp. So imagine how much more we might be doing this year. 

     I am going to qualify all of this by saying we will make sure everything we do involves a safe environment for all our youth and volunteers. Right now, what that means is smaller numbers and everyone wearing a mask when we aren’t outside, socially distanced. We have found our youth really have no issue wearing masks or following the guidelines. Most of the time they tell us they are so excited to be in a different environment they will do whatever they need to safely enjoy the experience. We appreciate their need and want to be together and enjoy hands-on learning opportunities. We are going to do our best to make the world a little more normal for them in 2022. 

     What is planned for this year? The easiest way to find out is to download our free Robeson County 4-H App (4-H Now!) from your app store. We are including a QR link for the app if you would like to download it. On the app is a calendar button which shows our programs month by month. You can even add the programs and deadlines to your own calendar or share them with friends and on social media if you would like. 

     We have several new SPIN clubs starting. The clubs meet for at least 6 hours (or more if they decide to) and work on specific projects. Our Teen 4-H club will start meeting in February, and we are excited about these new opportunities. These youth will be making a difference and we can’t wait. Also expect to see more information from our Art Hub 4-H Club, Hooks & Needles, a Video Gaming Club, as well as a host of other opportunities. 

     Besides clubs we have county programs; these include our public speaking competition, animal science program, and our summer day camps and week-long overnight camp. We will have leadership opportunities and community service opportunities for our youth. For adults we have training and some social outlets for our volunteers who love networking. Again, this is listed in our calendar, which can be found on our app and on our 4-H blog, https://robeson4-h.blogspot.com/.

     So, join us in 2022 for some 4-H fun. We are always full of possibilities and hope for our future working with youth. Wouldn’t you like to be part of it too? Looking forward to seeing you this year.

     For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development 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/