NC 4-H Offering New Volunteer Trainings

 NC 4-H state office is offering the following opportunities for our adult 4-H volunteers.  All the trainings are free.  Please register if you are interested.

4-H Top 4 for the week of September 7, 2020

 Happy September everyone!  Hope you are enjoying a long weekend over this Labor Day.  It is Fall and we have several things going on so let's have at it.

-The deadline to register and drop items off for 4-H Artastic is Monday, September 14th at 5 pm.  registration can be found on our app under programs or you can click here to register.  This year we are excited to let you know that this year those who enter the county 4-H Artastic Competition will also get to enter the State 4-H Arts and Crafts competition.  This competition will involve us taking photos of your entry to send to state.  We are excited that the state 4-H office is offering this opportunity and look forward to having several items represented at the state level.  There is no cost to either competition.  If you have questions about this program please contact Wendy Maynor or Shea Ann DeJarnette at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu or Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.  When you drop off your items Kareis Britt and Christy Prevatte will be able to assist you.

-The deadline for adult 4-H Volunteers to register for training is September 13, 2020.  The multi County training will take place September 14 at 6:30 pm over Zoom.  This is an important training and can serve as your two hour training requirement per year.  Please register on our App under programs or click this link to the online registration.  If you have problems with the registration please contact Wendy Maynor at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu or Christy Prevatte at Christy_Prevatte@ncsu.edu or by calling (910) 671-3276.  

-We are excited to be offering two virtual environmental education training and curriculum for K-8 teachers.  Our local one is called STREAMING with 4-H.  this will be based on Project Learning Tree and will include a live virtual field trip, three videos done in connection with Forestry officials, and a natural arts and crafts contest.  If you would like to share with your child's teacher or take part in this free training you can register for the training on our app under programs or by clicking on this link.  This is a free program being done in connection with New Hanover, and Hoke Counties.  For more information please contact Wendy Maynor or Shea Ann DeJarnette at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu or Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.

The other virtual learning opportunity being offered to teachers and parents is Nature Adventures.  This is a seven part series of 45 minute educational sessions for the fall semester taught by our 4-H camping professionals.  This is a free program.  The deadline to register is September 18.  You can register by clicking this link.

We are eggcited to offer a new opportunity for our Robeson County 4-H youth who raise laying hens.  The 4-H Egg-Cellent Egg Contest registration is open to all active 4-H members ages 5-18.  This contest will be to collect a dozen brown and or colored eggs by the deadline.  The eggs will be turned in and judged for quality interior and exterior and winners in the 8-10, 11-13, and 14-18 age divisions will receive prizes.  There will be mandatory virtual training prior to the competition.  Youth will also have to complete supplemental components before the November 9 deadline.  For more information and to register you can go to the 4-H App under programs.  You may also click on this link for more information and register your child by  clicking on this link.  Please note Robeson County Youth do not need to pay the registration fee.  When registering please click on the check or county scholarship option for payment.  When registration closes our program will pay the fee.

That is all for this week.  Please check our 4-H Calendar which you can locate on our blog as well as on our app for upcoming programs.  Also please download the 4-H app on your phone.  It is a free download.  Just search for "4-H Now!" and when it is download look for Robeson County 4-H.

Hope you have a great week and we are looking forward to seeing all of you soon,

Wendy, Christy, and Shea Ann

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Insta-opportunity for Adult Volunteers and Parents

 

ROBESON COUNTY CENTER Instant Pot for Beginners Tuesday, September 29 or Thursday, October 1, 2020 6 - 8 p.m. O. P. Owens Agriculture Center 455 Caton Road, Lumberton Explore the exciting world of Instant Pot cookery. Learn everything from the history of multi-cookers and tips for storing and cleaning, to different accessories that allow you to utilize all the functions and cook a variety of dishes. Healthy food preparation techniques and recipes will also be highlighted. There is a $15 registration fee due by September 24. Registration fee includes a cookbook and handouts. There will also be taste-testing. The workshop is limited to 5students per class, due to COVID-19 restrictions and maintaining social distancing guidelines. Due to limited class space, we will NOT be able to reserve a space until payment is received.Registration is performed on a first come, first served basis. To register and pay via credit card online please click here. Payment can also be made by check or money order only (NO CASH) made payable to Robeson County Cooperative Extension and brought in person to the Extension Center.  For more information contact Jessie Jones, Extension Food and Consumer Sciences Agent, at 910-671-3276 or jessie_jones@ncsu.edu. Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made at least five business days before the date of the event to Jessie Jones.  ‌ 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.

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.