Register for 4-H Summer Fun classes today
Published 12:00 am Friday, May 24, 2019
Submitted photo Last year, youth toured the tomato packing house at Wetmore Farm in Woodleaf. Farm visits will be incorporated into this year’s Farm to Fork class.
Submitted photoA 4-H Summer Fun participant cuts tomatoes during last year’s 4-H Summer Fun program. The 4-H Farm to Fork class will provide the same opportunity this year.
Submitted photo Arts and crafts are always a 4-H Summer Fun favorite. Come to this year’s Holidays in June class for arts, crafts and more.
By Laura Allen
Rowan 4-H Agent
Even though school will soon be out for the summer, it’s important that children continue to learn and grow during their time away from school.
This summer, Rowan County 4-H is offering 14 classes for our Summer Fun youth program. Any youth ages 5-18 (must have completed kindergarten) are invited to participate. Many of these hands-on learning opportunities for youth focus on agriculture, natural resources and food, while others focus on robotics, art, science and service.
Three classes have been filled and several more only have a few openings left. One workshop is newly added due to an influx of interest. Here is a snapshot of available workshops that involve agriculture, natural resources and/or food:
- Holidays in June: June 20, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., ages 9-13, cost $10: Youth will spend this holiday-filled day baking and decorating Christmas cookies, preparing delicious holiday treats and creating holiday crafts.
- Scientist for a Day: June 24, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., ages 9-18, cost $10: Meet at the Extension office and travel to the NC Research Campus. Youth will learn pipetting and other lab techniques and be involved in a DNA extraction.
- Farm to Fork: July 8-10, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., cost $15: Youth will spend three days learning about vegetable production. Youth will work in the garden at the Extension office and will also visit two local farms. Youth will use locally grown products to create their own snacks and lunches.
- Backyard Naturalist (ages 9-18): July 24, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., ages 9-18, cost $5: All participants will meet at the South Rowan Regional Library for this class. Youth will explore trails and creeks, learn to identify common native trees, look for wildlife and more. Come play and learn outside.
- Backyard Naturalist (ages 5-8/K-2nd grade): July 25, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., cost $5: All participants will meet at the South Rowan Regional Library for this class. Youth will explore trails and creeks, learn to identify common native trees, look for wildlife and more.
There will be other classes available that will focus on life skills and non-agricultural, non-food topics. These include:
- 4-H Helping Hands: June 25, 9 a.m.-2:15 p.m., ages 9-18, cost $5: Meet at the Extension office and travel to Main Street Marketplace to volunteer.
- Adulting 101: June 26-27, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., ages 12-18, cost $15: Everybody is talking about how youth need to learn life skills, so let’s put that talk to action during this class. Youth will learn to sort and wash laundry, do meal/grocery planning, sew a button, tie a necktie, learn basic vehicle maintenance and financial literacy basics and more. We will visit local businesses to help us with our hands-on activities.
- 3-2-1- Blast Off: July 18, 9 a.m.-noon, ages 9-13, cost $5: Come discover the world of rockets and rocket science. We will build our own rockets and launch them.
- New, additional date: Dash & Dot Robotics: July 29, 1-4 p.m., grades K-3, cost, $10: Because we filled up our initial workshop, we created this one. Youth will learn to program Dash & Dot robots and learn problem solving while building their imagination.
- Robotics: Aug. 1, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., grade four through seven, cost $15: Youth will build and learn basic concepts of programming EV-3 robots.
- Advanced Robotics: August 2, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., grade four through seven, cost, $15. Youth who have attended a basic robotics class can attend this class to program EV-3 robots for more advanced courses.
To register for these activities, you must turn in a completed enrollment form and payment (cash or check) at the Rowan County Cooperative Extension Office by May 31. You must also enroll the child in 4HOnline by May 31 at nc.4honline.com. Enrollment forms and a complete list of 4-H Summer Fun activities and descriptions can be found here: https://rowan.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/04/2019-4-h-summer-fun-offered-by-rowan-county-4-h/.
We are excited about the opportunity to educate youth this summer For more information on all available Summer Fun activities, please call 704-216-8970 or come by the Rowan County Cooperative Extension Office at 2727-A Old Concord Road Salisbury, NC 28146.
