Youth Development

4-H members assume responsibilities within their clubs, county council, and state leadership teams, providing them with opportunities to develop skills in communication, team work, and decision making. Youth leave these leadership positions with a stronger sense and understanding of responsibility, self-confidence, and self-esteem.

Santa Fe County plays an active role in many state leadership activities. In 2011, eight novice and junior members attended Youth-Get-Away, eleven senior members attended Senior Leadership Retreat, ten youth attended Home Ec School and ten senior members attended State Conference. The 4-H Home Economist has met the goal as stated above. The total number of youth participating in these events is 39, an increase of eight youth compared to the 31 that participated in these same events in 2010.

2011 Union County Progressive Agriculture Safety Day

Agent presented on grain storage and grain entrapments to 115 kids at the 2011 Union County Progressive Agriculture Safety Day. Agent explained the importance of grains to peoples existance, and why it is necessary to have grains. Then we discussed how to be safe around grain storage containers and trucks etc. We talked about the best thing to do if the kids witnessed someone trapped in grain and how to safely help them. Finally, agent had a demonstration trailer that they could witness how fast something can be submersed in flowing grain. It was a very powerful, and really caught the attention of the youth. Several kids said that they live around grain storage facilities and used to play in them but will not anymore after seeing what can happen.

2011 Springer Science Fair Judging

Agent was asked by the school administration to judge the elementary school’s science fair. Agent judged with a couple of other professionals. Agent ended up judging the 5th grade projects. There were 18 individuals and each had prepared a science project and then had to present it to the agent. It was a lot of fun. It is always interesting to see what kids are interested in. One kid did a project on energy drinks and their effect on video game performance. Youth gained knowledge through preparing and presenting their science fair projects. Youth learned life skills related to independence and critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, goal setting, and planning and organization.

2011 Egg to Chick

Agent conducted the egg-to-chick school enrichment programming in four school room classes this month. Agent directly reached approximately 67 youth, and indirectly reached many others. The five classrooms were in four different schools throughout the county. In the five classrooms the classes that were doing the egg-to-chick program hosted most of the other classes in the school to talk to them about the project. One class even broke into pairs and presented power-point presentations to the other classes in the school, so many more youth were reached indirectly. Agent spent approximately two hours with the each class on the first visit, where he presented the material. Then on the 10th day agent spent one hour with each class candling the eggs to determine if they were developing. Besides the occasional visits to check or help adjust the incubators, agent did not go back until the chicks started hatching. Agent would check on the hatching chicks and was also there for most of the classes presentations to other classes. The youth gained knowledge related to embryology, incubation, and care of an animal. Youth learned life skills related to record keeping, responsibility, disease prevention, and critical thinking. On the evaluation the question was asked “what did you learn from this program?”, each youth listed at least one thing.

2010 Kids, Kows, & More

Agent sent out invitations to the schools and made a personal call to all of the attending schools. Agent arranged to get supplies from many of the sponsors from throughout the state. Agent arranged the facilities to hold the events at and made maps of each to hand to the teachers at the event. Agent organized 10 volunteers and 4 sponsors on the 18th to come and stuff goody bags for all of the youth that would be attending the program. The next day we had our program in Raton, New Mexico. There were approximately 377 youth and 35 adults at this program. We had presenters from The Southwest Dairy Farmers, New Mexico Cattle Growers, New Mexico State Game & Fish Department, New Mexico State Forestry, and Colfax County Soil and Water Conservancy. The youth were informed of the benefits that each agricultural related field has in everyday life and some of the difficulties that each faces. Student and teacher evaluations indicated that 85% of those in attendance gained increased knowledge of Agriculture.