Youth Development (Otero County)

Five 4-H members and a Club leader attending a Parliamentary Procedure meeting to learn skills on how to conduct a 4-H meeting with one of our project leaders. These 4-H members were newly elected to their offices and wanted to gain skills on organization, record keeping and public speaking to facilitate a 4-H meeting for their club. One 4-H member said, “Running a 4-H meeting is hard work but having these skills will help me keep the meeting in order and I will be able to use these the rest of my life!”

16 4-H members and parents attended a Community Kitchen in Alamogordo on February 24th, 2009 to serve supper to 100 homeless and hungry citizens of Otero County. These County 4-H Council Members served pancakes and sausages along with members of the St John’s Church. One 4-H member stated, “This experience really taught me to be thankful for what I have at home and to reach out to those in need.”

19 4-H members and their parents attended a Hoof Trimming Project Day at a project leader’s farm. The 4-H families learned skilled on keeping their steer and heifer projects progressing for the spring. These 4-H members acquired skills in bovine management, showmanship and cattle hoof care.

One of the 4-H Curriculum Projects introducing students to the world of Entomology and life sciences around them. The 4-H Agent for Otero County gave eight various presentations of special interest in the area of Entomology to 118 students in the grades Kindergarten to 5th grade through the after-school program of CAFÉ. CAFÉ stands for Community and Family Enrichment. There are four elementary schools which hold CAFÉ after school in Alamogordo. Through these presentations, youth received skills in understanding Life Science, Habitats, Insect and Spider Anatomy, Communication Skills of Insects, Experimenting, Researching, Classification and Observing. 95% of the CAFÉ Site Facilitators were exceptionally pleased with the quality of the presentation and amount of knowledge presented to the youth in a youth based manner. One Site Facilitator remarked, “This is the best outside source of knowledge and quality of presentation we have received at CAFÉ. This speaker spoke to the children in a way they could understand and learn from. We would love to have more 4-H based presentations.”

On January 16-19th, 2009 in Albuquerque, NM, five 4-H members and County Extension Personnel attending Senior Leadership Retreat. These five 4-H members received training in career and college preparation, their role as a 4-H Club Officer, techniques in communicating better, tips in being more organized and learning the importance of making good choices in their lives. Many of their life skills were advanced because of this weekend. These 4-H members also gained a valuable set of networking skills from meeting new peers, agents and New Mexico State faculty and ambassadors. 80% of the youth reported they received an increase in knowledge about career and college preparation as well as being a 4-H officer and leadership skills. 100% of the delegates reported this weekend as a positive impact on their life and experience in 4-H.