News
ENLARGE
What a difference a year makes.
This time last year Douglas County was just getting started with the 4-H Cloverbud Program for children in kindergarten to third grade and our in-school and after-school programs. We are also forming community partnerships with other agencies in the county to help serve the public. The growth in these areas has been astounding.
Douglas County is the most recent county to begin the Cloverbud Program and yet we are now the leading county in Cloverbud enrollment. Not only do we have quite a number of children in the program but we are one of the few counties that require leaders to attend a special training to learn about the unique qualities of the Cloverbud participants.
In one short year we have trained 26 4-H leaders in the program. Some of these leaders have started their own Cloverbud clubs while others have incorporated Cloverbuds into an already existing club. Because of our county's success at promoting, training, enrolling and truly caring about the Cloverbud Program, we have been asked by the state 4-H program director to be the main 4-H Cloverbud resource for the entire state of Oregon. That says a lot about our county and its commitment to children of all ages being involved in the 4-H program.
Another area of extreme growth has been in our education enrichment programs through schools, either during school hours or in after-school programs. We are taking hands-on learning to students of all ages. In just the first three weeks of this month I've been to two different kindergarten classrooms to do some hands-on learning involving insects and seeds. You can't beat the enthusiasm of a kindergartner even if it's just dissecting a lima bean.
Three after-school programs are being conducted at local schools involving insects and science experiments. Did you know you can dissect a clean, disposable diaper and learn about water retention in soils, polymers and hazardous waste spills (no pun intended)?
We have loaned out our “Borrow Boxes” to teachers throughout the county. From kindergartners learning about germs using our glo-germ borrow box to numerous classes incubating chicken eggs, we have reached hundreds of students.
I also participated in Glide Elementary School's Celebration of Literacy Dr. Seuss week by helping students, and some parents, enjoy the amazing properties of Oobleck as in Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Great fun, messy but fun.
Just in case the janitor from Glide is reading this, I really did try to clean up the mess as best as possible but the students informed me that you are really nice and wouldn't be mad.
4-H is also in our second year of partnering with Celebration of Literacy for the Battle of Books event that was held Saturday at Roseburg High School. It is wonderful to see all the dedicated students, staff and volunteers that make it happen.
It is truly amazing to see how much we have accomplished with our new programs in just one year. I can't wait to see what this next year brings.
Teresa Middleton is the 4-H Education Program Assistant at OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at teresa.middleton@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 541-672-4461.
This time last year Douglas County was just getting started with the 4-H Cloverbud Program for children in kindergarten to third grade and our in-school and after-school programs. We are also forming community partnerships with other agencies in the county to help serve the public. The growth in these areas has been astounding.
Douglas County is the most recent county to begin the Cloverbud Program and yet we are now the leading county in Cloverbud enrollment. Not only do we have quite a number of children in the program but we are one of the few counties that require leaders to attend a special training to learn about the unique qualities of the Cloverbud participants.
In one short year we have trained 26 4-H leaders in the program. Some of these leaders have started their own Cloverbud clubs while others have incorporated Cloverbuds into an already existing club. Because of our county's success at promoting, training, enrolling and truly caring about the Cloverbud Program, we have been asked by the state 4-H program director to be the main 4-H Cloverbud resource for the entire state of Oregon. That says a lot about our county and its commitment to children of all ages being involved in the 4-H program.
Another area of extreme growth has been in our education enrichment programs through schools, either during school hours or in after-school programs. We are taking hands-on learning to students of all ages. In just the first three weeks of this month I've been to two different kindergarten classrooms to do some hands-on learning involving insects and seeds. You can't beat the enthusiasm of a kindergartner even if it's just dissecting a lima bean.
Three after-school programs are being conducted at local schools involving insects and science experiments. Did you know you can dissect a clean, disposable diaper and learn about water retention in soils, polymers and hazardous waste spills (no pun intended)?
We have loaned out our “Borrow Boxes” to teachers throughout the county. From kindergartners learning about germs using our glo-germ borrow box to numerous classes incubating chicken eggs, we have reached hundreds of students.
I also participated in Glide Elementary School's Celebration of Literacy Dr. Seuss week by helping students, and some parents, enjoy the amazing properties of Oobleck as in Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Great fun, messy but fun.
Just in case the janitor from Glide is reading this, I really did try to clean up the mess as best as possible but the students informed me that you are really nice and wouldn't be mad.
4-H is also in our second year of partnering with Celebration of Literacy for the Battle of Books event that was held Saturday at Roseburg High School. It is wonderful to see all the dedicated students, staff and volunteers that make it happen.
It is truly amazing to see how much we have accomplished with our new programs in just one year. I can't wait to see what this next year brings.
Teresa Middleton is the 4-H Education Program Assistant at OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at teresa.middleton@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 541-672-4461.
