More than 6 million young people across the country will celebrate National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October. During this week, Archuleta County 4-H will showcase the great things that 4-H offers young people and highlight the incredible 4-H youth in the community who work each day to make a positive impact on the community.
We hosted an open house on Oct. 8 to give families a complete understanding of clubs and projects and to help with enrollment. However, it is not too late to enroll. We will be hosting another information day at the local Tractor Supply store on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Or you can stop by the CSU Extension office to find out more.
“Of all the experiences that have impacted my life, the one decision that has, and continues to influence my life, was joining 4-H. When my mother signed me up for Cloverbuds at the young age of five, I never expected to be transformed from the shy, quiet girl who hid behind her father’s legs to the outgoing leader that I am today. Without 4-H, I would not be able to get up in front of a hundred, fifty, or even five people and talk without being afraid or even nervous.” This is a quote from Jennifer Smith, 2013/14 Archuleta County 4-H council president.
Research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. Recent findings from the Tufts University 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are:
• Nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities.
• Two times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors.
• Two times more likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.
In Archuleta County, more than 140 4-H youth and 30 adult volunteers from the community are involved.
Also during National 4-H Week, hundreds of thousands of youth from all around the nation will complete a single, innovative experiment on 4-H National Youth Science Day, which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The 2014 National Science Experiment, Rockets to the Rescue, will task youth to design and build an aerodynamic food transportation device that can deliver a payload of nutritious food to fictitious disaster victims. Youth will learn engineering concepts, develop math skills, learn about nutrition and help solve a relevant, global issue. To learn more about National Youth Science Day, please visit http://www.4-h.org/nysd/.
Food preservation class
A perfectly preserved food preservation class will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Learn up-to-date information on how to preserve food safely at home, including drying, freezing, pickling, jam/jellies and pie filling.
Apples will be the main topic, but all the practices you learn can be used for other foods.
This class is for beginners and advanced preservers. Cost is $20 per person and preregistration is required by calling the CSU Extension office at 264-5931.
Free wood chips
We are cleaning up the fairgrounds and all of the wood chips that helped keep things dry during the fair are available to anyone for pick-up. If you are interested, just bring your pickup and haul it away. No need to call the Extension office for permission.
CPR and first aid
CPR and first aid certification classes are offered monthly by the CSU Extension office on the second Monday and Wednesday of each month from 6-10 p.m. Anyone needing to receive or renew certification can register by calling the Extension office at 264-5931.
We will also schedule classes on additional dates with five or more registrations. Cost for the classes is $80 for combined CPR/first aid and $55 for individual CPR or first aid. Group rates are available.
The type of first aid information provided will vary by the needs of the audience. Call the Extension office at 264-5931 for information.
