Monroe County youth bid farewell to summer with the conclusion of the summer-long series, “Zooming Into Summer,” on August 22. With social distancing limiting typical 4-H summer activities, camps, and county and state fairs, the Monroe County 4-H team went virtual for summer programming. Throughout the summer break, Monroe County youth were able to stay active, engaged, and have fun at home through videos, challenges, community service assignments, and guided activities, which centered around five themed weeks: Horse Week, Creative Chefs Week, Animal Adventures Week, STEM-stravaganza Week, and Outstanding Outdoors Week.
The program was designed with flexibility in mind. Families were sent the challenges and activities via email, allowing for participants to complete the activities on their own time. Parent, Amy McCall mentioned that her family enjoyed the program, saying, “It allowed us to work at our own pace and discover together!” Participants were also invited to a Facebook group, with reminders for daily challenges.
Horse Week, which ran June 21-27, kicked off the series with a week of fun, horse themed activities. Youth from local 4-H Horse clubs also participated by creating and sharing fun videos and photos with information about horses. Creative Chefs Week, July 5-11, invited local youth to put on their chef hats and develop their own recipes through different healthy living challenges, culminating in a cookbook that was distributed to participants containing their recipes. Using the Flipgrid platform, youth were able to share their recipes with each other virtually through short video projects, and get feedback on their creations. After the series, about 60 percent of youth surveyed mentioned that they felt more confident sharing their experiences with others.
Animal Adventures Week’s Animal Costume Contest was a hit, with youth developing and creating matching costumes for themselves and their pets, or stuffed toy animal friends. Participants used objects found at home, from paper bags to fabric, to create their animal costumes. Participants were also encouraged to try their hand at making “Zoo Snacks” for Tasty Tuesday, and working on their math and measuring skills to create a tasty, animal-themed treat. “Olivia made the Zoo Snacks, she had good practice with her numbers using the microwave and measuring spoons,” shared one parent.
“Zooming Into Summer” also served to bring families closer together during otherwise challenging times. After the program, most youth who responded to a survey mentioned they felt a lot closer to their families after the experience. “This is a special thing to me, because me and my mom made it, and we made it together,” STEM-stravaganza Week participant Grace Potter shared, after showing her Mars Base, complete with a greenhouse and a solar panel powered car. The final week, “Outstanding Outdoors Week” encouraged youth to get outdoors with their families to explore the natural world. Participant, Olivia Streicher, took her baby brother on his first hike with her family, sharing, “I’m having fun – except I’m getting itchy!” Other youth took walks with their family around their neighborhoods, or in local parks.
Each week wrapped up with “Showcase Saturday,” a compilation of youth projects from the week shown live via Facebook Premiere, which families could view together to see other youth submissions. At the end of the program, youth received certificates and incentives for participation. “Thank you so much for all these activities, we had a great time doing them,” one parent shared at the conclusion of the program, while another shared, “We miss having some activities to do. Thank you for making our summer fun.”
Monroe County 4-H will continue to offer both virtual and in-person opportunities for youth and families this fall. Learn more at http://monroe.cce.cornell.edu/4-h-youth-development.
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