4-H Members Showcase Knowledge and Skills at Fairs

By: Nora Rhoades, Family and Youth Development Agent

Raising great kids is a challenging task, but it’s easier when you have a team of people behind you. The Post Rock District’s 4-H Youth Development Program does just that. Throughout the Post Rock District there are 18 4-H clubs representing different local communities in Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne and Smith Counties. The clubs consist of groups of families that work together to share knowledge and interests to help kids learn practical skills and important values.

Every summer, each county has a fair that provides an opportunity for 4-H members, families, and clubs to test knowledge, showcase skills, give back to the community, and celebrate a year of memories. During the July and August fairs throughout the Post Rock District, 4-H members participated in a wide variety of activities that ranged from modeling clothing purchased on a budget to fitting a steer for the show ring and from testing a self-constructed robot to enhancing one’s photography skill set.

Kansas 4-H offers over 30 projects for kids to engage in based on personal interests. Project engagement is a year-long adventure that involves learning with one’s 4-H club, in school, at community events, and at home with family. The fair is an opportunity to highlight skills mastered during the year and to gain feedback from judges that can enhance future learning.

At many county fairs, 4-H members participate in consultation judging. This means each member exhibits their project to a judge during a face-to-face conversation. Throughout the conversation, the judge examines the project work while the member shares his or her goals, lessons learned, and new skills practiced. Members also articulate how the project aligns with their budget, career plans, and personal interests. The ribbons awarded after judging represent how a member’s exhibit compares to specific standards and expectations of the project.

4-H is focused on helping youth learn by doing and lead by example. The fair is an action-packed event where the public actively sees these positive traits on display. Congratulations to all 4-H members for an outstanding year of learning and community involvement, and thank you to all of the volunteers that helped make the Post Rock District’s county fairs a wonderful learning experience for our youth.

To learn more about 4-H in the Post Rock District visit http://www.postrock.k-state.edu.