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'Explore 4-H' reaches out to daycares
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Kajen Medenwaldt and Lindsey Loeffelholz explain an activity to a class. (Photo supplied)
MONROE - The 4-H motto is "To Make the Best Better." It does so by helping youth develop leadership, citizenship and life skills through exploring projects in which they are interested. These projects range from photography to rocket models, computers to raising cattle, and many in between. Other ways youth develop these skills are through community service and holding officer positions. In Wisconsin, there are around 50,000 youth involved in 4-H.

Lindsey Loeffelholz, 2016 Green County University of Wisconsin-Extension intern, and Kajen Medenwaldt, Monroe High School student volunteer, taught six lessons to area daycare centers about the projects and life skills developed through 4-H. They did so through interactive activities related to the 4-H Cloverbud curriculum. The topics for the lessons included family, home, and health; mechanical science; art and communications; animal science; environment and natural sciences; and leadership.

The six activities included making a paper shield about the four H's; testing whether objects would sink or float; creating a color wheel with frosting; creating their own critter with craft supplies; learning about reducing, reusing and recycling; and a spider web leadership activity. After each activity, the youth would reflect on the activity and the life skills that were worked on that day.

Youth can join 4-H as a Cloverbud between kindergarten and second grade and as a regular member in third grade through one year beyond high school. For more information or if interested in joining a 4-H club, contact Green County's 4-H youth development educator Ellen Andrews at 608-328-9440.