S
chool Enrichment has been a big part of my April. This year I applied for a teaching kit from the Kansas Corn Association; I received a kit able to accommodate 40 kids. A kindergarten teacher and a sixth grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Cherryvale allowed us to come into their classrooms for a three-series lesson on corn. During the first session we identified types of corn seed and planted our corn. During the second session we germinated seeds in clear plastic bags, covered the types and importance of roots, and degree growing days. The final session identified parts of a fully grown corn plant and covered how we use corn in our daily lives. I appreciate the help of agent Jeri Geren is adapting the lessons to make them easier for the kindergarten class and more challenging for sixth grade. Sixth grade conducted growing experiments with their plants using variables like dark cabinets, fertilizer, amount of water, etc. I look forward to applying for these materials again next year. It was great timing because local farmers are planting their field corn and youth will soon see corn plants in the same growing stages as theirs in nearby fields. This project also offered youth hands on learning, team building, and science evaluations skills.
Earth Day was canceled this April due to rain but redbud trees had already been ordered for the 1,100 students anticipated for the event. Agents in the Wildcat District braved the rain to bag the trees and organize them by class to be delivered to the schools. I got to help deliver trees to the schools in Montgomery County and educate youth there how to plant the trees. This is information they would have normally learned at Earth Day from our Extension horticulture coach, Christina Beason.
I really enjoyed doing Bread in Bag with agent Barbara Ames and Master Food Volunteers at Lincoln Elementary in Cherryvale this month. I had four 4-H youth in the bread making classes and saw more 4-H members in the halls. It’s fun to see our youth outside of 4-H meetings and interact with them around their classmates. Youth have fun telling their friends how they know me and they do a better job promoting 4-H than I can by introducing myself that day!
Outside of all these events, 4-H agents are hard at work coordinating fair judges and planning for 4-H camp! Agents will be attending five 4-H camps in June along with two area judging contests so May will be a big prepping month!