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How to Provide a Safe Environment for 4-H Events Hosting a small or large group of Cloverbud members is no easy task! However, following a few easy steps can potentially prevent volunteers and youth participants from encountering harmful situations. When planning or preparing for an event, adults should take into consideration the potential risks of conducting the activities. Take a few moments to look around the room or area you will be using. Are the tables and chairs or other equipment you are using safe? If outdoors, are you utilizing an area that can be monitored by the adults? Are the materials being used for craft type projects safe for young people? Do you have enough adult supervision for the number of participants? Adult volunteers are given a tremendous amount of responsibility to plan, coordinate, and supervise activities for young people. If the above questions are not asked prior to an event, situations may arise that would be unsafe. Prior to initiating a program, consider these steps: (1) identify potential risks; (2) evaluate the risk and its severity; (3) decide to avoid, modify, retain, or share the risk; (4) make necessary changes to the program; and (5) review the activity upon it's completion. Asking questions prior to an event is one means of managing potential risks associated with youth development activities. Unfortunately, accidents do happen when even the most well prepared programs have been implemented. However, taking the time to ask a few simple questions and evaluating your programs can help provide a safe atmosphere for the participants and volunteers. State Extension Associate, 4-H Youth Development Project Coordinator, Ohio Teen B.R.I.D.G.E.S We want to hear from you! In future issues of Cloverbud Connections we want to feature success stories, questions, suggestions, and ideas that work from Cloverbud volunteers. Please take a few minutes to write, call, or email one of the co-editors. You can reach us at the address/phone number, or e-mail address on the last page of the newsletter. Hello!! We connect again in "Campus Connections!" Did you know that at the end of the 24 Cloverbud Curriculum Activity Pieces there is a section called "Reading Adventures?" This section lists children's books that go along with the activities in the curriculum piece. These books are a great way to promote literacy with our Cloverbud participants. According to the research literature on literacy, reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building skills essential for reading success! Cloverbud children are at a critical age when they are developing their reading and writing skills. By using these recommended children's books or books that you may find at your local library we can help them become better readers and writers. A unique aspect of our program is that we are able to connect a "real" activity with reading. Research shows that children are more likely to advance their reading skills when a story or book is connected to something they can see and understand, which would be our Cloverbud activities. A quote that I like from an article in the journal Young Children, states that "Helping children learn to read and write is helping them read and write to learn" (Learning to Read and Write, 1998). So don't forget about the "Reading Adventures" book list at the end of each Cloverbud Curriculum Piece! Well until next time, take care and have fun. I look forward to communicating again with you soon. State Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, Preadolescent Education Cloverbuds will love to help their 4-H Advisor or parents prepare this fun autumn snack! Adult supervision and help is needed. 1 bag of caramels Wash apples. Insert the sticks into the apples. Unwrap the caramels and place them in a glass bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water. Microwave the caramels for 3 minutes on high or until melted, stirring occasionally. Dip apples into melted caramel. Place on wax paper until caramel hardens. Enjoy eating them! Camping is an important part of the 4-H program which traditionally is geared toward campers between the ages of 9 and 18. Our three counties have found that this 4-H camp experience can also be just as important and enjoyable for those 4-H Cloverbud members between the ages of 5 and 8. Camps are learning labs that give campers opportunities to take responsibility, interact with others, and learn to be away from home for the first time. All of these things can be incorporated into a day camp for younger members and can be just as fun, educational and successful. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and a lot of energy! About 4 years ago the 4-H agents in Carroll, Harrison and Jefferson (CHJ) counties came up with an idea for a Cloverbud day camp, got together a group of interested Cloverbud volunteers and the 4-H staff and the CHJ Tri-County Cloverbud Camp was born! Since then, Carroll, Harrison and Jefferson Counties team up for a one-day summer Tri-County Cloverbud Day Camp. Cloverbuds from the three counties come together for a day filled with fun and learning in a camp-like setting. Camp is planned by a committee consisting of the three 4-H agents, program assistants and adult volunteers. We felt that a very important part of camp is the mentoring and interaction that takes place between campers and counselors. Therefore, we utilized teenage camp counselors from each county as group leaders and teachers. These counselors attend a training meeting before camp that focuses on age appropriate activities and developmental understanding of this age group. From the written and verbal evaluations that we did with campers and counselors, it seems that the counselors benefited and learned as much from their experience as the campers. Each year's camp focuses around a specific theme. Most of the sessions are based on the theme. For example this year's theme was "Nature-ally Camp". The sessions included fishing, leaf art, a nature hike, paint your own flower pot and design your own t-shirt. All of the stencils and designs were of things found in nature. The 1998 theme was "Splash into Camp". Everything, even our meals, focused on water! Our sessions included fishing, flubber, bubble-ology, and picture frames decorated with seashells and fish. Our afternoon snack, a cup of blue Jell-O with gummy fish floating in it and some goldfish crackers fit right into the theme! Cloverbud camp is a great learning experience for campers, counselors and adult volunteers. It also builds excitement as future junior campers get their first taste of camp and can't wait for more! CHJ Cloverbud Camp is a joint effort by the 4-H staff in Carroll, Harrison & Jefferson Counties, agents involved in the camp are Vicky Oboy, Carroll County; Jane Keyser, Harrison County; and Anthony Barsch, Jefferson County. Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development Carroll County Cloverbud Secrets: From a Volunteer's Experience The cloverbud program is designed for members 5-8 years old. The program allows these younger members the opportunity to participate and become involved in the 4-H program without any of the pressure and stress of having to complete a project or compete for awards. There are some developmental reasons why Cloverbuds do not complete traditional 4-H Projects. This is often the first group contact that many of these youngsters experience. Many times they are very shy and easily intimidated. The challenge for the advisor is to help the Cloverbuds overcome their initial fear and become comfortable in the group setting. Other challenges include physical and cognitive development. Many members simply have not yet learned to read or write well enough to complete a traditional project. They are also physically small and could have difficulty in handling larger animals, and some equipment (guns, woodworking items, kitchen appliances, lawn equipment, etc.) required for completion of some projects. Personally, I have found that it is easier to conduct the meeting separate from the traditional 4-H group. My group usually has the Cloverbuds meet 1 hour before the traditional meeting, and leave as the older members arrive. This allows my older members to assist with the Cloverbud program while not missing out on the activities of the older group. They have been essential in helping Cloverbuds with some projects and serving as buddies on hikes. They have also been extra hands in passing out supplies, refreshments, and cleaning up. The older member also gains valuable experience in child care, leadership, and project skills. The separate meeting is not as intimidating to most which makes the transition to the traditional program easier. We have a few special meetings in which both groups are together. Almost all trips, parties, community service, group displays and fund raising are done jointly by both groups. 4-H Cloverbud Volunteer Madison County Star Dome 2000 Makes A Great Cloverbud Program Star Dome 2000 offers an innovative and creative way to introduce science into your 4-H Cloverbud program. Star Dome 2000 is a portable planetarium which can turn your 4-H Cloverbud function (e.g. day camp, fair promotional, etc.,) into a vessel for space travel. Star Dome 2000 is a gigantic, inflatable bubble where 4-H Cloverbud youth sit in the darkness and gaze up at swirling constellations while out of this world music sets the mood. The program focuses on an appreciation for the vastness of the universe. Half the fun for the 4-H Cloverbud youth is crawling through an opening in the dome's silvery shell and making their way through a path to the open seating area. Star Dome 2000 offers a series of approximately 45 minute programs for preschool through high school. The programs best suited for Cloverbud youth include:
Kathy Wallace and her assistant Mike McKenzie of Springfield, Ohio travel all over Ohio teaching children about astronomy. They make their presentations as much about the legends of ancient people as about science of the revolving planets. Limited space is required to set up the portable planetarium in which there is ample room for approximately 30 participants and their instructor. The cost for the Star Dome 2000 is $300 per day. 4-H volunteer leaders may select the show they feel will be most beneficial to their 4-H Cloverbud youth. For more information or to schedule the Star Dome 2000 for your next 4-H Cloverbud function, contact Kathy Wallace or Mike McKenzie at 937-324-4140. This review is not intended to be an endorsement but a statement of resources available. Extension Agent, Family Consumer Sciences Perry County You will need: Popcorn seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, rolling pin, pumpkin shaped cookie cutter, orange Playdoh or orange home-made play dough (red and yellow food coloring, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup hot water, 1/4 cup cold water, 1/2 cup cornstarch, saucepan and stir utensil) You can buy pre-made Playdoh, or the group can make 3 cups of play dough (enough for 6 to 8 children to each make a small pumpkin creation) by following this recipe: Heat 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup hot water in a saucepan until it boils. In a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup cold water into 1/2 cup cornstarch and add to boiling salt water. Stir and break up lumps. Continuously stirring, cook over low heat until play dough is the desired consistency. Dump play dough onto a plate to cool. When cool, knead until pliable. Rollout, play dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Next have them press in seeds to make a jack-o-lantern face. If you want to hang the pumpkins as a decorative ornament, use a straw and poke a hole in the top for a string or piece of raffia. Allow the play dough to dry. Have Fun! Source: Adapted from the Ohio 4-H Cloverbud Curriculum Series II, page 89. |
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