[{"id":196,"date":"2023-10-19T13:56:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T13:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=196"},"modified":"2023-10-19T13:56:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T13:56:37","slug":"4-h-volunteers-educate-empower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/4-h-volunteers-educate-empower\/","title":{"rendered":"4-H Volunteers: Educate & Empower"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"4-H
SC 4-H Volunteers and Extension Agents at the 2023 Volunteer Conference\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

National 4-H Council reports that over 500,000 volunteers\ngive of their time and share their interests with nearly six million youth\nacross the United States and around the globe (4-H.org<\/a>).\nIn South Carolina, we boast close to 3500 volunteers who provide 4-H\nconnection, caring, and club leadership to over 80,000 youth across the\nstate.\u00a0 Earlier this month, I got to see\nsome of our South Carolina 4-H (SC 4-H) volunteer leaders in action. \u200bThe\nVolunteer Conference of Southern States (VCOSS<\/a>),\nheld annually at Camp Rock\nEagle<\/a> in Eatonton, Georgia, is jointly directed by volunteer specialists at\nland-grant universities in the southern region and the associated Volunteer\nAdvisory Team. This conference is THE national volunteer conference and\nwelcomes volunteers as far away as Puerto Rico, Alaska, Canada, and Hawaii. This\nyear\u2019s conference theme was all about \u201cIgnite Your Passion\u201d through \u201cSpark,\nIgnite, Thrive\u201d workshops, sessions, activities, and keynotes. South Carolina\n4-H had six volunteer leaders, six county 4-H agents, and two state staff\nmembers attend the conference and contribute to eight different workshops or\nsessions provided at the conference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4-H
SC 4-H Agents and Associate staff from left to right front: Lauren Black-Venegas, Saluda County;Alana West, Newberry County; Lilly Nutall, State 4-H Events coordinator; Rosemary Martin-Jones, Richland County; Abigail Timmons, Chester County
Back: Dr.Ashley Burns, State 4-H Director; Patricia Whitener, State 4-H Natural Resources leader; Julia Cox, Aiken County<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"4-H
Greenville County volunteer, Jill Kreiman, canoeing with friends made at VCOSS<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The conference allows volunteers, agents, and specialists to\ninteract and engage in meaningful dialog and provides a beautiful space at Rock\nEagle to showcase that spirit of community. It empowers volunteers to\nunderstand their worth and the contribution they make to the positive youth\ndevelopmental context. Volunteers help teach me how to be a better Extension professional,\nhow to communicate effectively, and how to better provide quality programs. The\ncomradery and identification I see at VCOSS is infectious and delights me to\nwitness. The low-cost and all-inclusive nature of the conference is a worthwhile\ninvestment in helping our volunteers be essential workers of youth development.\nThis conference reignites my own passion for this work and helps ground and\nreconnect me with my WHY: to educate, connect, and inspire people with\nnature through love and integrity. <\/em>The support and teamwork are so much fun\nand the meaningful cabin conversations on the front porch or just walking\naround beautiful camp Rock Eagle are a few of the experiences that helped me get\nto know volunteers on a deeper level and connect with folks from other states. Greenville\nCounty volunteer, Jill Kreiman, and I were able to share a first-time canoe\ntrip with a 4-H military\npartnership<\/a> leader from Guantanamo Bay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to ignite your passion and help 4-H youth find their\nspark? Become a 4-H volunteer today by reaching out to your county agent and\nvisit our web\npage<\/a> to register. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"eagle
2023 Volunteer Conference of the Southern States (VCOSS)\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What I love about our SC 4-H volunteers is their enthusiasm\nfor developing their own spark; the generous spirit with which they share,\nexplore, and learn by doing<\/em> what brings them joy. Volunteers guide\n4-H\u2019ers by helping to deliver quality programs that utilize research-based\nprinciples of youth development. 4-H agents work closely with volunteers to\nbuild relationships that support the integration of family, school, and\ncommunity (Eccles. & Gootman, J.,2002). The positive relationships between\n4-H members and 4-H volunteer leaders foster inclusion, care, growth, and\nsupport so that our youth can meet the ever- expanding possibilities and\nopportunities for them. 4-H Volunteers are the mentors that provide safe spaces\nfor youth to explore their sparks and develop into responsible, productive, and\ncaring members of society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eccles, J., & Gootman, J. (Eds.). (2002). Community\nprograms to promote youth development. Washington DC: National Academy Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

National 4-H Council reports that over 500,000 volunteers give of their time and share their interests with nearly six million youth across the United States and around the globe (4-H.org). In South Carolina, we boast close to 3500 volunteers who provide 4-H connection, caring, and club leadership to over 80,000 youth across the state.\u00a0 Earlier […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[16541,59926,93429,59927],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cooperative-extension","tag-positive-youth-development","tag-south-carolina-4-h","tag-thrive"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":178,"date":"2023-05-08T12:36:36","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T12:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=178"},"modified":"2023-05-08T12:41:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T12:41:50","slug":"sc-4-h-natural-resources-pollinator-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/sc-4-h-natural-resources-pollinator-program\/","title":{"rendered":"SC 4-H Natural Resources: Pollinator Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Tiger
<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Henderson Interpretive Pollinator Garden Update<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What began last summer, as the seed of an idea, to collaborate with SC 4-H Natural Resources<\/a>, The Bee Cause Project<\/a>, and Conestee Nature Preserve<\/a>, has since bloomed into the Henderson Meadow Interpretive Pollinator garden (HIP). Work started in February 2023 <\/a>with 4-H\u2019ers researching native plants that would benefit pollinators and also provide close-up examples of species growing within the larger Henderson meadow at Conestee Nature Preserve. 4-H\u2019ers from Upstate Circle of Friends<\/a> and the Junior Naturalist 4-H explorer\u2019s club created a planting plan and presented their ideas to board members at Conestee Nature Preserve and to funders through The Bee Cause Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4-H'ers
4-H’ers, Elizabeth Neary and Myles Margeson , presenting to Board members at Conestee Nature Preserve<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This project has grown into a true community collaboration with native plants being provided by the South Carolina Native Plant Society<\/a> and a Clemson University alumna who specializes in growing native plants at\u00a0\u00a0Seven Springs Farm<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Adult
4-H Volunteer Leader, Toya Moore of Upstate Circle of Friends, planting native species in the Henderson Interpretive Pollinator Garden<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

South Carolina 4-H Youth Development helps kids build life skills by leading hands-on projects in areas like environmental education\u2013 helping them to grow confidence, independence, resilience, and compassion so that they can thrive. Adult mentors provide a positive environment where they learn by doing.\u00a0The HIP project has brought together sixteen 4-H\u2019ers, eleven volunteers, and numerous families and community partners who have all invested their heads, hearts, and hands to create healthy habitat for native pollinators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Group
Many hands make light work<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"girl
Rhoer club volunteer from Upstate Circle of Friends 4-H club making plant labels\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The HIP garden will continue to ‘bee’ utilized as an outdoor classroom and 4-H\u2019ers, as well as all visitors to Conestee Nature Preserve, will have the opportunity to learn as the next phase of the project is completed. In addition to the erosion prevention wall and steps that Conestee Nature Preserve staff have already built, Interpretive signage will be developed and installed to highlight the native plant species and the native pollinators that rely on them. The Henderson Meadow habitat adjacent to the garden will be highlighted. Additionally, 4-H\u2019ers will be participating in citizen science as part of the Southeastern Bumble Bee Atlas through Xerces society and in August will contribute to the great southeast pollinator <\/a>census in partnership with Clemson Cooperative Extension and UGA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"group
Sharing the vision with The Bee Cause Project and Conestee Nature Preserve staff
March 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"group
Fist work day to clean out the garden space and lay out where steps and erosion wall will be built. April 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"group
Spring Planting Day 1: May 6, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"group
Spring Planting Day 2:\u00a0 May 7, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about how you can contribute to the mission of Conestee Nature Preserve visit their webpage<\/a>; Learn more about The Bee Cause Project and resources by clicking this link<\/a>; You can also contribute to the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in contributing to this 4-H project or in starting a project of your own, contact Patricia Whitener at pwhiten@clemson.edu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For guidance and resources on how to start a school or community garden and how to Bee a friend to pollinators, visit our Clemson Cooperative Extension webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Henderson Interpretive Pollinator Garden Update What began last summer, as the seed of an idea, to collaborate with SC 4-H Natural Resources, The Bee Cause Project, and Conestee Nature Preserve, has since bloomed into the Henderson Meadow Interpretive Pollinator garden (HIP). Work started in February 2023 with 4-H\u2019ers researching native plants that would benefit pollinators […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":172,"date":"2023-04-26T12:54:31","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T12:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=172"},"modified":"2023-04-26T12:54:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T12:54:31","slug":"sc-4-h-thriving-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/sc-4-h-thriving-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"SC 4-H Thriving: Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"group
Junior Naturalists creating bonds while exploring nature<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about relationships\u201d is a phrase I have heard\noften in my life and in many different contexts. From learning to navigate the\ndynamics of the playground social structure to the practice of diplomacy between\nmy siblings, learning how to have healthy relationships is an essential\nbuilding block of our personal development. In college, my academic advisor\nonce shared with me that \u201cWho <\/em>you know will get you the job and What <\/em>you\nknow will keep you the job.\u201d Obviously, this is not a universal truth, but the\nconcept of \u2018who <\/em>you know\u2019 has held up for me. The relationships I\ndeveloped with coaches, teachers, professors, employers, supervisors, pastors,\nand other mentors, have steered the course of my life. When I think back on the\nlessons imparted from developing relationships, I recognize that I learned\nabout the type of person I wanted to be from emulating positive mentors. I also\nlearned, from watching the adults in my life, about behaviors that damage\nrelationships and how not to treat others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4-H
4-H Thriving Model in Flower context<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The 4-H\nThrive Model<\/a> of Youth Development (Arnold, M.E., 2018) places relationships\nwithin the context of our 4-H county programs.\u00a0\nThe relationships that our 4-H\u2019ers form with club leaders, county\nagents, camp counselors and each other are key to their growth and success\n(Arnold, M.E., Gagnon, R.J., 2019). The Search\nInstitute<\/a> conducts research that seeks to define and understand the\ndevelopmental relationships between youth and caring adults. These positive\nrelationships lead to social, emotional and cognitive learning, feelings of\nconnection and ultimately help youth to thrive. Five elements that adults can\ndemonstrate, through intentional actions as they interact with 4-H youth, are\nto express care<\/strong>, challenge growth<\/strong>, provide support<\/strong>, share\npower<\/strong>, and expand possibilities<\/strong> (Roehlkepartain et al., 2017). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Adult
4-H Volunteer and Teen Council members at Legislative Day<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our 4-H agents in South Carolina work so hard to be warm,\ninspiring, dependable, and encouraging guides for our youth. This isn\u2019t by\naccident (although I would argue that the mission of the Cooperative Extension\nService attracts people with similar characteristics and personality traits;\nthat is for another blog post). South Carolina 4-H Youth\nDevelopment<\/a> (SC4-H) is uniquely positioned to build relationships with\nyouth, volunteers, families, and community collaborators. Relationships take\ntime and effort. As positive youth development (PYD) professionals, 4-H agents provide\nopportunity to influence a young person\u2019s growth by being trustworthy, praising\neffort and achievement in 4-H projects and camps, providing ways to challenge youth,\nand by ensuring that each child has a safe space (body, mind, and spirit) to\nlearn from mistakes and setbacks. Through caring relationships built in 4-H, mentors\nand youth work collaboratively and youth voice is valued and encouraged with\nyouth taking both action and responsibility for decisions and learning to lead.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking back on your own developmental relationships, who\nhas shown you that you mattered to them, pushed you to keep improving,\nbroadened your perspective, and supported you in achieving your goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Large
Pleasant Valley Connection, Inc. 4-H STEM club with agent and volunteers at the SC 4-H Engineering Challenge 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Relationships can be difficult and sometimes painful. The social\nskills we develop as we build healthy developmental relationships will impact\nevery area of our lives. In SC 4-H, we provide experiences and skill building\nopportunities, we introduce youth to new ideas and get to travel to new places.\nInterested in learning more? You can start by reaching out to your local, county 4-H agent<\/a> and\nstart building your own relationship with 4-H today! We are gearing up for a\nsummer full of residential summer camp, workshops, day camps, and projects<\/a>.\nWelcome! We are looking forward to getting to know you better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arnold, M. E. (2018). From Context to outcomes: A thriving model for 4-H Youth Development Programs. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 6(1), 141-160.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arnold, M. E., & Gagnon, R. J. (2019). Illuminating the process of youth development: The mediating effect of thriving on youth development program outcomes. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 7(3), 24\u201351. https:\/\/www.jhseonline.com\/article\/view\/901<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roehlkepartain, E. C., Pekel, K., Syvertsen, A. K., Sethi, J., Sullivan, T., K., 7 Scales, P. C. (2017). Relationships first: Creating connections that help young people thrive. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search Institute (2020). Developmental relationships framework. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Available at: https:\/\/www.search-institute.org\/developmental-relationships\/developmental-relationships-
\nThe 4-H Thriving Model
\nAugust, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s all about relationships\u201d is a phrase I have heard often in my life and in many different contexts. From learning to navigate the dynamics of the playground social structure to the practice of diplomacy between my siblings, learning how to have healthy relationships is an essential building block of our personal development. In college, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59921,1],"tags":[59926,59927],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-teen-council","category-uncategorized","tag-positive-youth-development","tag-thrive"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":166,"date":"2023-03-21T13:50:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T13:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=166"},"modified":"2023-03-21T13:54:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T13:54:16","slug":"sc-4-h-thriving-belonging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/sc-4-h-thriving-belonging\/","title":{"rendered":"SC 4-H Thriving: Belonging"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Greenville
Greenville Teen Council members with their 4-H agent.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to belong<\/strong>? Human beings instinctively feel the need to be connected. Research<\/a> has shown that loss of belonging has been associated with stress, illness, loneliness, and depression. At some point during our lives, we are told that we belong somewhere<\/em> or to something <\/em>such as a family, a school, a job, a neighborhood, a demographic group, or a spiritual fellowship. But what does belongingness really feel like? I asked a group of 4-H agents and 4-H youth that question. For the 4-H agents, belonging felt like appreciation and acceptance. Agents shared some behaviors that led to feelings of belonging such as \u201ca warm smile from an office co-worker, or a \u201cgood morning\u201d from a fellow county staffer. Belonging was a \u2018vibe\u2019 or a \u2018feeling\u2019 of welcome and safety. For a group of 4-H teens, I asked that same question and their answers provided even deeper insight into the concept of belonging. The youth spoke of feeling ‘included’ and ‘having a voice’. They shared that they felt connected to Clemson University and to SC 4-H in a ‘bigger way’ when they got together for summer camps, Junior Teen weekend, State 4-H Congress and other state-wide events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4-H<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the 4-H Thriving model fact sheet on youth program quality, Eccles and Gootman\u2019s (2002) critical principles of a quality youth program include supportive relationships, opportunities to belong, and the integration of family, school, and community. I am always amazed and delighted when research and theory mirror the real-world wisdom shared by 4-H extension agents and the youth they serve. There are many ways to facilitate belonging in 4-H such as saying the pledge together, sporting the 4-h clover on a t-shirt, button, sticker, or ribbon; taking the time to welcome each person to the 4-H club meeting individually, being intentional about the language we use and choosing \u201cour\u201d, \u201cus\u201d, and\u201d we\u201d phrases; sharing our 4-H stories with one another. How are you, as an agent, a classroom teacher, a volunteer, or a caretaker, fostering a sense of unity and belonging in your club?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belonging takes time. We provide opportunities for shared\nexperiences (camp, field trips, regular meetings), and practice consistency.\nThis gives youth something to look forward to and have a regular time set aside\nfor connection. In SC 4-H we are committed to providing opportunities to\nbelong, growing competencies for belonging, and encouraging motivations and\nperceptions of belongingness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you interested in belonging to 4-H? Connect with your\nlocal county\n4-H agent<\/a> and visit us at https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/4h\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4-H Thrive Model<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eccles, J., & Gootman, J. (Eds.). (2002). Community\nprograms to promote youth development. Washington DC: National Academy Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belonging<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What does it mean to belong? Human beings instinctively feel the need to be connected. Research has shown that loss of belonging has been associated with stress, illness, loneliness, and depression. At some point during our lives, we are told that we belong somewhere or to something such as a family, a school, a job, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[16541,59926,93429,59927],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cooperative-extension","tag-positive-youth-development","tag-south-carolina-4-h","tag-thrive"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":162,"date":"2023-02-23T20:57:23","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T20:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=162"},"modified":"2023-02-23T20:57:23","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T20:57:23","slug":"sc-4-h-thriving-sparks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/sc-4-h-thriving-sparks\/","title":{"rendered":"SC 4-H Thriving: Sparks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"sparkler\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is a Spark<\/a>? The first thing that comes to mind for me is summertime and the sparklers I waved around as a kid at the beach celebrating the fourth of July with family and friends. I\u2019m reminded of the excitement and the anticipation of the bigger fireworks show that would come later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campfires give out a variety of sparks and I love how they\nfloat up into the air after tossing another log on the fire. It reminds me of\nthe bioluminescent spark of fireflies<\/a>\non warm evenings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Forestry practice, sparks are managed during prescribed\nburns<\/a>, so they don\u2019t ignite wildfires and so the healthy fire can burn low\nand slow, enriching the soil and clearing the way for renewed herbaceous plant life<\/a>\nto emerge and serotinous pine cones can open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 4-H Youth Development, sparks are those skills and\ntalents, passionate commitments, and qualities of character that positive youth\ndevelopment professionals help young people identify and fan into flames of\njoy, purpose, exploration, and skill development (Arnold, M.E., 2018).\nAccording to the 4-H Thriving Model, sparks create actions, provide intrinsic\n\u2018fuel\u2019 for growth, and enhance networks between youth and caring adult mentors.\nDr. Peter Benson<\/a> (2011) of the\nSearch Institute defines a person\u2019s spark as essential to thriving as their\nbreath. What is your spark?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Carolina 4-H Youth Development<\/a>\nagents and volunteers, from all across the state, work to provide the youth in\ntheir counties opportunities to discover and cultivate sparks. These positive\nyouth development professionals and volunteers help provide a sense of\ncommunity and contribution through numerous 4-H projects, clubs and\nexperiences. To find out how to contribute to thriving youth, you can connect\nwith Patricia Whitener pwhiten@clemson.edu<\/a>\nor reach out to the 4-H agent in your county<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4-H<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arnold, M. E. (2018). From\nContext to outcomes: A thriving model for 4-H Youth Development Programs. Journal\nof Human Sciences and Extension<\/em>, 6(1), 141-160.
\n
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benson, P.\nL., & Scales, P. C. (2011). Thriving and sparks. In R. J. R Leveque (Ed.), Encyclopedia\nof Adolescence <\/em>(pp. 2963-2976). New York: Springer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is a Spark? The first thing that comes to mind for me is summertime and the sparklers I waved around as a kid at the beach celebrating the fourth of July with family and friends. I\u2019m reminded of the excitement and the anticipation of the bigger fireworks show that would come later. Campfires give […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[59926,59927],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-positive-youth-development","tag-thrive"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":145,"date":"2023-02-21T20:09:49","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T20:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=145"},"modified":"2023-02-21T20:54:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T20:54:48","slug":"south-carolina-4-h-grows-partnerships-and-pollinator-habitat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/south-carolina-4-h-grows-partnerships-and-pollinator-habitat\/","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina 4-H grows partnerships and pollinator habitat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Group
4-H’ers gather at the future site of the Henderson Interpretive Pollinator garden project located at Conestee Nature Park
Photo credit: Jill Kreiman

<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

South Carolina is known for its rather diverse climate. Days may start with frost on the leaves and by afternoon it is 70 degrees. Humid sub-tropical climate, temperate rainforests and rich coastal marshland provide habitats for an incredible amount of biodiversity in a relatively small-sized state. I will admit, even as the leader for 4-H Natural Resources Programs <\/a>in South Carolina, I can take our state\u2019s incredible natural resources for granted. Having lived here my entire life, I still haven\u2019t explored all the places and environments that make our state so special. I was particularly alarmed when last summer the migrating monarch butterfly was added to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature\u2019s \u201cred list” of threatened species and categorized as “endangered” \u2014 two steps from extinct. Like the monarch, many of our native bee pollinators are at risk, and the status of many more is unknown. Habitat loss, alteration and fragmentation, pesticide use, climate change and introduced diseases all contribute to declines of bees. Pollinators provide an essential ecosystem service and, among our pollinators, bees are the most important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"4-H<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Through partnerships with Conestee Nature Preserve<\/a> (CNP) and the support of The Bee Cause Project, South Carolina 4-H members are building a pollinator garden designed to provide habitat and educational opportunities for the public. Experiential learning has been around nearly as long as Cooperative Extension. South Carolina 4-H Youth Development uses a learn-by-doing approach to help youth gain the knowledge and skills to be responsible, productive and contributing members of society. This mission is accomplished by creating safe and inclusive learning environments, the involvement of caring adults, and utilizing the expertise and resources of Clemson University and the nationwide land-grant university system. The Henderson Interpretive Pollinator (HIP) garden project will enable 4-H youth to participate in the development, presentation, construction and on-going maintenance of the project. 4-H members, as implementation partners, will support and maintain the pollinator habitat as an ongoing community service project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Conestee<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

CNP is a 650-acre wildlife sanctuary just south of downtown\u00a0Greenville in the Upstate of South Carolina. Director of Education at CNP Sarah Whitmire believes that \u201cthrough responsible stewardship of the region\u2019s unique ecological resources, CNP provides inclusive opportunities for meaningful connection, discovery and learning in nature. The HIP garden project will provide a self-led educational experience in the largest meadow ecosystem within CNP. The plants that will be used in the plot will echo those that CNP has planted in the adjacent meadow. That meadow is used for several environmental education field trips as well as for large fundraising events for the Preserve. This project serves as an example of how people can use native plantings in their own yards to benefit native wildlife species. CNP is always looking for ways to get the next generation invested in this piece of land and in ecological conservation as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Emilee Elingburg is The Bee Cause Project\u2019s<\/a> director of educational programs. She says she is excited about this collaboration because it \u201cinspires the next generation of environmental stewards while protecting our planet\u2019s precious pollinators. We offer a variety of grants to schools and non-profit organizations across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Through Honey Bee Grants, Pollinator Literacy Grants and Pollinator Habitat Grants, this organization strengthens the connection that participants share with pollinators and enable curious minds to thrive. All of our grants include equipment and resources, providing a STEAM-based curriculum that brings the natural world into the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hnederson
Henderson Meadow at Conestee Nature Preserve, Greenville,SC
Photo credit: Jill Kreiman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This project helps The Bee Cause\nProject fulfill its mission by providing the\u00a0expansion\/enhancement of an\noutdoor space\u00a0that will support soil science, entomology, plant science\nand pollinator habitat curricula and provides a\u00a0c<\/em>ommunity outreach\nand educational component\u00a0that will not only serve the local community and\nschools but also will be designed to serve as an\u00a0interpretive\nspace\u00a0for other Bee Cause grant recipients to learn from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This incredible partnership will\nbenefit our shared environmental community by highlighting the ways we can\ncollectively support the native pollinating species of South Carolina. The Bee\nCause intends to support this initiative with a three-year renewal grant. The\ninvestment\u00a0we make in the HIP Garden is truly an investment in the future\nof South Carolina and our planet. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Carolina is known for its rather diverse climate. Days may start with frost on the leaves and by afternoon it is 70 degrees. Humid sub-tropical climate, temperate rainforests and rich coastal marshland provide habitats for an incredible amount of biodiversity in a relatively small-sized state. I will admit, even as the leader for 4-H […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13402],"tags":[59929,59926],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-natural-resources","tag-4hnaturalresources-4hgrowshere","tag-positive-youth-development"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":129,"date":"2022-06-01T00:52:27","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T00:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=129"},"modified":"2022-06-02T02:04:36","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T02:04:36","slug":"science-behind-the-magic-of-4-h","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/science-behind-the-magic-of-4-h\/","title":{"rendered":"Science behind the magic of 4-H"},"content":{"rendered":"

Positive Youth Development (PYD) and the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD); what does it mean and how does it work through 4-H? There is science behind the magic of 4-H! PYD is a theory, a philosophical approach, and an intentional practice. South Carolina 4-H Youth development is evolving and improving its practice of positive youth development (PYD) through a streamlined and unified 4-H Thriving Model, which connects extension programs to the research on socio-emotional learning theory. 4-H professionals across each region of our state will be learning, leading, and empowering their colleagues and volunteers to connect practice wisdom with the program attributes that lead to Thriving 4-H youth and ultimately lead our youth to the long-term outcomes of academic and vocational success, civic engagement, economic stability, and happiness and wellbeing. Clemson University and SC State are committed to helping 4-H Thrive in South Carolina. Clemson will lead a series of collaborative workshops and will engage volunteers at the annual volunteer symposium August 2024.<\/p>\n

The 4-H Thrive model starts with 4-H programs. Youth are \u2018sparked\u2019 by all the amazing activities they can participate in through 4-H. But the sense of belonging that youth feel, the positive relationships that are formed, and the continued engagement through 4-H are what keep our youth coming back year after year so that they have an opportunity to realize those long-term outcomes. Each month, we\u2019ll take a closer look at the developmental context of 4-H programs and how YOU<\/em> can use the science of PYD to ensure that 4-H magic happens for your club!<\/p>\n

If you have seen the impact of PYD in your club, let us know at pwhiten@clemson.edu<\/a>.\u00a0 We want to hear from you!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"4-H
4-H Thriving Model<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Positive Youth Development (PYD) and the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD); what does it mean and how does it work through 4-H? There is science behind the magic of 4-H! PYD is a theory, a philosophical approach, and an intentional practice. South Carolina 4-H Youth development is evolving and improving its practice of positive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3891,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[59926],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-positive-youth-development"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":96,"date":"2021-06-30T08:06:43","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T08:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=96"},"modified":"2021-06-30T18:00:04","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T18:00:04","slug":"pinckney-leadership-program-highlight-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/pinckney-leadership-program-highlight-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pinckney Leadership Program Highlight"},"content":{"rendered":"

4-H Pinckney Leader wins 2021 \u201cRide of Your Life\u201d Scholarship<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Carolina State Fair annually awards 50 scholarships to South Carolina high school students planning to pursue their studies at any public or private college, university, or technical college in the state. The $6,000 scholarships are awarded at an annual rate of $1,500 and are based on academic and extracurricular achievement, communication skills, need, and completeness of the application. We join the South Carolina State Fair in congratulating 4-H Pinckney Leader, Brianna Smalls, on being one of this year\u2019s scholarship recipients. Brianna has been a 4-H member for the past 9 years, and an active member of the 4-H Pinckney Leadership Program since 2018. We are so proud of her and look forward to seeing what she\u2019ll accomplish in the future as she begins her journey at the University of South Carolina.<\/p>\n

Hear how the Pinckney Leadership Program has Impacted Youth in South Carolina<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the Pinckney Leadership Program, I have found the courage to further my leadership skills by running for leadership positions in 4-H. I currently serve as Vice President on the 2020-2021 South Carolina 4-H State Teen Council. I don’t believe that I would’ve ever had the courage to run for this position if it wasn’t for the Pinckney Leadership Program. In the Pinckney Leadership Program, I am a part of a family of leaders who are working to change the world. I will forever be grateful for what the Pinckney Leadership Program has done for me. I highly recommend this program to any youth who are ready to take the next step in leadership. The Pinckney Leadership Program helps to create the leaders of tomorrow.\u201d- Brianna Smalls<\/p>\n

See full article on the \u201cRide of Your Life\u201d Scholarships here: https:\/\/www.scstatefair.org\/sc-state-fair\/media\/2021\/05\/19\/s.c.-state-fair-names-2021-scholarship-recipients<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Submitted by: Rushawnda Olden, South Carolina Pinckney Leadership Program Coordinator<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

4-H Pinckney Leader wins 2021 \u201cRide of Your Life\u201d Scholarship The South Carolina State Fair annually awards 50 scholarships to South Carolina high school students planning to pursue their studies at any public or private college, university, or technical college in the state. The $6,000 scholarships are awarded at an annual rate of $1,500 and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3719,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59357],"tags":[59924],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-96","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pinckney-leadership-program","tag-june21"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3719"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=96"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":103,"date":"2021-06-30T08:04:42","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T08:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=103"},"modified":"2021-06-30T17:59:24","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T17:59:24","slug":"shooting-sports-program-highlight-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/shooting-sports-program-highlight-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Shooting Sports Program Highlight"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are excited to announce this year\u2019s overall champions in the shotgun project. Overall champions were determined by a cumulative score of the three disciplines in shotgun, skeet, trap, and sporting clays. SC 4-H is extremely proud of these youth and their accomplishments. They worked very hard for these achievements. The following youth are the 2021 State Champions in their respective divisions:<\/p>\n

Rookie – (5th Grade) \u2013 TJ Knight
\nTJ Knight is an 11-year-old 5th grader from Winnsboro, South Carolina. He began shooting SCTP\/4-H with Fairfield Gun Club for the 2020\/2021 Season with Head Coach, John Tate. His hobbies include hunting, fishing and shooting any event he can. He started shooting Sporting Clays with a private club at the age of 8. He wanted to shoot with a 4-H SCTP Team to be introduced to Skeet, Trap, and Super Sporting Clays. Fairfield Gun Club took him in with all Jr Varsity Shooters which gave him higher goals to reach.<\/p>\n

\"TJ
TJ Knight<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Intermediate – Entry – (6th-8th Grade) \u2013 Quaid Busby
\nQuaid Busby is a 6th grader at Starr Iva Middle School. This is his 2nd year shooting for the Crescent Elite Shooters. In these two short years, Quaid has won multiple awards at the state level, has competed on the National SCTP stage in Ohio, and has been a true team player. He is a very smart, respectful young man that is very passionate about shooting sports. Quaid lives on a cattle farm in Anderson County where he also pursues his other passions in life, hunting and fishing. Quaid always has a smile on his face and is willing to do whatever is best for his team.<\/p>\n

\"Quaid
Quaid Busby<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Intermediate-Advanced \u2013 (6th-8th Grade) \u2013 Alex Kopek
\nAlex started shooting in 2019 when he joined the Cardinal Newman HS Sporting Clays Team as a 7th grader. Alex has always enjoyed hunting, fishing, and golf, but when he found shooting sports, he found his passion. No matter the discipline, trap, skeet, or sporting clays, you can count on Alex to finish at the top. He finished his first year as one of the top shooters in his division and this year he was named the top combined shooter in the Intermediate Advanced division. Alex plans to continue honing his skills as a shooter so that he might one day shoot at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n

\"Alex
Alex Kopek<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Junior Varsity – (9th-12th Grade) \u2013 Ann Weathers Blankenship
\nAnn Weathers Blankenship is a member of Featherhorn Young Guns. She is a rising sophomore from Sumter, SC. Ann Weathers started youth shooting in 6th grade for her school team before becoming involved in SCTP\/4-H with Featherhorn the following year. She enjoys all disciplines of shotgun sports, but her favorite is sporting clays. Ann Weathers balances youth competitions with a heavy NSCA tournament schedule which takes her to many interesting places. Her most cherished aspect of shooting sports is the network of friends from around the world she has made through the sport who have become like family. Ann Weathers is forever grateful to her family, her teammates, and youth shooting programs such as SCTP\/4-H for providing opportunities that have helped her grow as a competitor, a friend, and a person.<\/p>\n

\"Ann
Ann Blankenship<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Senior Varsity – (9th-12th Grade) \u2013 Turner Parcell
\nTurner Parcell is a member of the Mid-Carolina 4-H Shooting team in Orangeburg, SC. He is a rising Junior attending Hammond School in Columbia. At 12 years old, Turner started shooting sporting clays. His gun of choice is a Beretta 694 with Rhino chokes. He loves to see the clay break whether he is shooting trap, skeet, or his favorite sporting clays. He has shot in SCTP for the last 4 years, competing on both the state and national level winning 2018 Intermediate Entry SC State HOA, 2019 Intermediate Advanced SC State HOA Runner-Up, 2019 Intermediate Divisions National HOA, 2020 Junior Varsity SC State HOA, 2020 Senior Division National HOA Runner-Up, and 2021 Varsity SC State HOA. He is also a two-time NSCA All-American and the 2021 NSCA Sub-Junior All-American Team Captain. Academics is an important focus for him as well. He is a National Honor Society member and is a two-time SCTP All-Scholastic Shooting Team member.<\/p>\n

\"Turner
Turner Parcell<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Ladies Intermediate – (6th-8th Grade) \u2013 Anneleise Phinney
\nAnneleise Phinney is a member of the Partridge Creek Young Guns. She lives in St. George, South Carolina, and is going into the 9th grade at Pinewood Prep School. At Pinewood Prep, Anneleise is a 5-year letterman (3 tennis and 2 sporting clays shooting teams) and on the Academic Headmaster\u2019s List. She enjoys serving on her school\u2019s house council leadership team and also playing the piano in her spare time. Anneleise started shooting about two years ago and fell in love from the second she first pulled the trigger. She didn\u2019t do very well in her first competition, but she tried her hardest. John F. Kennedy once said, \u201cEvery accomplishment starts with the decision to try.\u201d Being part of the Partridge Creek Young Guns has shown her how to become a better leader and never give up. Her favorite discipline in shooting is skeet, and she has over 6,000 registered NSSA targets and she is a certified NSSA referee. Anneleise loves shooting and hopes to continue to shoot for the rest of her life.<\/p>\n

\"Anneleise
Anneleise Phinney<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Ladies Senior – (9th-12 Grade) \u2013 Hannah Sealy
\nHannah lives in Sandy Run, SC. She is on the Mid-Carolina Young Guns team and is a 2021 graduate of Ben Lippen high school. Hannah graduated with a 4.69 GPA and served on the Tri-M Music Honor Society and the National Honor Society. Hannah began shooting 3 years ago and she plans to continue shooting with the Montreat College Clay Target team.<\/p>\n

\"Hannah
Hannah Sealy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Submitted by: Richard Willey, South Carolina Shooting Sports Coordinator<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are excited to announce this year\u2019s overall champions in the shotgun project. Overall champions were determined by a cumulative score of the three disciplines in shotgun, skeet, trap, and sporting clays. SC 4-H is extremely proud of these youth and their accomplishments. They worked very hard for these achievements. The following youth are the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3719,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59640],"tags":[59924],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shooting-sports","tag-june21"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3719"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":95,"date":"2021-06-30T08:02:39","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T08:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/?p=95"},"modified":"2021-06-30T18:01:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T18:01:11","slug":"animals-and-agriculture-4-h-horse-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/animals-and-agriculture-4-h-horse-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Animals and Agriculture – 4-H Horse Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

The South Carolina 4-H Horse Project is excited to announce four state in-person events this summer. Horse Bowl, Hippology, State 4-H Horse Show, and the 4-H Horsemanship Camp will all be held on Clemson University property. Horse Bowl and Hippology are educational contests that test each members\u2019 knowledge of equine science, horsemanship, and the industry. The State 4-H Horse Show is a multi-discipline horse show held over multiple days at the T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton, SC. The SC 4-H Horsemanship Camp is open to 4-H members and non-members on the Clemson University campus and the T. Ed Garrison Arena, and youth to bring their horses to this overnight camp to increase their riding skill and horse knowledge. The horse project will conclude the summer with local 4-H members traveling to a multi-state 4-H horse show and educational contests, the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Championship in Perry, Georgia.<\/p>\n

SC 4-H Horse Project staff are working hard to follow Clemson University protocol to ensure that youth are safe. The additional safety protocol will make the events slightly different from previous years but enable them to be conducted in person. We are excited to see 4-H members in person after a year of virtual programming!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Submitted by: Katie Shaw, South Carolina 4-H Youth Development Specialist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The South Carolina 4-H Horse Project is excited to announce four state in-person events this summer. Horse Bowl, Hippology, State 4-H Horse Show, and the 4-H Horsemanship Camp will all be held on Clemson University property. Horse Bowl and Hippology are educational contests that test each members\u2019 knowledge of equine science, horsemanship, and the industry. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3719,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59492],"tags":[59924],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-95","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-horse-program","tag-june21"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3719"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/4hnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]