Dawn Stuckey, Senior Agent, Colleton County 4-H Youth Development Agent
4-H in Colleton County continues working with students around the county to make a positive impact on leadership, STEM, livestock, and agriculture. This fall, students at Cottageville Elementary participated in multiple STEM and natural resources programs. Third graders took a nature hike around the Southeast to learn about our SC Native Furbearers. Students learned about the range, habitat, and behaviors of each animal. Through hands-on experiences with pelts, skulls, and footprints, students engaged in discussions about camouflage, adaptations, and predator/prey relationships. Fourth- and fifth-grade students expanded their STEM knowledge through a Wind Energy and Artificial Intelligence project.
Fourth-grade students learned the basic concepts used in creating AI through simulations and games in the 4-H AI Project. Students will discuss the pros and cons of artificial intelligence and have the opportunity to develop their own AI project as they continue working on it.
Wind energy is the topic of 5th-grade investigations. Students began the unit by assembling and designing pinwheels to understand how a wind turbine works. The size and number of blades have been tested to determine which is the most beneficial for producing power. The final activity for the students will be to create an electric wind turbine and share it with their school and parents.
Clubs have also been active in preparing our youth. The Walterboro/Colleton County 4-H Club has used its creative skills to create watercolor paintings and barn quilts. They dabbled a bit in artificial intelligence and will soon begin working with Lego robotics. The club is planning a pollinator garden and will start working on germinating seeds and creating a design for the plants at the next meeting. Club member Allyson Scott will be moving on to the State 4-H Presentation Contest with her presentation on Native American Cuisine and the 3 Sisters.
To learn more about 4-H in Colleton County, contact Dawn Stuckey at dstucke@clemson.edu.
