Molly Jones, Dorchester County 4-H Agent
Dorchester county 4-H is flourishing! The holiday season was jam-packed with fun activities for 4-H club members and youth within the community. During the month of December, Dorchester County 4-H offered its first paint night at the Clemson Extension office in Saint George. Youth ages 8-18 were invited to register for “Hot Cocoa and Paint Night” and registration filled up fast! We welcomed a total of 12 painters and 5 volunteers for a night of holiday trivia, hot cocoa, fresh baked cookies, popcorn, and painting! Each participant painted a portrait of “Rudolph” the reindeer to take home. Everyone left with an armful of 4-H door prizes and trivia winnings. There were big smiles all around.
On December 5, 2021, the Dorchester County 4-H Explorers club accompanied by members of the Dorchester 4-H Teen Council, participated in the Town of Saint George Christmas Extravaganza Parade. Agent Molly Jones and her husband Dusty Jones provided their Jeep Wrangler and utility trailer for the event. 4-H’ers met at the Clemson Extension office at 2:00 pm to decorate the Jeep and trailer with as many lights as possible! They did an awesome job, so awesome that they took first place in their float category (color guard and scouts). The club was presented with a trophy for their first-place winning! We are so very proud of our 4-H members who attended.
The Dorchester 4-H Teen Council gathered at the Clemson Extension office to create holiday door hangers and wreaths to be donated to the St. George Health Care Center a local nursing facility in Saint George. St. George Health Care Center was so appreciative of the décor for their residents.
Agent Molly Jones hosted two hands-on activity sessions at the Dorchester County Library. Storytime with 4-H concentrates on agricultural stories and lessons for ages 5-13. STEM Tweens sessions concentrate on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines in a fun, hands-on platform. The partnership with the Dorchester County Library is growing and will expand into the new year.
It is now a new year and the beginning stages of a busy spring! January has been a month of planning and preparing for the upcoming spring months at Dorchester 4-H and Clemson Extension. A new club is blooming for the youth of the Saint George community. The Dorchester County 4-H Junior Master Gardeners club and Mrs. Jordyn Baker our newest volunteer leader are welcoming members ages 6-10 to learn all about gardening in the Lowcountry. Plans are in the works to create a community and educational garden plot in Saint George. We are so excited for the possibilities ahead of this new club.
Independent projects are in the planning stages for the spring. The 4-H Tomato project and 4-H Backyard Birding Project will re-launch. Be on the lookout for registration! School enrichment programming is buzzing with requests for our 4-H Embryology projects in which classrooms are provided a 4-H Embryology Kit and fertilized chicken eggs to hatch out during this fun month-long program. The first of a series of kit drop-offs will begin on February 28, 2022. There are 3 classrooms in Dorchester County as well as 3 classrooms in Charleston County receiving their kits. 4-H Embryology is one of our most enjoyed school enrichment programs.
Members of the Dorchester County 4-H Teen Council plans to be in attendance at South Carolina 4-H Legislative day. This event provides 4-H members a unique opportunity to promote the South Carolina 4-H program to elected state officials. Participants share their personal 4-H stories with legislators and discuss the benefits of their local Clemson University Cooperative Extension programming in their home communities. This event takes place on March 8, 2022.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
