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With the county fair approaching, 4-H kids can be found diligently caring for their livestock, grooming and feeding them daily. Other kids may be focused on finalizing indoor submissions, and often 4-H kids manage to do both.
This week, participants wrapped up the last of nine project days offered at the extension office, allowing members to explore a few of the many 4-H projects available. Members were guided through hands-on activities and completed articles to be entered at the county fair.
Jamie Fasset, 4-H Agent at the extension office, said it’s all about engaging the youth.
“It’s not just the hours spent here. It’s also going home, and they have something to be energized about,” Fasset said “Then they get excited because they know if it gets first place here, then it makes the state fair and also goes to the southern fair in Las Cruces.”
Fasset said with an indoor exhibit buckle up for the taking, the 4-H kids are motivated not only to turn in as much as they can but to place in the top three for the most points.
This year, the extension office’s project days included Plant & Soil Science, Electricity I, Leather Craft I, Sewing I, Consumer Savvy; financial management, Uniquely NM, Wildlife, and cloverbud days for our younger members.
“This year, we did a lot of different ones that we haven’t done in the past, like the electricity and financial management,” Fasset said “It’s good for the kids to see something a little bit different.”
Frank Barela, a New Mexico State University Fish and Wildlife Conservation ecology student interning at the extension office for the summer, presented the last project day on wildlife. He guided 4-H youth through creating a wildlife identification booklet.
Fasset said the project days were open to all the 4-H group members in the county and a total of 45 members participated.
Currently, Socorro County 4-H enrollment is up with 163 youth and 16 volunteers. When the kids aren’t preparing, they are running meetings, competing and volunteering.
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Just in July, 4-H kids traveled to the NM State 4-H conference, where they had several wins. A Socorro County team placed fifth in the livestock skill-a-thon, one first-place individual won in Entomology, and two individuals were top-five in horticulture and wildlife.
Around the same time, other 4-H youth volunteered at the New Mexico Territory Cowboy Mounted Shooters event, replacing shot balloons between each run.
The 4-H program’s idea is to offer a dynamic non-formal education program. It provides opportunities for youth to acquire life skills and gain knowledge while having fun. The life skills learned in 4-H enable youth to become productive, well-informed, self-reliant, responsible adults.
