Author: Patrick Allen
Planning Unit: 4-H Central Operations
Major Program: Natural Resources 4-H Core Curriculum
Plan of Work: Basic Life Skills for Youth and Adults in Scott County
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
This year Scott County 4-H changed up the woodworking and electricity day camping program. This year we wanted to focus more on skill development and not the number of projects. I offered two day camps that youth could attend for woodworking. This was different than past years as we only had one day to do all the activities, rather than four days. The past comments I received from participants was that the week was too long and the youth lost interest in the projects. This day camp continues to draw interest from both male and female youth, this year we had several returning members and a few new in attendance. We focused on learning about tools, how they work and when they are needed for the project. We practiced Technics in sawing, drilling, and hammering. We made saw horses, and a step stool/ seat using all Technics learned. We reaped up reviewing all of what was talked about, all youth had a better understanding of the tools, how they work, and what they are needed for. All youth reported feeling more confident and comfortable with the skills learned. All youth were able to properly demonstrate the tasks asked of them. The youth walked away with one project that they built using a variety of skills demonstrated throughout the day. This process seemed to go better than past years, as they youth seemed more attentive and enthusiastic about the discussions on tools and uses. This process also allowed me to office this to more youth and keep the classes smaller, giving me more opportunities to take time demonstrating how to use the tools. This process will be the fine-tuned for next year and hopefully will continue to be successful.