The Rowan County 4-H Council and Extension Council continues to identify the importance of local collaboration as a priority. Whether for youth or adults, having collaboration that entices good leadership attributes and abilities is an asset to being successful. In order to help address this need, the Rowan County 4-H Council has continued to focus on the relationship with local teachers and school personnel. Rowan County 4-H and the public school system has continued to work collaboratively together to offer a number of programs and activities for the youth of Rowan County. 

Twenty-two in-school monthly 4-H classroom clubs were offered for the 2018-2019 school year, Dollars & Sense for all 4^th grade classes, Reality Store and Health and Wellness challenges at the middle school, and Teen Leadership Academy offered to middle and high school youth. Throughout the year during the monthly club meetings, the topics included: Enrollment & What is 4-H, Parliamentary Procedure Trail Mix and Officer Elections, SET (Science, Engineering & Technology), Environmental Education, Physical Activity, Communications and Snap Circuits. Each classroom is a separate 4-H school club. This gives the students more opportunities to take on leadership roles.

From these collaboration efforts, 781 youth members participated in organized 4-H In-School Clubs and 415 youth participated in 4-H Special Interest/Short-Term Programs. Also it is safe to say that through these collaboration efforts, it has impacted the increase of participation for 4-H Summer Camp. This year setting a county record of 183.

This collaboration continues to be a great success. It is the overall goal of the Extension staff that over the course of the school year, the students will receive “hands-on” learning opportunities and to engage these youth in a variety of delivery modes.