The "Touch Screen Generation" is terrifyingly tech savvy.  The internet is their lifeblood, as essential as eating and breathing. We are told that kids living in this computer age are smarter than ever before, but basic life skills are on the endangered list.  That is one reason why sewing is considered a valuable survival skill and the continued interest in the 4-H Sewing Project by four young 4-H'ers is something I consider exceptional.  They have already learned basic skills making fabric book covers and drawstring backpacks, so this year they were challenged with constructing a duffel bag. 

This is a step up in skills level from anything they had completed in the past, as it included sewing a centered zipper, topstitching, measuring and finishing seams.  Patience and persistence was demonstrated as they continued on after having to pick out seams several times to "get it just right".  I reminded them that these items were going for competition at the fairs and they needed to look at their work with the same eyes they thought a judge might use.  However, they enjoyed one another's fellowship and I was frequently told, "I'm coming if so-and-so is going to be there".  We enjoyed snacks and sometimes took a walk in the middle of a session just to clear our heads with some physical activity.

The goal of this project is to teach youngsters skills they can use throughout their lives as well as encouraging critical thinking and creativity.  This ties into the fact that such work could give them an edge in the high-tech service economy of tomorrow where creative, flexible workers will be the ones in demand.  The end result for those involved here is,, all 4-H'ers completed their projects, which will now go on to compete in the local county fair as well as the Kentucky State Fair. They are very eager to see how they will do.  All have agreed this is something they feel comfortable enough with to take the next step, and project work is already outlined for the 2019-2020 year.