Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we are reaching out to the youth of Mercer County. To continue to keep youth engaged in 4-H and create opportunities for youth to continue to learn we have offered 4-H Grab n’go kits. We offered a variety of projects that focus on S.E.T., horticulture, communications, and family consumer science-related projects youth can complete at home. The projects were also developed for age-appropriate activities for both regular 4-H members and 4-H Cloverbuds.  One of the main goals of the projects was to keep youth busy and engaged for both their mental and physical health. The kits included step by step written instructions and/or instructional video, we also provided supplies to complete the projects. These projects allowed youth to learn a variety of different skills from using tools to learning about science and how things work. We have distributed a total of 1026 kits from March thru June.

We have received positive feedback from social media and parental testimonies. We did have one 4-H Cloverbud youth complete how-to video on one of the grab n’go projects. This has allowed him to share what he learned, build his self-confidence, and communication skills.