Providing quality learning experiences, while developing youth for the future, has always been the mission of Nebraska 4-H Youth Development.
Over the past seven weeks, NUMEROUS 4-H and Extension professionals across the state have led a variety of Nebraska 4-H At-Home and Virtual Learning experiences. THANK YOU for your outstanding work! Here are a few specific examples (we know there are many more!) of how these outreach efforts are reaching youth across Nebraska and beyond:
- Living Room Learning is a series of programs (presently offered twice a week) where elementary-age children learn through hands-on 4-H experiences such as creating their own marbled paper, using balloons to launch rockets in their living room, planting seeds, or looking inside fertilized eggs to see the chick developing inside. In the first six weeks, Living Room Learning has reached 970 households in Nebraska and across the US.
- Boredom Busters Challenge (presently designed for middle school youth) gives participants a new challenge on Monday, then they come back together on Wednesday to discuss what they’ve learned and take one step further in their learning. Boredom Busters Challenge has developed a close following by more than 380 households. Nearly half (49%) of these households have registered for a second, or third, or even a sixth week (6%) after participating in a Boredom Busters Challenge.
With summer nearing and directed health measures in place, Nebraska 4-H continues to be uniquely positioned to serve young people and their families with a variety of virtual programming experiences.
Starting on Monday, June 1, several types of live statewide learning experiences will be offered for Nebraska youth. These include the following:
1. Episodic Educational Programs
These FREE programs will be held regularly, once a week, for 10 weeks of the summer, and will last 30-45 minutes in length. Zoom will be used and the sessions will be recorded and placed online following the program. Hands-on educational activities will be focused upon weekly themes.
- Boredom Busters: 4-H Exhibit Edition (Mondays at 2pm CT/1pm MT)
- 4-H Family Night (Tuesdays at 7pm CT/6pm MT)
- Living Room Learning (Thursdays at 10:30am CT/9:30am MT)
- Virtual Field Trips (dates/times TBD)
2. Special Topic Virtual Camp Programs
Virtual Camps will be held 5 days a week in a morning or afternoon session for 1 week of the summer and will last 3-4 hours in length. The schedule will provide opportunities for connecting with other participants, learning from a content instructor, self-guided independent activities, team-building breaks, and reflection activities. Zoom will be used; programs will be offered for a fee (around $75; scholarships available). Topics are being finalized, but will most likely include a Nebraska 4-H Camp Experience, offerings that were originally a part of Big Red Summer Academic Camps (ex. Animation), and more!
Additional live educational experiences may be hosted occasionally throughout the summer using social media. More information about all of these experiences will be shared at https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-home-learning when the details have been finalized.
Local programming will also be key to meeting the needs of all Nebraska youth this summer. Two upcoming webinars will be offered to support you in developing a summer virtual programming plan:
1. Developing Virtual Learning Experiences for Nebraska 4-H Youth | Thursday, May 7, at 3pm CT/2pm MT
During the webinar, more information will be shared about the above statewide live learning experiences and how faculty/staff may support these educational efforts. A complete agenda will be distributed soon!
2. Developing Self-Paced (Asynchronous) Virtual Learning Resources for Nebraska 4-H Youth | Friday, May 15, at 10am CT/9pm MT
Additional details regarding connection information and agendas will be shared soon.
Feel free to contact Tracy Pracheil (tpracheil2@unl.edu) or Saundra Frerichs (sfrerichs2@unl.edu) if you have any questions!