National Youth Science Day demonstrates breadth of 4-H programs’ focus

Tera Robinson, program officer of the 4-H youth development program, conducts an experiment during the 4-H National Science Day camp at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Learning Center on Oct. 8. Cassia Reed, right, and her brother, Aaron, watch.

By Jeff Pope

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 | midnight

Long known for its livestock and farming programs, the national 4-H organization and local clubs encouraged children to discover that the youth club offers science and engineering programs that have nothing do to with pigs and horses.

Congress declared Oct. 8 as the first 4-H National Youth Science Day because "the need for science education, especially outside the classroom, is crucial to our country's ability to remain globally competitive."

Local clubs used the national recognition to encourage children and their parents to form a local chapter focused on science, especially in urban areas.

"Kids in the city don't have room to raise swine or horses, but there are a lot of other sciences they can experiment with," said Walter Barker, who heads the 4-H Youth Development programs at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension in Silverado.

The Cooperative Extension provides after-school programs and home school programs, and charters community and military clubs.

There are 16 4-H clubs in Southern Nevada with 12,000 participants, Barker said.

The 4-H participants are ages 5 to 19 taking part in programs meant to teach leadership, citizenship and life skills.

Science clubs experiment with GIS and GPS units, alternative energy, robotics and rocketry.

The programs reach youth who otherwise don't have the chance to build robots or launch rockets and give them a relaxed environment away from school, said Sandy Sanders, a community-based instructor with the Cooperative Extension.

"It's a more fun environment with their friends," she said. "It gives children more time to expand their interests."

Animal science has long been the standard program for which 4-H was known. It was the way to reach children in rural areas, said Lori Leas, a program officer with the Cooperative Extension.

But clubs can focus on sports, photography, business and even karaoke.

"Any project you can think of, you can study," Leas said. "It's not limited to anything but your imagination."

Walter Barker's daughter, Silverado High School student Alyssa Barker, 16, said the 4-H space program gave her the chance to experience a flight simulator and meet an astronaut.

"In school, there's a lot more paperwork," she said. "In rocketry, we spoke to an astronaut and asked him questions. In class, we would have just read what he said."

Jeff Pope can be reached at 990-2688 or jeff.pope@hbcpub.com.