Thursday, May 9, 2024
Greyson Bay and Maddox McAndrew display their 4-H project, a robot named Taco Cat that they made and programmed themselves.
Earlier this month, members of Retired School Personnel (CRSP) learned a little about 4-H, what it is, what is involved, and how it has changed over the years. The program was organized by County Extension Agent and 4-H Youth Development Coordinator Becky Coward.
Coward explained that 4-H is similar to a club, and that it is for kids and teens between ages 5 and 18. Those in grades 3-12 can belong to 4-H, and many areas have “clover kids” to include kindergarten through 2nd grade. 4-H is America’s largest youth development organization, empowering nearly six million young people with skills for a lifetime giving back to their community, being their own best selves, working in an environment with like-minded people who care about them, and learning to explain their projects — which could become a career or lifelong passion for them.
In Texas, 4-H began in 1908 in Jack County. A 4-H Museum now exists in the city of Jacksboro. It is part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M System. 4-H has become an activity for youth through in-school and after-school programs, school and community duties, and 4-H camps.
When 4-H began, it was primarily focused on agriculture. It is no longer just an organization for kids with animals to raise and show. All 4-H members must have one hands-on project. Organized by topics, 4-H projects now reach out into categories of (1) Agriculture and livestock; (2) Family and community; (3) Natural resources; (4) Leadership and citizenship; and (5) the STEM group, which includes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
4-H depends on adult volunteers to mentor youths, oversee local clubs, and run events (competitions and fairs, for example). Volunteers will be trained in various fields. They go through volunteer orientation, child protective course training, and are carefully screened.
To help demonstrate what’s new in 4-H, Coward brought two 4-H Club members with her. They were Greyson Bay and Maddox McAndrew, both fifth graders at Gatesville Intermediate School. When a retiree asked what the four H’s meant, the boys both responded with “Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.”
Coward went on to explain that the four H’s represent actions that members strive to achieve. The Head indicates clearer thinking (training to think, plan, and reason); the Heart stands for greater loyalty (being kind, true, and sympathetic); the Hands point to larger service (useful, helpful, and skillful); and the Heart leads to better living (resisting temptations, realizing, and enjoying life). The “4-H Pledge” states that these actions will be performed by members “for my club, my country, my community, and my world.”
The project Greyson and Maddox are working on involves robotics, one of the STEM group of projects (science, technology, engineering, and math).
Robots are all around us. They help make life easier and they are more efficient, and more fun. The field of robotics is expanding at a rapid pace, and Texas 4-H is poised to help lead young people into this exciting field. The mentors for Greyson and Maddox are Leighann Goodwin and Santana Bay. During the school year, the boys meet weekly with their mentors. Working in teams, they learn to design, build, code, and program their own robot. The primary platform for the project is Lego robot parts.
Greyson explained that they had named their robot “Taco Cat.” He and Maddox then demonstrated a few of the commands they have taught Taco Cat: to turn around, to follow a particular path, to avoid certain colors, to stay off of the fold line on their paper, and to pick up items. One of the retirees asked what else they might like to train a robot to do, and one of the boys shouted out, “To clean my room,” which caused some laughter. The teams meet with their mentors again in August, where they expand on what they have learned and hopefully become interested in competing against other teams in robotics.
At one point, the robot did not respond to the boys in the expected manner. Greyson said, “I’m curious. I wonder why he did that?” Maddox took over the computer and started working on the problem, with Greyson looking on and making suggestions.
Coward asked if the audience had heard what the boys said, and she repeated it for the group. She said, “This is a big part of what 4–H projects are all about … curiosity, skill-building, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and teamwork.” The organization also encourages leadership, good citizenship, and community service. A lot has changed since 1908 when 4-H began, but it is clear that 4-H itself has changed, adapting to the times and greatly expanding its offerings to millions of young people.
