Alexander 4-H Newsletter-April 2021

Alexander 4-H Newsletter

April 2021

The Alexander County Center is now open to the public. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health of county employees, citizens who are sick or running a fever should not visit these facilities. Citizens who do visit are required to wear a cloth face covering and maintain social distance of at least six feet. The county still encourages business to be conducted via phone or email when possible, but realizes that in-person interaction is necessary in some cases. Agents are still available, so please call them at 828-632-4451 or email. For a list of email addresses click the following link: https://alexander.ces.ncsu.edu/people/

Successful Embryology Program!

The month of March, 19 2nd grade classrooms participated in hands on educational program called Embryology. Incubators and eggs were provided by Alexander 4-H thanks to funding by United Way of Alexander County. Eggs were monitored and flipped three times daily by the students. The eggs incubated for 21 days and hatched on March 22. The chicks stay in a brooder box in the classroom for the remainder of the week for the kids to watch and learn about. The Embryology program is an awesome experience for the second graders, as they watch the eggs develop, they learn about the life cycle. This program always gets positive feedback from the teachers, students and parents. Enjoy some pictures from this year's program!

NC 4-H Summer Camp Dates Available!

Want to attend 4-H Camp at the Eastern 4-H Center in Columbia, NC this summer? Great!! Alexander 4-H will be taking a group June 20-25, 2021. 4-H Camp is open to youth ages 8-14 and offers a variety based upon age. If you would like more information please contact the N.C. Cooperative Extension-Alexander County Center at 828-632-3125. For more information about the Eastern 4-H Center please click the following link: http://www.eastern4hcenter.org/

Concerned about COVID-19 at camp? Here is a quick overview of the protocols that will be implemented for all staff and campers. COVID-19 Parent FAQ

How do I become active in 4-H??

The first step to becoming an active 4-H member, volunteer, or participant during this year's 4-H program (2021) is to re-enroll. If you are a 4-H member under 18, your parent or guardian can renew your membership. *New youth members, volunteers and participants are strongly encouraged to enroll now too.

North Carolina 4-H uses an online system, called 4-HOnline 2.0, to manage 4-H memberships, clubs, projects, activities, and communications. *All members who participate in North Carolina 4-H must have a

4-HOnline 2.0 profile (Note: *Due to COVID-19 local 4-H programs may not require youth who participate in "virtual - only" programs to complete the entire 4-HOnline 2.0 enrollment process.)

4-HOnline 2.0 accounts are family-based, which means every family creates a "master" profile with its own login ID and password. A member file is then created within the family profile for each individual involved in North Carolina 4-H. If you were previously enrolled and/or if someone in your family was involved in North Carolina 4-H from 2018 to 2020, you probably have an existing family profile in 4-HOnline 2.0. Previous members should use their existing login and password to access their family profile in the new 4-H Online 2.0 platform. *Members who are re-enrolling should NOT create a new account. If you need assistance accessing your existing family profile, review the steps in this guide. If necessary, contact your local 4-H Office for assistance.

Learn more about 4-H Online 2.0 and how to enroll>>

National Volunteer Week Celebrates Alexander County Extension Volunteers

Each year, thousands of volunteers in North Carolina donate their time and energy to make their communities a better place to live. These volunteers will be among the millions across the country who will be spotlighted during the 47th anniversary of National Volunteer Week, April 18-24, 2021.

The Corporation for National and Community Service reported that 77.4 million adult Americans volunteered 6.9 billion hours of service worth $167 billion in 2018. In 2018 in North Carolina, more than 2.81 million volunteers contributed 265.3 million hours of service, valued at $6.4 billion.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension relies heavily on the generosity of volunteers. In 2020 volunteers with North Carolina Cooperative Extension volunteered 432,825 hours achieving 645,229 client contacts. Their estimated value in service was $11,006,740. In Alexander County, 200 volunteers, both youth and adult, serve in a variety of capacities helping to extend the research-based knowledge to the community.

Volunteers spend numerous hours working on tasks, such as helping a 4-H youth with a 4-H project, leading a project to serve the community, or helping organize a county-wide farm day.

Volunteers are involved in every aspect of the Extension program, including determining the needs of the local community, planning and implementing programs to address these needs, securing resources, and evaluating programs.

The work of Extension volunteers is continuous. Every day volunteers lend a helping hand to make Extension programs more beneficial to the residents of Alexander County. To become a volunteer or to learn more, contact DJ Salyer, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development in Alexander County at 828-632-3125.

N.C. Cooperative Extension is a strategic partnership of NC State University, N.C. A&T State University, USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and local governments statewide. Extension professionals in all 100 counties, and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, connect millions of North Carolinians with research-based information and technology from the universities. Educational programs specialize in agriculture, food and nutrition, 4-H youth development, community development and the environment. Find your local center at www.alexander.ces.ncsu.edu.

Adapted from handbook written by: Steve McKinley, 4-H Extension Specialist, Leadership/Volunteerism, Purdue University

4-H Summer Opportunities

Be on the lookout in the next few weeks about 2021 4-H Summer Opportunities. This year will look a little different from previous years, but thankfully we will be able to give youth an opportunity to have fun and learn this summer with Alexander 4-H.