4-H SUMMER CLUB EXPANDS TO BOYS & GIRLS CLUB

Marathon County has been working with the 4-H Summer clubs for several years. In 2007, we experienced a lower than anticipated enrollment at Jones & Lincoln Elementary Schools. Therefore, we began to look for new ways to meet the needs of low income youth in the area. This turned out to become one or our major accomplishments! This summer was the initiation of a club at the Boys and Girls Club of Wausau (A new partnership between our agencies). This club was a shortened version of the program which ran throughout the summer at GD Jones and Lincoln Elementary. The 4-H Club met four days a week for two weeks in July (2 hours per session for a total of 16 hours).The Boys and Girls Club provided lunch for all of the 4-H youth. The youth truly enjoyed the 4-H program and were all sad to see it end so fast. On the last day of the Boys & Girls Club, one of the mothers came to the group and reported how her children have just loved 4-H, and was so excited to come to the program every day. She expressed her gratitude and thanks by providing a cake for the "wrap-up party". We have already discussed plans to continue the partnership with the Boys and Girls Club in 2008. This program meets a joint need.  Boys & Girls Club is funded for grades 5 and up, but they get many younger kids who hang out at the center because of summer school busing or older siblings who are participating in their programs. 4-H is prepared to meet the educational and social needs of these younger youth. Together we can provide quality services for youth in the area.

In the "regular" 4-H summer club we also experienced another heartwarming success. The program was called "A Road Trip Across America" and each week the 4-H'ers learned about a different region of the United States. A corn husk doll project was taught as part of the Midwest region lesson. The kids were all given a cob of corn, which they husked themselves, and then were taught step-by-step to make a corn husk doll. The following week the kids had the opportunity to make clothes from felt for their dolls. One Hmong child dressed her doll in a traditional Hmong dress, with a head-dress. It was heartwarming to see her bring her own culture to the craft lesson and to talk about how the addition of the Hmong have enhanced our Midwestern culture. At the Wisconsin Valley Fair she received a merit ribbon for her doll and it was featured in a special display in the Youth Building. It was very rewarding for the summer club staff to see a child go above and beyond the expectations they had for the project results and to experience the pride of watching their young student excel!

Jean Berger, 4-H Youth Development Agent - 2007 Success Story

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