“Learn by Doing.” This is the core educational philosophy of the 4-H program. We know that when provided with positive youth development and opportunities to learn in a hands-on setting, that youth are more likely to retain the knowledge. Helping youth to identify their “spark” or areas that they find interesting plays a large part in identifying an educational path they wish to pursue to ultimately find the place they fit in this world. The goal is to establish a sense of belonging while learning.
In order to help foster this “Learn by Doing” philosophy, we have partnered with Barton Community College to offer our first Pathfinders Program. This hands-on experience will provide youth in grades 6-8 with two career exploration opportunities in the morning on Oct. 3. One will be focused on the construction, plumbing, and welding fields. With the guidance of Barton Community College instructors, youth will build their very own irrigated planter that they will get to take home. The other session will explore careers in the health-care field, most specifically, careers in Emergency Medical Services. They will get to practice simulated activities and ride in an ambulance. We do ask that youth wear pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed-toed shoes for these sessions.
The morning will also offer an adult session to explore opportunities at Barton Community College, and what K-State Extension has to offer. After a provided lunch on campus, youth will experience a goal-writing session where they will work on creating their own vision boards. We’ll also take part in some team-building and communication activities.
This program will be located at the Barton Community College main campus. We encourage you to register as soon as possible, as space is limited. The cost to attend is $20. You can register by visiting either the Cottonwood Extension District or Barton Community College Facebook pages, or by visiting the Cottonwood Extension District website at cottonwood.k-state.edu. We hope to see you there!
For more information on 4-H Youth Development or K-State Extension call 620-793-1910, email 4-H Agent Ben Sims at benjam63@ksu.edu, or stop by the Great Bend office at 3007 10th St. Follow K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood Extension District Facebook page and check the website cottonwood.k-state.edu for the most up-to-date information about Extension programming.
