“Stay Busy With 4-H Summer Fun”
Matt BarberA clear sign of the impending summer season usually happens
inside homes across America around this time of the year. It involves your family sitting down with a checkbook and
calculator in one hand while the other hand searches the internet for summer activities. You have just realized that
summer is almost here, and your kids need a fun, safe place to spend their time. Davidson County 4-H has spent the last
few months putting together summer programs to help you fill that time in a fun and educational way – 2018 Summer Fun.
The 4-H does not believe in taking summers off. We are offering a huge variety of activities for our youth through June,
July, and August. There will be adventurous trips and physical activities for the thrill seekers, scientific fun and
experiments for the curious minds, career exploration, relaxed fun, and much more. The 4-H believes in helping youth
reach their full potential while learning valuable life skills. The summer programs we offer can do just that.
While lounging through the summer sounds great to most people, we say make the most of your new found extra time. You
never know which program or activity might spark a lifelong passion.
It’s also very important for young people to continue stimulating their minds during the months they
are not in school. Parents worry about it and educators complain about it: kids can fall behind academically during
the summer. Just because the school doors close does not mean opportunities for growth and learning have to. This
has proven to be a major problem with youth today. According to the National Summer Learning Association, all young
people experience learning losses, or the “summer slide” when they do not engage in educational activities during
the summer. Research spanning over 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the
end of summer than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer. Most students will lose about two months of
grade level equivalency over the summer months. Without ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills,
kids fall behind on measures of academic achievement over this time period. Planning ahead and participating in our
4-H programs could be a major factor in how well your child does when they return to school. Most kids enjoy having
a well-deserved break from school, but many are at risk of falling behind. You can encourage your child to learn this
summer in fun ways, with the opportunities offered by Davidson County 4-H.
Martin Fischer, a famous professor of physiology, once said “All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring
mind”. Research has found that interest is a more powerful predictor of future choices than prior achievement
or demographic variables. It’s all about finding something your child may be interested in and we take pride in
offering a wide variety of subject matter in our summer programming. Take a moment to look over our summer fun brochure
and see if any of our programs would be of interest to your child. They will not just have a fun, safe place to spend
their time, but a variety of places to learn, grow, and stretch their mind. Summer Fun information and registration
will be out soon. 4-H is open to all Davidson County youth aged 5-18. For more information contact Matt Barber
at 336-242-2080 or matthew_barber@ncsu.edu.
Pictured left: (Davidson County 4-Hers Matthew
Bruff and Trey Tysinger learn about alpacas during 4-H Summer Fun)
