The Exchange Club of Blackshear hosted Pierce County 4-H and donated funds to cover expenses for a child to attend 4-H camp who would otherwise not be able to attend.
Billie Ann King, the 4H Youth Development Extension Agent, along with Carrie Carter, 4-H Program Assistant, attended the meeting.
King said, “Carrie is the glue that holds the program together”. It appears they make a great team.
King spoke to the club at length about the many accomplishments of 4-H. “We thank Blackshear Exchange Club for their continued support each year in sponsoring a child to attend summer camp. It is a great program which offers students an opportunity to grow in so many ways and provides them an opportunity they would otherwise not been able to afford. Pierce County 4-H empowers students to find what sparks their interest and be the very best version of themselves. With programs in livestock, shooting sports, leadership, community service, public speaking and more, students of all ages are able to find their passion and reach for the stars.”
Pierce County 4-H provides youth in grades 4-12 several educational experiences and ways to get involved such as the BB & Air Rifle Teams, District Project Achievement public speaking program, monthly 4-H Science Lessons and experiments, community service projects, summer 4-H camps, several summer programs, Cotton Boll and consumer judging teams, poultry judging teams and more. King went on to explain how 4-H partners with Pierce County school systems to hold monthly 4-H science lessons and experiments in each fifth and sixth grade classroom. “We hold monthly meetings for our 7th–12th graders after school where we focus on leadership, public speaking, communication skills and community service,” King said.
Students are able to succeed further than the county level and participate in district and state events like Paige Folette, a Vet Science Master 4-H’er which is the highly sought after status of every 4-H member. Junior and Senior 4-H’ers are able to focus on a specific topic or project area and Master it.
“We now have two attending state congress in the summer for a chance at becoming a master 4-H member in their area of expertise. This enables them to receive 4-H Scholarships and many other awards through the 4-H organization,” said King. “We are thankful for our many community partnerships which in the end, allows Pierce County 4-H to have such an immense impact on the youth of our community. Thank you, Pierce County Exchange Club, for your continued support every year of sending a child to camp.”
King and Carter recently assisted 127 Cloverleaf students in Cloverleaf DPA projects which took place March 15 in Alma. “Our Program Development Coordinator asked us how we have so many participate in this program,” said King. “We confidently say it’s our amazing school system and teacher support. They see the value that our programs have for young people. It sets them up for success and provides those students that aren’t able to afford to be on a baseball team, soccer team or other extra curricular activities the chance to thrive in their own way.”
The 4-H program is free to every child. Fundraisers are held to provide programs. “And we rely heavily on our community to fund our programs,” said King. “This community is special and always reaches out a helping hand to help make our programs a success”.
For more information, please contact the Pierce County 4-H department at 912-449-2034.
