If you haven't been to the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo in recent years, we invite you to visit this year and be ready for a surprise or two. Just as the primary focus of 4-H has evolved over the years, so has the range of competition and exhibits for fair-goers to see.
Over 100 years ago, 4-H started as a way to communicate improved methods for farm and home topics to adults. The idea was that youth could be engaged as a way to pass information along to the adult population.
Today, youth programs are still the backbone of 4-H, but the primary focus has become the personal growth of each member.
4-H teaches life skills to kids to help them become productive adults eager and capable of contributing to society. In order to enrich the lives of as many young people as possible, 4-H has grown to over 7 million members and can be found in rural communities as well as the cities and suburbs. 4-H has expanded to meet the needs of young people from different geographic backgrounds, and the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo is a real world illustration of the progress.
To enrich the lives of today's sophisticated young people from all backgrounds, 4-H still offers livestock and home economics projects that might come to mind when you think about past visits to county fairs. What may be surprising, however, are all the projects 4-H'ers are involved in that have nothing to do with animals, canning fruit, or quilting.
Stroll through Kirk Hall during the Douglas County Fair, and you will see 4-H exhibits and projects in areas such as Shooting Sports, Computers, Visual Arts, Clothing, Veterinary Science, Rocketry, Cake Decorating, Foods, Photography, Ceramics, Leathercraft, or Child Development, just to name a few. Douglas County even provides opportunities for kids in urban areas to participate in livestock programs they might otherwise be unable to do because they have no place to house an animal.
To encourage learning while having a fun day at the fair, school tours can be arranged by calling the Extension office at 720-733-6940.
In summary, a visit to the Douglas County Fair will reveal just how much 4-H has grown and evolved over the years to include project areas that both invite and benefit young people from farms and cities alike.
Old favorites are still around too, so mark your calendars and plan to attend this year's Douglas County Fair and Rodeo from August 1 - 9. If you would like more information about what Douglas County 4-H has to offer, or if you would like to get your child involved, please call the Extension office at 720-733-6940 or visit our website at www.douglascountyextension.org.
Factual Source: National 4-H Headquarters' website: http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/index.htm |
