Weeks three and four

                I went to Europe for three weeks so this is technically my third and fourth week as an intern. When I came back from Europe I barely had time to breathe before I jumped right into 4-H Teen Conference (TC)! This was not my first time at TC; this was my fifth year at TC so I was familiar with the process.  However, this was my supervising agent's and county delegate's first year so I was glad that I knew what I was doing.. or we would have all  been a little confused!  We arrived at Teen Conference that Monday and it isn’t the first day of TC if it doesn’t rain!  I was in the middle of giving my county a tour of UK’s campus when it started to down pour.  Luckily, we were just at the library so we made it back before we were drenched.  Monday night at TC my brother and I, both members of the State Teen Council, actually got to sing the National Anthem and My Old Kentucky Home.  The opening ceremony at TC was pretty cool! The motivational speaker was hilarious; I had Hey Mickey stuck in my head all week!

                Last year at Teen Conference, I was a State 4-H Office so I was very busy that whole week.   This year at TC, coming as an intern, was very different.  I got to participate and teach tracks/workshops and actually got to help out the State Performing Arts Troup.  I co-taught the track “Kicking it with Katy and Kelsey” with Katy Datoma, the 4-H Program Assistant in Fayette County.  This track was designed to be a place where teens can just come and talk about life.  We let everyone write a question on a piece of paper, Katy and I read the question aloud, and then answered it to the best of our abilities.  Our questions ranged from college life to fitting into high school.  On Tuesday evening, we had the awards banquet/office speeches and then district night out.  The district night out was a lot of fun! District three went to The Movie Tavern where we had meal and saw the movie Epic.   I had a lot of fun here and loved the movie! Wednesday night was the State Fashion Review, the announcing of the new State Officers and the closing dance.  Fashion review was wonderful as always! The male escorts dance was to funny!  A girl from District 3 also won fashion review! District pride!! The announcing of the new officers was a little bitter sweet for me because as a Past State Officer it brought back great memories of when I was elected.  But it also meant that I am two years past my time as a State Officer.  I was really happy for the newly elected officer and I think they will do great things in 2013-14! The closing dance was so much fun!  I loved the photo booth that was set up this year! I spend most of my time out there waiting for pictures! By the final night, I was completely exhausted! I was really sad for the last night, but was ready to be home! The closing ceremony Thursday morning was a great way to end the week.  I cried a little for the officers who hung up their jackets, but smiled at the accomplishments they made the past year.  The slide show, done by Spot Light track, was a great recap of the week!  After the ceremony, Grant County packed up and headed back up to Northern Kentucky. 

Grant County delegates at the photobooth!

Grant county delegate enjoying Starbucks for the first time!

                That Friday following Teen Conference was a very long day.  I did some paper work and prepared the next week to come.  The week following TC was filled with camp preparation and project days.  On Monday (June 17), the Program assistant (Chelsea Young) and I worked on camp materials.  We went through applications seeing who was missing what.  That afternoon, Lamar (Grant County agent), Chelsea and I, visited Meadowview apartments to talk about to youth about Careers.  These kids are participating in a summer camp and every day they try to get some professional development speakers for the kids.  We came and talked to them about different career and college paths that you can take.  Tuesday morning, Chelsea and I continued working on camp materials.  We sent letters out about orientation and then we made the schedule for orientation.   We spent a lot of time working on camps stuff and we still have more to do, but the rest will be after camp orientation.  That afternoon I worked on my getting more materials for my summer project.  I am doing a four day cooking camp and it is really starting to come together!    That evening, I attended the Grant County annual homemaker dinner.  Patty Poor, the Family and Consumer Science agent, asked me to come and sing for their entertainment portion of the evening.  This was a different side of extension that I have not seen much yet this summer.  I got to meet many of the homemakers in Grant County and hear about the exciting work the Grant County homemakers are doing!

                Earlier in the summer, Lamar and I were interviewed on the radio to promote 4-H.  I guess we became so famous that they wanted us to do a TV segment promoting 4-H!  Wednesday (which was also my birthday!!) we had the opportunity to record a TV segment that will air on Grant County cable! 

Grant County 4-H Staff at the TV station!

This was a really cool opportunity! Since it was my birthday the office staff also brought my in some doughnuts!!  Also on Wednesday, there was a 4-H no-sew class.  At this class kids made crafts out of cloth materials, but there was no sewing.  They made t-shirt wreaths and decorated t-shirts with crayons.  There is another no-sew class next week I am really looking forward to!  On Thursday, there was scrapbooking club meeting all day at the office.  This day went by really fast because we were so busy scrapbooking! Sadly, there weren’t many kids that showed up, but the kids that did had some great scrap book pages!  On Friday, there was a 4-H Project day at the office.  Around 10 kids showed up to work on projects that could be enter in the fair.  They made paper crafts, a piggy bank out of Pringles and stick horses out of 2-liter Coke bottles and tobacco sticks. 

I helped a six year old make a 4-H green stick bull.  

This week at the office flew by because we were so busy!  I really like days that are filled with activities.  Lamar has told me many times “4-H Agents get paid to play” and with Teen Conference last week and all the classes at the office that statement has been very true!