4-H Means Making a Difference.

One of the Hort techs gave me a Venus Fly Trap!

The past couple of weeks have been very busy around the office, for me at least. In between finishing reports, the agents have still be busy with programming and other events. In 4-H we are preparing to head to North Central this coming Monday for camp. This will be my twelfth year at camp. We are also preparing for our new 4-H assistants who begin the week after camp!

Over these past two weeks I have been spread between a few programs. I helped lead a diabetes support group with one of the Family and Consumer Science Agents, Rhonda Rex. That was a really neat experience and it was also a lot of fun! I got to do a food demo and teach how to make a healthy breakfast smoothie and talk about the benefits of breakfast and how to take a few simple ingredients and turn them into a meal. A lot of times, people who have type two diabete, the group we worked with, don't know how to adjust their eating habits or recipes to accomodate their new lifestyle. With the support group, the hope is that we give them the tools and knowledge to empower them to change or adjust their eating habits to live longer and healthier lives.

I also worked with the other FCS agent, Kate (Vaught) Thompson, with the LEAP program at a local daycare. We took fruit for the kids to try after we read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to them. We also had the kids talk about the colors of the fruit and if they had tried them or not. We ended the time with an activity of the kids making their own caterpillar and drawing fruite on the page as well.

Our Crazy Cupcake Creations!

With 4-H the past couple of weeks have been devoted to preparing for camp. We have help three camper orientations and two trainings for adult counselors and junior counselors. We spent our time getting "back to the basics" of camp for our volunteers because we have a lot of new volunteers this year. Even with camp being a few days away I still do not feel prepared at all! Our entire county takes up the whole camp. I will be teaching leather crafting with Sherri Broderick, one of the 4-H agents as well as creating our slideshow for our last night at camp!

Dr. Smith

Sherri Broderick and I also had a "cupcake crazy" day, where we decorated cupcakes with 4-Hers! We made an owl, beaver, bears at the beach, gone fishing, mashed potato, and monkey cupcakes. It was a great hands on experience for the kids and we got to teach them new techniques for when they are decorating cakes and cupcakes themselves.

Yesterday I got to attend a UK AG alumni event with some of the agents and secretaries. We took a ride on a river boat up the Ohio River and got to hear Dr. Smith speak about his time as the Dean. It was a great evening with some great people!

The Cincinnati Skyline at Dusk

I cannot believe that there are only two more weeks left in my internship with 4-H and Campbell County. I am going to miss coming to the office and the different experiences that I have had over my time here. I already am planning to visit the office and meet up with them when I can at the weekly Skyline Chili lunch run.