National 4-H Leadership Conference Allows Youth to Explore Science, Technology
Contact: Mary Dinsmore, Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation, 207-581-3327 or Ray Corey, Extension Educator, Phone 207-778-4650, rcorey@umext.maine.edu
LINCOLN, Neb. —More than 200 young from across the nation, including five from Maine, attended the 2006 National 4-H Leadership Conference held July 24-27 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Science, Engineering and Technology for the 21st Century” was the conference theme, giving students, ages 14-18, from across the nation the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge technology and take it back to use in their communities.
Maine 4-H sent a group of eight to attend the event. University of Maine Cooperative Extension educators Lisa Phelps, Ray Corey, and Christy Fitzpatrick acted as chaperones and 4-H youth participants were Sky Critchfield from South Casco, Zach Porter from Scarborough, Ashley Dwinal from Carthage, Daniel Reinemann from Union and Gordon Sloat from Hodgdon.
“We know the importance of science and technology is growing,” says Kathleen Lodl, 4-H youth development specialist. “So we are going to equip these students with the skills they need to enter the 21st-century workplace.”
Participants chose one of eight focus areas to pursue during the conference. These hands-on learning workshops covered technology incorporated with remote sensors, emergency readiness, movie-making, food engineering, sports science, Flash animation, robotics and engineering. Porter, a 4-H member from Scarborough, chose to participate in sports science.
“I have always enjoyed playing sports like soccer, baseball and tennis, but had never really thought about the work that goes into designing sports equipment to be safe and comfortable,” he says. “People in the field of sports science technology are always collecting information about injuries so they can make equipment even better and prevent more injuries.”
Mentors worked with delegates to learn life skills related to technology and science, discuss ethical issues, identify career opportunities and explore applications in daily life.
“My focus was Lego