By Kelly Ann Radzik, Extension Educator

Walk through any shopping mall and ask people about 4-H. Most will say it's a program for farm kids raising animals, cows at county fair, that kind of thing. (Maybe the most popular answer will change to pigs after this year's holiday family movie Charlotte's Web and its 4-H connection.) 4-H does do farm animals, but even in its early history, it has offered topics that appeal to all kinds of kids.

Case in point - the beginning of the 4-H program in New York is attributed to Liberty Hyde Bailey who started Junior Naturalist clubs in the early 1900's. Learning about birds and trees and insects are some of our most popular projects, especially with non-farm youth. We also do cooking and woodworking and public speaking, just to name a few of our many kid-friendly topics.

So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone (although it probably will be) that 4-H is a part of the Hudson Middle School Afterschool program. This 21st-Century and Advantage Afterschool grant-funded program gives the students wonderful opportunities to explore new topics in a fun-filled hands-on way. 4-H's motto is "learn by doing," so the pairing is perfect!

This winter session we are offering the "Pet Pals" project. The students are learning about responsible pet ownership through creative activities and visits from their 4-H club counterparts. For example, last week the Goatie Goaters 4-H Club from Ghent visited with a few birds and a lizard named Lilo. The Pet Pals crew prepared interview questions and asked things like "How do you take care of your pet?," "How much does it cost you a month to buy your pet's supplies?," and "What’s the most fun thing about your pet?" In the first week of January, the Hoofers and the Bouncing Bunnies 4-H Clubs plan to visit with their well-trained rabbits. The Pet Pals students will have the opportunity to handle a rabbit and learn how to prepare one of the furry creatures for a show.

The group also does creative activities. In the second session of the program, the group role-played the part of pet shelter adoption counselors. They reviewed applications and created the perfect pet for each hopeful family. This lesson had them really think about the importance of a good match between the pet's needs and the family's wants. It also allowed them to get creative! Elijah created a cammster (part cat, part hamster) for a lady who lived in a small camper and wanted something cuddly, but wasn't ready for a lot of responsibility. Even more exotic was Savannah's hambunca: part hamster, part bunny, and part cat, which combined the best features of each. Oswaldo’s superhamster was smart enough to do homework and clean its own cage. And while their creations may have been fanciful, the Pet Pals crew was very serious about meeting the needs of their pet. One student reviewed an application and made a very strong case that that person was not ready for a pet at all.

Other planned activities include: a pet food nutrition challenge, a Dr. Doolittle experience (walk like the animal, talk like the animal - see the world through the animal's perspective), and designing an educational campaign to help other kids learn about pets and their needs. During all of this fun, we are embracing the 4-H philosophy: the kids make choices about what they do, they are being hands-on and active, and they are learning to work together as a team.

Before our last club visit, one of the Pet Pals members said to another, "What if the 4-H Club kids are mean?" Kevin answered, "This is 4-H. It's about being a good person. 4-H kids aren’t that way."

That's the bottom line for all of our programs, whether kids are raising that "wonderful pig" or designing a nature trail. We bring kids together to learn about things they like, and in the process they learn about being good people. They explore their heads, hands, heart, and health (the four H's).

4-H will have two more offerings for the remainder of the Hudson school year: a project on managing money and in the spring when the weather is nice, environmental adventures! If your child attends Hudson Middle School and would like to attend, please contact the afterschool program at 828-4360 ext. 3192

4-H Youth Development programs are an offering of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia County.