Louisville, KY (PRWEB) February 05, 2012
When it comes to turning out science, engineering, and technology grads, American colleges are getting left in the dust?a mere 5 percent, compared to 66 percent in Japan and 59 percent in China. To help counter that trend, the National 4-H Council has established a bold goal of engaging one million young members in science programs by 2013. Indiana 4-H Foundation executive director Shelly Bingle-Coffman wants to see some of those in Indiana.
?We want to develop 4-H science clubs, starting with two in northern and northeast Indiana, with the overall goal of getting kids interested in science. And we hope that some of them eventually pick science as a career,? she said. ?4-H is really good at helping kids figure out what they like and where they excel. Both directly and indirectly, we do a lot of career development.?
To help these 4-H science clubs get off the ground, Pam Ott of Farm Credit Services recently presented a check for $ 6,000 to Bingle-Coffman on behalf of the Columbia City, LaGrange, South Bend and Rochester Offices. ?Farm Credit has been an absolutely amazing partner with 4-H over the years, and this is just the latest example,? said Bingle-Coffman. ?We?re truly grateful for their support.?
Bingle-Coffman explained that the types of science programs vary from region to region, with some being set up as after-school clubs, while others may take the form of a weekend workshops or week-long summer camp. The local Purdue extension educators who work with volunteers to plan and implement the programs have considerable discretion in developing them in ways that will get kids in their area involved.
?We?re trying to be very grassroots about how we develop the programs, so they can be adapted to make them the most effective,? she said. ?The key is to find ways to get kids engaged and get them excited.?
Once the clubs have been designed and are in place, Bingle-Coffman said that they will build on ways that 4-H is already involved with science. Some of those ways ? like food and crop production?involve 4-H?s traditional tie to agriculture, but will just be more intentional in nature. Related topics include natural resources and water quality, with entire curriculums written for these and other topic areas. She said that young people were particularly excited about robotics and that building wind turbines has also been a popular activity. Bingle-Coffman stated that the science clubs would take on something of a ?non-traditional? 4-H flavor.
?A lot of families have the misconception that 4-H is just for rural kids, and that you have to come from a farm or have livestock,? she said. ?Like all of 4-H, these clubs will be open to anyone. We want kids and parents to realize that there are are a variety of activities and many different ways for youth to be involved in 4-H.?
She added that the activities performed by the kids in the clubs or camps might not necessarily take the form of a 4-H exhibit that is shown at the fair. Instead, it might involve being part of a robotics contest or science fair.
Bingle-Coffman indicated that the main objectives of the clubs are for the kids to have fun while learning the basics and becoming more inquisitive. For those who find their niche in science, the opportunities of a career could be attractive.
?I hear from ag-related companies all the time how they?re having difficulty filling scientific jobs from within the U.S.,? she said. For her part, Farm Credit?s Ott said that it was a good feeling to be able to help the science clubs get started.
?So many of our customers and families are involved with 4-H that we already know what a quality program it is,? she said. ?This was a little different emphasis, but seemed like a really good way to invest in our communities and our future.?
About Farm Credit Services of Mid-America
Farm Credit Services of Mid-America is an $ 18 billion financial services cooperative serving more than 92,500 farmers, agribusinesses and rural residents in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. The association provides loans for all farm and rural living purposes including real estate, operating equipment and housing and related services such as crop insurance, and vehicle, equipment and building leases. For more information about Farm Credit, call 1-800-444-FARM or visit them on the web at http://www.e-farmcredit.com.
Pennsylvania’s Historic Places
From the Inside Flap From Independence Hall to Gettysburg to Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania offers a wealth of history. Pennsylvania’s Historical Places tells the stories of such people and places as: — William Penn and his estate along the Delaware River. — The place where the U.S. Constitution was drafted. — The childhood home of frontiersman Daniel Boone. — Iron furnaces that built and armed a nation. — Religious communities of German mystics. — The first successful oil well in the world. — Coal mines that attracted immigrants from much of Europe. — The Native Americans who first settled the region, more than 12,000 years ago. Author Ruth Hoover Seitz and photographer Blair Seitz capture the vitality of 31 historic sites and museums, from Valley Forge to a flagship from the War of 1812 to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. The book includes descriptions of what to see and do at each site, along with an authoritative introduction by Harold L. Myers of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Ruth Hoover Seitz was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on a farm originally deeded by William Penn’s son Thomas. She grew up near Pottsville in the state’s anthracite region. Seitz is the author of the book Amish Country and more than 300 published magazine articles. She has traveled extensively in Africa and Asia as a writer for UNICEF and the World Health Organization, and has served as a correspondent for several European magazines. About the Photographer Blair Seitz, Ruth’s husband, is an editorial and corporate photographer whose work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine, and European newspapers. He was the photographer for Amish Country, published in 1987. Blair and Ruth live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and are the parents of two daughters.
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