March 3, 2021 at 4:09 p.m.
Oneida County 4-H introduces Community Roots, a youth art and garden series
Oneida County 4-H introduces Community Roots, a youth art and garden series
By Stephanie Kuski-
As part of that mission, and in collaboration with several community organizations, Oneida County 4-H is offering Community Roots, a monthly garden series for third- through eighth-grade youth to explore gardening, art, science, sustainability and much more.
The program is a collaboration between Oneida County 4-H, UW-Extension Oneida County, ArtStart, the Northwoods Community Garden, Hanson's Garden Village and Old School Arts and Learning Center.
Anne Williams, Oneida County 4-H program coordinator, noted the Community Roots program fits the mission of 4-H in that it involves youth in project-based education while affording them an opportunity to explore their interests and giving them confidence to master new skills.
"4-H is really about learning by doing," Williams explained. "Especially now with COVID, it is important that we help develop resilience, especially in the face of adversity. So we want to help equip youth to navigate this new world and these are the kind of skills we really think will help with that."
Last summer, Williams said she noticed many youth who were joining 4-H listed topics like outdoor education and plant science as topics of interest they wanted to explore. Around the same time, the Northwoods Community Garden was established at Nicolet College and the Oneida County 4-H office, which is part of UW-Extension Oneida County, also relocated to the Nicolet campus. Williams noted these organic associations allowed conversations and collaborations to take place naturally and eventually lead to the Community Roots program.
4-H is also partnering with the Master Gardeners of the North to provide youth with local experts in the field, in addition to the Oneida County Extension FoodWIse team to educate youth about healthy eating. Hanson's Garden Village is also sponsoring their seed starting session by donating the supplies for that program, while ArtStart and Old School Arts and Learning Center are sponsoring the various art projects associated with the program.
Different sessions for the Community Roots program will be offered once a month from March through September in which youth will learn to lead and create through gardening and art. Youth will receive all necessary materials to participate and each session specifies deadlines to register as well as fees for each class.
The Northwoods Community Garden at Nicolet College will be the host site for programs later in the year, depending on weather conditions and state of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, youth who cannot come to the garden for in-person sessions can still participate, as 4-H will send youth all necessary supplies so they can participate right in their own backyard.
While each session delves into different topics, all are related to gardening and art.
The first session begins on March 25 with "Seed Starting and Art in the Garden," which will take place virtually via Zoom. Participating youth will receive seed starting materials, learn how to plan a garden, plant seeds and create an art project using seeds.
On April 8, youth will take part in the "Honey Bee Challenge" via Zoom by assembling model bee bots to learn more about the critical role honeybees play in food production.
Participants will learn about "Soil, Science and Art in the Garden" on May 6 by getting their hands dirty and conducting experiments with soil in addition to creating an art project.
"Exploring, Planting and Art in the Garden" will take place on June 10. Youth will learn how to plant seeds or transplant plants grown indoors while also exploring garden design and creating a fun art project.
"Show What You Grow and Art in the Garden" will take place on July 15. Youth will learn how to display their plants, produce or flowers at the Oneida County Fair and how to sell items at a local Farmers Markets in addition to creating an art project.
On Aug. 26, youth will participate in "Eat What You Grow and Art in the Garden." Participating youth will learn which fruits and vegetables are most beneficial to health and create an art project.
The last session, "What To Do With What I Grew?" will take place on Sept. 9. Youth will learn techniques to safely preserve and store food in addition to creating an art project.
Participants who attend at least three sessions and are 4-H members will also receive a free gardening gift courtesy of the Oneida County 4-H Leaders Association. Williams noted 4-H is free for Oneida County youth to join at any time.
Although the program is geared towards third- through eighth-grade youth, there's still plenty of opportunity for additional programming, Williams added. She said 4-H is seeking out high school-aged youth to lead the programs as well adult volunteers interested in assisting or providing expertise in their field.
"We're hoping to grow this program just as we hope to grow plants," Williams said. "This is just the start of this big collaboration. So if adults would like to help volunteer with that, if there's youth who want new leadership experiences, this is a great place to start with that because this is a new collaboration that we hope to keep growing."
"If any youth - young person, children or teen - is interested in any topic related to gardening, sustainability, conservation... just let us know and we can collaborate with others to come up with unique programming," she added.
To inquire further about the Community Roots program as well as all other youth programming offered by Oneida County 4-H, visit https://oneida.extension.wisc.edu, call (715) 365-2750, email [email protected] and follow Oneida County 4-H, Wisconsin on Facebook.
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