The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The onlookers held their breath and watched as the marble spiraled toward the opening at the bottom of the funnel.
It was the first step in a chain-reaction machine built by five Foster County 4-H’ers last winter and spring.
The assignment was to build an overly complicated machine that would water a plant.
The 4-H’ers showcased their creative solution as part of the Engineering Design Challenge at the state fair in July.
We watched as the marble finally dropped through the bottom of the funnel, landing on a vertical wheel which then began to turn.
A paddle on the wheel bumped a matchbox car, causing it to roll down an incline.
At the base of the incline, the car collided with a ball which moved across the table and tripped a lever.
The lever hit a line of dominoes, causing them to fall in rapid succession.
The chain reaction finally reached its end when the sharp point of a swinging arm fell onto a water-filled balloon.
The balloon burst, and a sudden downpour of water drenched the plant below.
Despite the best preparations, the machine needed a nudge or two to keep the process going. That was disappointing.
But the smile on the faces of the 4-H’ers at the end day made it clear that everyone had enjoyed the experience.
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4-H activities are a lot of fun. That’s reason enough to join a 4-H club. But there are other reasons too.
4-H provides hands-on, real-life experiences which allow youth to explore their interests, master new skills and develop lasting relationships.
The speaker at a meeting I recently attended cited four positive effects that 4-H has on youth development.
Compared with their peers, 4-H’ers are four times more likely to give back to their communities, two times more likely to make healthier choices, two times more likely to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities and two times more likely to be civically active.
It’s no wonder that I overheard a mother say to her friend last summer, “I’m so glad my kids found 4-H.”
We currently have 125 youth enrolled in six 4-H clubs around Foster County.
Seventeen adults serve as club leaders, and many other volunteers contribute time and effort to the success of the program as well.
4-H is open to all youth from Kindergarten through Grade 12, ages 5 to 18 on August 31.
Young people don’t have to live on a farm or own a farm animal to be in 4-H. Many 4-H’ers live in town.
4-H offers challenging and fun learning experiences related to a wide variety of project areas focusing on everything from aerospace and woodworking to bicycles and cats.
It’s not too late to join the fun. New enrollments for 2022 – 2023 are being accepted until Dec. 31.
Contact the NDSU Extension office (652-2581) for more information.
