4H Youth Development

Skip Navigation LinksSchool and After School Programs

After School

4-H Afterschool logo   4-H Afterschool is a ready to use curricula that can be used in a classroom or an afterschool setting where adults and children are ready to partner up and dive into hands-on learning. The curriculum is
an innovative way for adults and children to “learn by doing.”

Choose from more than 25 amazing programs that include a month of remarkable hands-on lesson plans. These programs are sure to fit your budget. Staff will work with you to meet your financial needs.

Contact Kandis Freer at 272-4210 extension 106

 Kids Connection

The Tree Farmer

Baby chickens

Dog obedience training

ReCharge Logo

Agriculture Literacy Day (2nd grade)
New York celebrates an Agriculture Literacy Day annually in April. The Rensselaer County Farm Bureau and a team of volunteers do a book reading and deliver school enrichment projects that relate to the chosen book for teachers to use in the classroom.  The school enrichment projects fit directly into the NY Learning Standards.  A different book is selected every year.  For 2010, The Tree Farmer by Chuck and Nicolas Cravotta, was selected.  The program is delivered in classrooms and takes roughly 30 minutes.  At the conclusion of the workshop the book is donated to the respective school’s library.  Contact us for a presentation to be delivered some day in the month of March.  No Charge

Baby Think It Over/Empathy Belly (grades 9 to 12)
The Baby Think it Over Program provides students with a realistic parenting simulation.  Students are required to provide parenting to a realistic baby model.  The baby simulator then provides feedback on rough handling, neglect and total minutes of crying.  The Empathy Belly Pregnancy Simulator allows students to experience twenty typical symptoms of pregnancy. $50 Damage Deposit

Container Gardening (grades K to 4)
This program is offered annually which includes distribution of plants, soil and a teacher training.  Area growers provide the plants for distribution.  Request for participation in this program comes out in April and the classroom plant distribution and teacher training take place in early May.  This is an opportunity for students to approach learning the plant life cycle in a hands-on way.  No Charge

Incubation and Embryology (grades K to 12)
This is a hands-on approach to presenting the life cycle from fertilization to hatch.  Assistance establishing an incubation setup in the classroom including teaching materials, incubator, egg sources, and technical support are part of this offering.  Examples of classroom activities - “Eggsploring the Egg” and “Building a Home ’Tweet' Home”   Incubator Use Fee $20, Damage Deposit $10, In-depth Training $30

Pet Respect  (grades K to 4)
Staff will meet with small groups of students on an appointment basis and will talk about the concept of pets and their roles in our homes and society.  More importantly, going over basic safety to prevent harm to students and pet, pet care and relating responsibility to not only the pet but also your neighbors and community.  Touching on the value pets have in therapy for physical and emotional well being will be demonstrated.  Each (series of 6, about 20 minutes each) visit is accompanied by a dog as the model of the pet.  We branch out and talk about different pets based on the classroom interest.  Each student will get an opportunity to work and interact one-on-one with the dog during the session whether it is getting a chance to brush, walk or toss the ball.  $50 Speaker fee for series of 6 sessions.

ReCharge (grades K to 12)
This is a fun-packed interactive program teaching students about nutrition and exercise put forth in terms of “Energy In (It’s what you eat) and Energy Out (It’s what you do).” The program, developed by the NFL and Action for Healthy Kids, includes a kit with 29 activities, footballs, cones, an instructional DVD, food models and NFL ReCharge Cards.  Appropriate for any after school, health or physical education classroom.  $30 speaker/training fee (including kit)

TeamWork TeamPlay  (grades 5 to 12)
Teamwork is the concept of people working together cooperatively.  Through the use of Raccoon Circles, puzzles, and challenges, students will develop skills that will work in real-life situations.  Emphasis will be placed on learning how to work in teams to accomplish a goal while having fun at the same time.  Students will discover how to listen, question, persuade, help, share, and participate as part of a successful, efficient team.  $30 Speaker Fee