Clubs provide extras to kids' learning

Whether your children are learning in a public school, a private school or at home, youth development clubs and programs can provide them with immense enrichment opportunities.

For public schooled children, they provide a way to fulfill current volunteering requirements. For home- and private-schooled children, they offer a great way to be involved in the community and to supplement their academic lessons with hands-on experience.

There's something for everyone, from tried-and-true Scouting programs to the up-and-coming Earth Scouts.

A personal favorite in my family is the venerable 4-H organization. Seeking to combat popular misconceptions, they have a motto: "It ain't all cows and cookin'!" And it ain't. Er, isn't.

The four Hs stand for head, heart, hands and health, as in "I pledge my head to clear thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, my health to better living -- for my club, my community, my country, and my world." And our children have employed all four in electronics, gardening, model rocketry and small animal projects, and enjoyed competing for ribbons and cash prizes at various levels. Currently, they're enjoying our club's community service project at the Children's Home.

The national 4-H Council lists a variety of programs ranging from the traditional agricultural and home economics offerings to environmental sciences, health and wellness, to workforce preparedness.

Local clubs offer everything from horsemanship to model rocketry. Wanda Barrett, the adult leader of the Upper Tampa Bay 4-H club, can't say enough about the opportunities 4-H offers or the benefits it imparts.

"Four-H is not just about agriculture and home economics; there are projects in computer science, citizenship, astronomy and much more," says Barrett. "Four-H has yearly competitions, which include giving demonstrations in your project area, public speaking, postermaking, fashion review (sewing) and talent. They start at the county level with the opportunity to advance all the way to national competition. Four-H'ers can exhibit animals and crafts at the county and state fairs."

One of the most important skills 4-H offers is leadership, says Barrett.

"The kids are the officers of the clubs, and they can become officers on county, district and state 4-H councils (for teens). Teens can also participate in state 4-H Legislature, which is a mock legislative session that is actually held in the chambers in Tallahassee. Plus there is a 4-H camp every summer (a whole week for only $130, really cheap!) where the teens can be counselors."

Kids have to be five to be in 4-H and eight to participate in competitions, camp and some other activities. Four-H clubs can meet as often as they like and can participate in group projects, and each individual can pursue projects on his or her own. The only fee is for insurance ($1 per person), but a club can choose to set dues and raise funds in many ways.

"Four-H also encourages community involvement," Barrett said. "They have a Community Pride project where clubs submit proposals to get funding for a project to improve the community; we used to do things like fix up playgrounds and recreation centers."

Far more familiar to most families are the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts.

Both offer terrific opportunities to be with other children in social and service-oriented environments. You can find your local clubs by asking at your children's school, looking in the phone book or going online.

Campfire Boys and Girls are a little harder to find in our area, but worth the search. A national, co-educational organization partly supported by the United Way, Campfire Boys and Girls is an inclusive youth development group with a community service focus.

A newer youth program with a greater global focus is Earth Scouts, a product of the Earth Charter summit recently held in St. Petersburg. Earth Scouts will earn badges for 16 principles, including respect for nature, economic justice, universal human rights and a culture of peace. The program, still in its infancy, is inviting volunteers including parents, youths, educators, artists and other community members to help in its formation. For more information, you can contact Earth Scouts founder Jan Roberts -- right here in Tampa -- at 1-888-538-7227 or (813) 254-8454, or e-mail her at roberts@transformworld.org.

For a slightly different focus, consider the Civil Air Patrol. CAP is the civilian Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and is organized along somewhat paramilitary lines, with an emphasis on aviation history, flight instruction and search and rescue service. There are more than 1,700 units, half of which have both senior members and cadets attached. You can learn about local chapters by calling (813) 779-9165.

So check out the offerings in your area, and join your children in some great programs where you can both grow and learn.

-- Freelance writer Theresa Willingham home-schools her three children in Odessa.

On the Web:

You can find hundreds more youth programs at the Online Directory of American Youth Organizations, http://www.nydic.org. This searchable directory contains more than 500 adult-sponsored national organizations.

Information on the 4-H clubs is available at www.fourhcouncil.edu.

The Boy Scouts of America Web site is at http://www.scouting.org/, and the Girl Scouts Web site is at http://www.girlscouts.org/.

Campfire Boys and Girls is online at http://www.campfireusa.org/, (or call the Sunshine Council in Lakeland at 863-688-5491.)

Learn about Earth Scouts at http://www.earthchartersummits.org/EarthScouts.htm; the Civil Air Patrol at http://www.tbss.org/ or http://www.capnhq.gov/.

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