News: Media Kits: Georgia 4-H Week: October 7-13, 2007
Column
By Dr. Roger "Bo" Ryles
State director of 4-H
As surely as the Global Positioning System on my wrist indicates a direction for the Tybee Marathon, the GPS (Georgia Performance Standards) for Georgia schools indicates the direction for 4-H in school programs.
Since 1904, Georgia 4-H has joined schools to provide education. Making learning relevant, using research-based information and calling on University of Georgia faculty and staff members to provide information is a priority for Cooperative Extension.
Using the resources of our land grant universities to enhance, complement and support teachers is our top programming priority. Using the Georgia Performance Standards as a guide, 4-H agents have created lesson plans and curriculum resources to deliver educational programs that meet school standards as well as support the core values of 4-H.
The 4-H centers in Georgia are incredible resources, and we're making improvements at all five of them. The Rock Eagle 4-H Center dining hall represents the largest single project in our history. We appreciate the extraordinary support for that facility. We have also begun replacing cabins at Rock Eagle, so we have 53 more opportunities for funding.
4-H is Cooperative Extension, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the University of Georgia working with our partners at Ft. Valley State University, the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, National 4-H Headquarters, National 4-H Council, Georgia schools and Georgia counties. We need 50 more 4-H agents, 53 more cabins at Rock Eagle, another 50 years on Jekyll Island, and 52 weeks in the coming year to help young people find success. We appreciate how you help us accomplish our goals.