National 4-H Leadership Conference emphasizes hands-on learning

Nebraska

Youth from across the nation spent four days at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln learning about science and technology through a variety of hands-on activities during the 2006 National 4-H Leadership Conference.

The conference, July 24 to 27, offered nearly 200 youth and adults from 27 states the opportunity to participate in one of eight focus areas that taught life skills related to science and technology and equipped them with new ideas to take back to their own communities.

"Hopefully some of the things we teach these students can be taken back and used in their communities," said Allan Vyhnalek, Extension educator in Platte County. "We want them to go back and use these concepts in their daily life and education."

Remote Sensors: Discover Hidden Worlds, a workshop designed to teach students about geographic information systems, addressed topics that have become more important as global positioning becomes a bigger part of everyday life, Vyhnalek said. These systems are used for everything from military purposes to recreational activities such as golf.

During the workshop, students learned how to read a traditional compass and locate different areas on campus using a Garmin eTrex global positioning unit. As the week progressed, students built upon previous lessons to expand their knowledge of the topic, Vyhnalek said.

Jimmy Crow, an intern in the UNL College of Engineering, mentioned that the engineering workshop, So You Want to Become an Engineer..., was meant to give students a broader understanding of the different branches of the field.

"When you go to high school, the only engineering majors you know of are chemical, mechanical and computer engineering," Crow said. "You don't normally hear about agricultural and biomedical engineering. This workshop gives students a better understanding of all the directions they can go."

Alex Koutsopoulos, a sophomore from Prineville, Ore., said he decided to attend the conference after hearing about it from a member of his community.

"I've always been fascinated by mechanics and computers and heard that is what engineering is all about. I like to solve problems and do hands-on activities," Koutsopoulos said. "I'd sure like to be an engineer in the future and this is a good first step."

"The students are here to learn, and they enjoy being here," Crow said. "Sometimes students are forced to attend workshops like this, but these youth are here on their own. It's nice to teach someone who is interested and willing to listen."

Throughout the conference students got a glimpse of engineering by watching video presentations and participating in hands-on activities such as building a straw tower. The activities were designed to help students relate to what they will do later on if they decide to pursue an education in engineering, Crow said.

The activities also helped students learn to work in teams and communicate effectively, Crow said.

The students who participated in the food science and technology workshop, Engineering the Food You Eat, also used teamwork to complete the challenges they were assigned.

After learning about basic food processing, students were divided into teams and asked to create an original burrito filling suitable for use by a chain restaurant, said Dave Jackson, UNL food processing specialist.

Two winning recipes were chosen from the entire group and submitted to a consumer panelist for evaluation. Students also had to focus on the cost of ingredients and preparing their dish within a budget, Jackson said.

"We are giving students a sense of how food is prepared and in turn raising a partial awareness of what food science and technology is about," he said.

"There is a lot more science in cooking than you might think," said conference participant Sarah Smith, a junior from Kirksville, Mo. "You have to measure everything, but it makes it more fun because you know exactly what you're putting in the food so you can make it again."

Although Smith doesn't plan on turning food science into a professional career, she does see potential for applying what she's learned in a variety of places.

"I want to be a science teacher," Smith said. "It would be fun to do something that incorporates food because it is science."

Workshop leaders hope that the conference was a positive experience for participants.

"A lot of these kids came from out-of-state onto campus. We hope they liked what they saw and will want to come back in the future," Vyhnalek said.

Other focus areas taught during the conference included Flash animation, robotics, film production, sports science technology and emergency readiness.

Date: 8/24/06

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