Under The Green: Randolph County
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Under The Green: Randolph County
4-H Summer at the Ag Center!
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Summer just got a whole lot more exciting. In this episode of Under The Green, we break down everything families need to know about Randolph County 4-H summer day camps—from what’s offered and who it’s for, to how to sign up and key deadlines you don’t want to miss.
We’re also introducing our newest 4-H Agent, Jenni May, and sharing how these programs go beyond fun to build confidence, life skills, and lasting memories for youth across our community.
Thank you for listening! Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RandolphNCCE or Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/randolph_county_extension/
Welcome back to Under the Green, the podcast where we highlight the programs, people, and opportunities inside the Randolph County Agricultural Center. Today's episode is all about 4-H and one of the most exciting times of the year, summer. From day camps and hands-on learning experiences to important signups and deadlines. We're breaking down everything families need to know to get involved this season. We're also introducing a new face that you'll be seeing around the Act Center. Joining us today are Allison Walker Allen and our newest 4-H agent, Jenny May. Let's dive in and talk about what's coming up and how to get plugged in. So let's start with introductions. Jenny, tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to 4-H.
SPEAKER_00Well, for the past four summers, I have worked as the outreach coordinator here at 4 H, and I love working with Allison and everyone here at the Ag Center. So it became apparent that this position came open a second time. And after teaching 17 years in the classroom, I was very, very excited to join the team here. And I hope to reach out to more families in our community using my ability to speak Spanish and to make all feel welcome. But I really am excited to work with our youth and help them become better leaders.
SPEAKER_02Allison, for those who may be new, can you give a quick overview of what 4-H offers here in our county?
SPEAKER_01Randolph County 4-H reaches youth in four different delivery modes. We have our school enrichment programs, we have our community clubs, we have our special interest projects, and then we have summer. And summer is what we're here to talk about today.
SPEAKER_02So summer is a big time for 4-H. Are y'all ready to tell us what kind of camps or programs are available this year?
SPEAKER_01We're so excited to share with everyone in Randolph County the opportunities for youth this summer. I think we have a really great lineup. We have everything from sushi making to Tiger World to farm tours. We've got Zen Gardens and 3D printing. We have sewing projects. There is something for everybody this summer.
SPEAKER_02It sounds super fun. And that's what we like to do. We like to tie learning into fun and make it so fun that the kids don't know they're learning. That's what makes it great. So it's a win-win for us and for you parents, and especially for the kids. What age groups are these camps designed for?
SPEAKER_01Our camps are designed for youth ages five to seven. And then we have classes for eight plus. This year we are offering a class for 13 plus. I'm just trying to mix things up a little bit, but there is something for all age groups.
SPEAKER_02What makes 4-H summer programs different from other camps that families might be considering?
SPEAKER_014-H is all about life skills and learning skills that you can take beyond our summer programs. So, yes, it's fun, but it's also educational, like you mentioned at the beginning. We have things for kids to use in their classroom, and then we have things for kids or things that kids will learn to use in their adult life. We will be doing some cooking programs and they're going to be learning tools that they'll eventually use in their own homes. We have mindfulness classes, and they are going to learn some stress management tools, but they're also going to have fun. And these classes are designed to be fun and educational as well as inexpensive classes. And they may even make friends and build relationships and expand upon skills they're already learning.
SPEAKER_02Can you walk us through how signups work and where families need to go to register and when?
SPEAKER_01The important deadline for families to remember is May 16th. That is when our registration officially opens for the 2026 AgriVentures classes. Everything can be found on our website. The registration will take place on Eventbrite. So we will share the link on our Facebook pages as well as the website. Families will log in to Eventbrite, or you can create an account if you don't have one, and then you will enroll in the classes that way.
SPEAKER_02So what happens if a camp fills up? Because we know that it will, because they sound super fun. Do you offer wait list or other options?
SPEAKER_01We do offer wait list. We will start a wait list. Parents or guardians would need to email us if there is a class that has been filled, and we will take those in the order that they they come in our inbox. And if we have cancellations, we will reach out to families. But we're hoping that we'll be able to have more kids join us this summer. A lot of our classes are going to be here in this beautiful new Ag Center. We wanted to show off the spaces. So being that we're not using transportation every day, our class sizes are larger than they have been in the past.
SPEAKER_02What should parents or participants expect when they attend a 4-H day camp?
SPEAKER_01Kids should expect to come and have a great time. We have great people that will be working with the kids. We're going to have a lot of fun. They're going to learn things. They're not even going to realize that they are learning.
SPEAKER_02What kinds of skills or experiences do youth gain from participating in these programs?
SPEAKER_00It's like Allison mentioned earlier. They are going to be able to use them in their everyday life now, but also as they become adults and contributors in society. They're going to be our leaders. They already are learning their leadership skills and they'll continue learning them here. The experiences are going to be memories that they don't forget, memories that they're telling their kids in the future. And it's going to be amazing. So, like Alison said, they're going to get skills from sewing to cooking. They're going to make interpersonal skills or learn interpersonal skills that are going to help them when they may meet someone that they're not used to knowing, right? They may meet someone completely different from themselves.
SPEAKER_02Yes, because it's it's worth noting that this camp, the R4H day camps, are open to the kids that live in the city, the kids that live out in the county, the neighboring county. Maybe you've got we've got a parent who may be traveling from Chatham or Guildford or wherever to work for the day. And this just sounds like a great opportunity for their youth. So it's open to anybody. We just do have some requirements that you have to do ahead of time, but we'll get into that a little later. Are there any new or exciting programs this year that you're especially looking forward to?
SPEAKER_00I think I can guess Allison's, but I'm going to say mine first. I am super, super excited about the sewing classes with ECA, our extension community association. They are going to come in and they're going to help our clover buds and our young 4-H'ers learn different sewing skills and they're going to make products to take home with them, which is going to be awesome. I'm also excited about the fancy fun workshop because we're going to learn, not only are we going to learn etiquette, but we're going to practice it and we're going to practice it in a fun way by having our own little tea party. What about you, Allison?
SPEAKER_01I am excited about all of the classes, but I believe the class I'm looking forward to the most is the hysterical day out. We are going to venture to a place that we have not gone before. So this is new to our lineup this summer, the Kernersville Reptile Zoo. Fun fact about me, I love snakes. So one of my favorite classes to teach is snakes in North Carolina. I think it's super important for kids to be able to identify snakes that you may encounter here in Randolph County and how to handle that encounter. But that's just a story for another day. We have a great lineup. I'm also excited about the sushi making class. I think that's going to be awesome.
SPEAKER_00That was the one I thought she was going to choose.
SPEAKER_01Yep, we're going to get our roll on with our sushi making class. That's just going to be a great way to introduce kids to different cultures that they may not have been exposed to before. So hopefully we will have some kids attend the class that are excited to try something new. I'm excited to see how that goes.
SPEAKER_02Definitely. This this those both of those are very new. Um and kudos to Allison for her admiration of uh scaly things. But I've known that about her for a long time. And she really always has a fun fact that she really does like to tell about North Carolina snakes and the myth about water moccasins. Share with the class, Allison.
SPEAKER_01Lots of people assume that they can be found in Randolph County. However, they are not in Randolph County. We do have three venomous snakes that we can find in Randolph County. That is the copperhead, the timber rattlesnake, and then the pygmy rattlesnake.
SPEAKER_02I have never encountered a pygmy. I'm not even sure I know what they look like. But I have uh been really close, uncomfortably close in my front yard to a timber rattlesnake, and that was not a great experience. I could have used you in that time. I don't know what you would have done. I don't, I don't know, but um, that was not a great experience. I don't want to, I don't want to relive that. But uh I'm sure there's some some kids out there who are gonna be equally as excited about going and meeting our reptile friends. They do have their own place in the ecosystem and they're very important, even if they do give us the heebie jeebies. So we we mentioned it a little bit before, but will you reiterate how families can stay updated on future programs or opportunities to not just summer, um, but also where do we post our year-round stuff?
SPEAKER_01Yes, families are able to follow 4H on our social media profiles. We are on Facebook. We are trying to get more active on our Instagram page. We have a monthly newsletter that goes out. We just revamped the newsletter in January. It's now called Clover Chatter. So we try to release that within the first week of the month. That's a great way to learn about upcoming events. And then we try to recap events that have happened as well. And then you can also find the information on the Randolph County Cooperative Extension website.
SPEAKER_02For someone who may be on the fence, what would you say to encourage them to give 4-H a try this summer?
SPEAKER_00As a parent who is gonna let her little girl participate for the first time this summer, I'm gonna tell you there are three things I look for when I let my little girl participate in something. What's she gonna learn? And we already covered that. There's a ton for her to learn. She's gonna learn and she's gonna have fun. Who is going to be around my little girl? I know for a fact that the adults in this program and in this building are here for the betterment of our community. And my child is safe here and she is loved, and she's gonna learn so much from all the adults she comes in contact with here. And that right there is the clincher for me. And the third thing is not just what she's learning, but what is she walking away with? She could walk away with new friends, she can walk away with new skills. And so I think anybody who's going, well, what should I should I let my kid do this? Absolutely. Bring them on. We're gonna have a blast, we're gonna learn. And most of all, they're gonna want to come back. So be prepared. They're gonna ask you, hey, can I go for the next camp? When do I go back to 4-H? Because that's our goal.
SPEAKER_02Jenny, absolutely. Those are fantastic reasons for kids to come on for the first time, for families to join us for the first time. But it is a great time to mention that if you are considering one of our camps, if you're looking at the five to seven year range, your child must be five years old by January 1st, 2026. On or before. We'll say on or before January 1st, 2026. If they are going to attend the eight and up section of the summer camp, they need to be eight years old on or before January 1st, 2026. Same thing for the 13 and up, same rule applies across the board. That's just a 4-H rule. We can't do anything about that. We just have to adhere to the rules. We just want to make you aware from the get-go that that is something that um you have to consider when you're looking at our camp list and what might be available for you. Allison, what makes the Randolph County 4-H program special to you?
SPEAKER_01I like the relationships that I build with kids over time. Like I mentioned earlier, we see kids in four different ways. So when kids come out to summer programs and then I'm in their schools in the school year, and I walk in their classroom and they see me and they're like, I know you, I know you. That makes me so excited. And then when we have kids that return summer after summer after summer, and we get to know them and we see the growth that they've made through 4-H, it's it's very rewarding.
SPEAKER_02Yes, some of these kids, man, we have watched them grow from those little bitty five-year-olds to, I mean, they're like hitting middle school. It's it's insane. When you've when you've had some tenure here, you're like, man, they're getting tall. Just all the things, all the changes are happening. It's it's amazing to watch them grow up. What's one of your favorite memories from past 4-H camps?
SPEAKER_00Well, the past four summers, I've been in charge of the outreach camps. So meaning I got to visit different locations. So I would go see Trogdons, I would go to YM, the YMCA, and I would take activities with me. I think the best thing about those, about that role and those camps would be the fact that the kids get so excited to see you and they're so excited to learn something new and just try it. Even your kids are like, oh, I'm too cool for this. No, they get excited about stuff too because they're still kids, even if they're in those middle school years where they're like, hmm.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, where everything is awkward.
SPEAKER_01I really enjoy seeing the kids learn new things and have those aha moments. A couple of summers ago, we took kids to a farm, and then we went to a steakhouse here in town, and then we came back to the office and the kids were able to prepare their lunch. And it was really cool to see the kids processing all of the things that they had learned from going to the farm and going to the steakhouse and then being able to prepare their own food. That's probably one of my favorite things about 4-H summer.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they really start connecting the dots. Um, Jenny, can you talk about some of the places that we visited in the past and that may be in the future for this summer for the person that's gonna be hired in that position?
SPEAKER_00So far, I have touched base with Trogden's Daycare here in Ashboro. I will also be, they will also not just me. Sorry, it's gonna get hard to let go and let someone else do that role. I can go with them though. I can be their assistant. Absolutely. Uh let's see. So there's Trogden's Daycare, the YMCA. We also have Teddy Bear Academy, is one of our new associate, one of our new locations this year. And we will also be going back out to Franklinville School Daycare. Yes.
SPEAKER_01And y'all do library programs as well, correct?
SPEAKER_00Yes, all over the county.
SPEAKER_01This year's theme is dinosaurs and unearthing a story. We're really excited about the workshops or programs that we have planned for the library summer reading program. We will be at the Liberty Library. We will be at Franklinville and Seagrove. We're also hoping that we'll be able to make an appearance at Archdale. We're still in the process of finalizing those details. One of the classes that we will be doing is what I named it. We will be doing a class called Fossil Dig Cups. And the kids will be learning about the soil and all of the layers underneath their feet. We are working with Hannah here at the Ag Center to 3D print a dinosaur skeleton, and we're gonna have a little sensory bin, and the kids are actually going to be able to act like a paleontologist and unearth the dinosaur bones. And hopefully, we'll be able to assemble a full dinosaur. We're really excited about that. We're also going to do some cooking classes. Well, say cooking with a grain of salt there. We'll be doing some easy no-bake activities, but the kids are still learning. We are going to do dino egg energy bites. We are going to use honey and um peanut butter and sunflower butter if needed, and oats, things like that to create energy bites that the kids can do at home with their parents or guardian. And it's going to be fun, and it'll look like a dinosaur egg. And we'll be able to tie that into the summer reading theme. We'll also be making hummus in a bag and talking about roots that kids can eat, and they'll be able to make that hummus and taste test. We will also be doing some robotics and STEM activities at the Liberty Library. So be sure to check those out. I know it's going to be on the summer reading program list, but we'll also have it on our Facebook and website as well.
SPEAKER_02Going back to in-house summer day camps for us, uh, what should participants bring or prepare for camp days? I know each day is different, but if you just have to kind of give an overview of a typical day, what's some things that they should look to bring?
SPEAKER_01They can bring a water bottle or like a reusable, refillable water bottle. We will provide snacks and drinks, things like that. We will also provide lunch some days. Everything that they need to know is going to be in the class list. But it's a good idea if if your child is colder natured, maybe they want to bring a jacket or something like that. Since we will be at the Ag Center and the air conditioning will be running, it's a good idea for our field trips and our classes outside to bring sunglasses, a hat, or sunscreen. Some of the classes they will need to wear closed-toed shoes. So just be mindful of that and check on the registration list.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So in each class description, as Allison was saying, it will mention specifically what you need for that class. But the best thing that you could ever bring to any and all classes is a good attitude. A good attitude and an open mind. If you can prompt your kiddos for that, then you're setting them up for success from the get-go. Are there any scholarships or financial assistance options available?
SPEAKER_01Yes, we do have scholarships and financial assistance. That's just a case-by-case basis. If that is something that we can help somebody out with, the best way to go about that is to reach out to me or Ginny either through a phone call or an email or even a Facebook message. We would be happy to talk to you about how we can work that out.
SPEAKER_02And what's a good phone number to reach either of you at or just one of you?
SPEAKER_01The office number is 336-318-6000. Laslie, what's something that surprises parents once their child participates? One of the things that I have seen in the past is a parent may think that their child is very shy. And at the beginning of the summer, their child may be a little leery about coming in to 4-H classes, but after they participate, they want to come back and they will see that their child opens up and really starts to feel comfortable and has a great experience. I can think about one child in particular. He came for the first time, and his mom told me later that after she picked him up from that first camp, he said, I want to go back. When do I go back? Can I sign up for everything? It was just such a great experience. It really gives the kids an opportunity to socialize and to figure out things about themselves and just have a good time. It's different from the classroom. It's it's educational, but we are not the school system. This is learning by doing, and it is just a great experience. Find your kids up. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02And that's what they aim for when they're planning all of these classes. That is the aim to make that kid say, I want to come back. I can't wait to come back. And we hope that that will be your experience with us. So obviously, it's summer. Things happen. You name it. Something can go wrong. What is a good way that parents can expect communication from our office to them regarding any schedule changes or updates or just reminders about our camps?
SPEAKER_01This summer we will be utilizing the band app. The band app is just an app that you download to your phone and we will send you an invite. And once you accept the invite, you can create the account and join into the Randolph County 4-H summer agriventures band. And we will share all the information that you need to know the day before a class, if there's inclement weather, if we have any changes, just a reminder to bring money for lunch or closed-towed shoes, sunscreen, all of those things. So we're really excited to give this a try this summer and hope it's a great tool for families.
SPEAKER_02It sounds like it's shaping up to be a fantastic summer. And I can't wait till this place is just crawling with little kiddos and open minds and excitement. They just really bring a different kind of energy to the office. Sometimes it's a very tiring energy, but we are here for it and we love it. So thank you both for sharing what's ahead for 4-H this summer and for helping families understand how to get involved. It's clear these programs offer more than just something to do, they provide meaningful experiences that help young people grow and gain confidence. Next time on Under the Green, we'll be sitting down with Taylor, who leads operations here at the Agricultural Center, to talk about what it takes to keep everything running and how this space serves our community in so many different ways. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time right here under the green.