Plugged into 4-H Online Learning Resource During COVID Pandemic

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the state of Georgia and the nation by closing public schools for the remainder of the 2020 school year. On March 18, 2020, Governor Kemp ordered all schools in Georgia to close. Students in Georgia public schools missed several weeks of school in order to prevent the spread of the virus on a widespread scale. Extension Agents in Banks, Burke, Morgan and Greene Counties partnered to create an online resource for students and parents to use during the pandemic.

Situation

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the state of Georgia and the nation by closing public schools for the remainder of the 2020 school year. On March 18, 2020, Governor Kemp ordered all schools in Georgia to close. Students in Georgia public schools missed several weeks of school in order to prevent the spread of the virus on a widespread scale. After schools were closed, 4-H programs also had to alter programming plans due to Georgia 4-H’s role as a partner in public education. Georgia Extension Agents saw a need for 4-H lessons to be shared on an online platform so parents and students could have a resource for fun, educational learning opportunities.

Response

County Extension offices serve as a valuable resource for their community by providing research-based information and various educational and fun activities and events from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Extension Agents in Banks, Burke, Morgan and Greene Counties partnered to create an online resource for students and parents to use during the pandemic. The first edition was published on March 18, 2020, the same day that Georgia's Governor ordered Georgia's schools to close, and the last edition was published on May 15, 2020, as schools were closing for the summer. This short-term project was meant to bridge the gap for students and parents who were suddenly thrust into new territory in hopes that enrichment could come in the way of hands-on, ready-to-use lessons. Subscribers received a newsletter each weekday, and each issue covered a different topic, including a brief recorded lesson, story time, activities and crafts for students ages 5-18, parent resources, and a snack recipe. Activities and community service projects could be completed at home with common household materials. Lessons covered a wide variety of Extension-related topics and encouraged students to seek out their local 4-H program and new interests. The program was promoted through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. In addition, the program was highlighted by the UGA Extension website and Georgia 4-H website as an educational resource for families.

Impact

The “Plugged into 4-H” online learning resource was used as a daily online educational tool for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 40 daily lessons were created to serve students as a resource during the pandemic. The resources reached over 700 students across the nation and Canada. The resource not only allowed students to be involved with 4-H while in quarantine, but also helped 16 4-H professionals across the state share their lessons and service ideas to students across the nation. While we had over 700 registered through our system, we know our reach was much greater. Parents, teachers, and Extension professionals praised the program for the quick response to the COVID situation as well as the exposure to 4-H programs and the ability to reach different ages and kinds of learners. One parent stated, “As a family, we enjoyed participating in Plugged Into 4-H. The activities were fun, educational, and appealing. Our 4-year-old enjoyed watching the videos, reading books, and many of the crafts. We still like to practice the ‘float or sink’ activity with lot of different objects we find around the house. During a time of uncertainty when parents were trying to find educational programs to help their children while at home, this program was perfect.” The program was also featured on the Georgia Farm Monitor (a TV program for state and national news related to Georgia’s largest industry-agriculture) as a successful program for students to learn about agriculture in an online learning platform. The lessons created will serve as a valuable resource for future programming.

State Issue

Youth & Family Development

Details

• Year: 2020
• Geographic Scope: National
• County: Banks
• Location: College Station, Athens
• Program Areas:
  • 4-H Youth