News Release Distributed 10/22/08
A new Web site, Louisiana 4-H Kids’ Clubhouse, will be officially launched at the State Fair of Louisiana on Oct. 29 during 4-H Fun Day, according to Mark Tassin, director of 4-H and youth programs at the LSU AgCenter.
The site at www.4-Hclubhouse.com is tailored to fourth- through sixth-graders and features nearly a hundred games, quizzes, downloadable activities and videos.
“This new site is part of an overall effort to reach out to broader audiences through 4-H,” Tassin said. “Our children grow up using computers so we are integrating video games and more computer activities into our program.”
Children will get the opportunity to try out the new site during 4-H Fun Day, which will be from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4-H Fun Day will feature a 10-station exhibit in a 24,000-square-foot red tent, according to Karen Martin, northeast and north central regional 4-H coordinator. The LSU AgCenter’s mobile communication unit will be parked next to the 4-H tent and will include four laptop computers so children can go to the new Web site.
The exhibit, called 4-H Express, is part of the 100-year celebration of 4-H in Louisiana, Martin said. Each station will feature different aspects of the 4-H program by decades, beginning in 1908. For example, the exhibit that includes the past 10 years will feature high-tech 4-H activities in science and engineering.
The clubhouse Web site was developed based on the “Discovering 4-H” project book that all new 4-H’ers complete, said Katina Hester, 4-H web content coordinator for the LSU AgCenter. The project book is broken down into six areas: agriculture, environment, plants, animals, family and world. These areas cover activities and educational concepts that explore the many different areas and projects that 4-H offers.
Games in the Kids’ Clubhouse site include “The Farmer,” a multi-leveled game designed to help children learn how food is grown; a Louisiana agriculture jigsaw puzzle, which when solved tells the viewer he/she is a genius; various quizzes about plants, animals and the environment; and a duck hunt game to test shooting and hunting skills.
Short videos include how to make a solar oven and how to get chickens ready for livestock show competition.
“Some of the games were purchased. Others were developed by our staff,” Hester said. “We will continually add new activities and games to the mix to encourage children to keep coming back to the site.”
The site also includes information about how to join 4-H and obtain the educational materials offered by 4-H.
“This new Web site will give youth who aren’t aware of all of the opportunities 4-H offers a chance to re-think 4-H in Louisiana,” Tassin said.
The site also can be reached by going to the LSU AgCenter Web site at www.lsuagcenter.com and clicking on 4-H.
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Contacts: Mark Tassin at (225) 578-2196, or mgtassin@agcenter.lsu.edu
Karen Martin at (318) 927-2578, or kmartin@agcenter.lsu.edu
Katina Hester at (225) 578-1180, or khester@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer: Mary Ann Van Osdell at (318) 741-7430, ext. 1104, or mvanosdell@agcenter.lsu.edu