Guthrie County 4-H celebrated National 4-H Week by demonstrating the variety of interests it serves to area kids.

The Guthrie County 4-H Senior Leadership Group sponsored an open house Sunday with different hands-on activities such as a cookie decorating booth and a Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) challenges booth. County Youth Coordinator Mollie Clark shares how STEM plays a role in 4-H. “For more than a century 4-H has engaged youth in science technology engineering and math. This has traditionally meant a solid focus on agricultural science: electricity, mechanics, entrepreneurship, and natural sciences. But today 4-H has grown to include rocketry robotics, renewable energy, computer science, and more. 4-H science, engineering, and technology provides hands- on learning experiences to encourage learning about worlds around you and partnerships with adults that are just crazy about STEM.”

Participants had to use their critical thinking skills to construct catapults and rockets out of household materials. According to ISU Extension and Outreach, Iowa 4-H memberships increased in the 2017-2018 program year, with an additional 7,400 youth in the Clover Kids program, a 9% increase. Guthrie County 4-H has been asking its members this week what 4-H means to them, with answers including leadership, community service, new friends, and fun.