4-H & Youth Development

• 1807 Moultrie-Douglas youth participated in 4-H Youth Development activities and programs designed to teach youth skills to better prepare them for life. These youth were reached through school enrichment programs in grades preK-12 as well as community and traditional 4-H programming.
• 203 youth ages 5-19 participated in the traditional 4-H club program.
• 93 local high school youth learned real world lessons about family finances and budgeting when they participated in Extension's Welcome to the Real World program. 84% identified specific issues that were addressed in the program that they had not considered in preparing to live independently.
• 236 youth were reached through summer library programs that were presented in communities throughout Moultrie and Douglas counties.
• 134 youth participated in University of Illinois Extension's Camp Clover. This was the 3rd year that Camp Clover continued to provide exciting learning experiences to a youth audience in Moultrie-Douglas counties. The summer day-camp experience targeted youth 8-12 years of age, with special emphasis on reaching those from limited resource communities. The camps were conducted at Newman, Tuscola, Arcola and Lovington. Each camp included three topics: CSI: Come Study Insects, Food & Fun, and WOW: Wild Over Work.

Hispanic Outreach Initiative

As the Hispanic population grows in our service area, so do the efforts of Extension to meet the needs of this community. In an attempt to increase programming in the Hispanic community, the Moultrie-Douglas Extension Unit applied for an Illinois 4-H Foundation Grant to support these efforts. The grant was used to provide financial support to address programming needs to the underserved Hispanic youth in the Moultrie-Douglas Unit. Several programs were implemented as a result of the Hispanic Outreach Initiative. Extension partnered with the Regional Prevention Group, volunteers from the Arcola community, school staff, Arcola Summer Camp staff, the Arcola Library, and members of the Mi Raza Community Center to offer programs. Efforts included the following:

• 45 youth attended an ongoing 3-month After School Program in the Arcola Grade School. The School Wellness and Movement Program (SWAMP) promoted physical activity and healthy food choices for the students.
• 46 youth attended Mi Raza Day Camp.
• 38 youth participated in one-day After School Programs that were offered just before the school year ended.