Wilkes County 4-H GIS Technology Club

Although you may not be aware of it, GIS or what is known as geographic information system touches our lives daily. It is used throughout the world to solve problems related to the environment, health care, land use, business efficiency, education, and public safety. The power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe, and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS. This technology can also help businesses place ATMs and restaurants at more convenient locations, allow people to pull maps off the Internet, and help farmers grow more crops with less chemicals. This innovative technology is used in countless ways to benefit not only our community but the world as well. GIS technology is a computer-based mapping tool that can take information from a database about a location and turn it into visual layers on a map that can give community leaders and members a better understanding of a particular community issue. The Wilkes County 4-H Program would like to bring this exciting technology to youth through hands-on projects that will provide them with valuable leadership skills while introducing them to a new way of seeing, thinking, and interacting with their community around them. The Wilkes County 4-H Program will be holding a meeting to organize a 4-H GIS Technology Club. The meeting is being held on Monday, October 20th, from 6:00-8:00pm at the Cooperative Extension Office. A light meal will be provided. All youth ages 11 and up and their parents who are interested in participating are encouraged to attend this meeting. Please register no later than October 16th by calling 336-651-7331.

4-H and GIS: Making a Positive Change

Wilkes County 4-H Youth have been very busy this summer learning about community mapping using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology.

Nathan West, GIS Educator, worked with youth throughout the summer to continue a community mapping project. For the past four summers, youth have looked at community water systems to determine the level of pollution based on the types of insects found within each river, stream, or creek. The locations were recorded using GPS devices. which were gracious purchased with a grant received by the organization by the ESRI Software Corporation. Using geography information systems software, purchased through a partnership with National 4-H and the ESRI Software Corporation, students created maps to showcase their findings with local leaders. As well as shared their knowledge with local officials the youth were able to add sites that were found to high levels of pollution to the list of sites to be cleaned up during the NC Big Sweep each October. As a result of their project efforts, group was invited to participate in this year’s ESRI Education User Conference in San Diego, California. Pamela Escolero who has participated in the project the past four summers attended the conference along with Nathan West, Megan Caudill and other 4-H Staff, volunteers.

Wilkes County 4-H feels it is important to teach this technology to youth because it introduces students to a new way of seeing, thinking, and interacting with the community around them. Students can explore course content in a way that enhances logical, mathematical, linguistic, spatial, and interpersonal skills.

Learning about GIS is beneficial not only in developing computer literacy but also provides training in the process of research including gathering, preparing, storing, and analyzing data and presenting the results of the analysis using a variety of methods. These are skills valuable in both academic and business settings. GIS has also become a job skill that is in demand. Professionals working in many fields recognize that GIS training is a valuable career asset.


Wilkes County 4-H would like to continue the 4-H Technology Club’s community mapping project into the school year. Youth ages 12 and up along with their parents who are interested in participating are invited to an informational organizational meeting on Monday, October 20th at 6:00pm held at the Cooperative Extension Office. For more information or to sign-up to attend the meeting please contact the 4-H office at 651-7585.

4-H Camping Adventures

This summer the 4-H Office was excited to be able to take 27 youth to 4-H Camp at Millstone 4-H Camping Center during the week of June 29th-July 4th. While at camp the campers enjoyed a week of fun and friends. Campers were able to enjoy activities like swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, and archery to just name a few. Along with being able to send campers to the 4-H Camp Millstone, the 4-H Office was also able to send eight middle-school youth to Camp Challenge. Camp Challenge which was held at the 4-H Sertoma Camping Center is a week-long camp that provides middle school youth with leadership and teambuilding skills that provide the foundation for the to become the future leaders of tomorrow. For this upcoming summer the 4-H Office will once again be offering their camping program. For the 2009 Summer, Campers will be attending the Swannanoa 4-H Camping Center located in Swannanoa, N.C. which is right outside of Asheville. As well as offering eight camping slots to middle-school youth fro Camp Challenge. More information will follow in upcoming newsletters! For all those interested in attending this year’s camp at Swannanoa please attend the informational camp meeting on Tuesday, October 21st beginning at 6:00pm at the 4-H Offices.

Summer Adventures with Wilkes County 4-H

The Wilkes County 4-H program for years has offered extraordinary learning experiences that have centered on allowing youth to explore their world through hands-on activities and a fun, safe environment. This past summer the Wilkes County 4-H Program was able to send 27 campers in ages from 8 to 14 to Millstone 4-H Camp in Ellerbe, North Carolina. While there campers had the experience of a life-time participating in exciting camping activities while building lasting friendships. This upcoming summer the Wilkes County 4-H program is excited to continue the tradition of the camping experience by offering the youth of Wilkes County the chance to spend a fun-filled week at the Swannanoa 4-H Camping Center in Swannanoa, North Carolina. During their stay youth will engage in traditional camping activities as well as skeet shooting, rope courses, horseback riding, canoeing, and nature studies. 4-H camps are a great asset to youth because they allow youth a learning experience that helps to shape their lives as individuals by promoting positive life skills all while learning from positive adult role models. Camp can be the setting in which youth gain independence and social skills that will become useful in future endeavors. Many camp activities are designed with a combination of self-reliance and team skills that allow youth to achieve goals while gaining self-esteem and understanding the importance of teamwork. The 4-H camping programs are open to all youth ages 8-14 and you do not have to be a 4-H member to attend. The North Carolina 4-H Camps are accredited through the American Camping Assoication. The 4-H Office will be holding an informational camp meeting on October 21st from 6-8pm at the Cooperative Extension Office. Anyone who is interested in participating is encouraged to come. Please call the 4-H Office at 336-651-7331 for more information or to sign-up to attend the meeting. Wilkes County has only reserved 16 spots, so call today to make sure you do not miss the chance at a one in life experience.

Wilkes County 4-H Summer Recap

It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over and fall is upon us! The 4-H Office has seen yet another fun-filled summer draw to a close. This summer the 4-H program offered several exciting programs including the 4-H Investigates camp as well as the newest program, ReCharge 4-Health, which was a huge success. This summer the Wilkes County 4-H Poultry Judging Team which included team members Weston Shew, Luke Williams, and Brooke Yates became the new state champions in the North Carolina 4-H Poultry Judging Competition. The 4-H Program also received a huge honor in being selected to present their annual GIS Project at the ESRI International Education User Conference in San Diego, California. The GIS team which consisted of 4-H staff, volunteers, and youth, Pamela Escolero traveled to the conference and presented their projects while also taking part in hands-on workshops and learning what other 4-H groups are doing with GIS technology. As always Wilkes County 4-H was well represented at the North Carolina 4-H Congress and North Carolina Citizenship Focus this summer. 4-H Program Assistant, Jamie Stroud, and six youth 4-Hers attend this year’s 4-H Congress which was held on the campus of NC State University. While at Congress the 4-Hers were able to meet other 4-Hers from across the state as well as enjoy hands-on workshops, discussion groups, and listening to guest speakers. This summer Wilkes County 4-H was represented by three youth at North Carolina Citizenship Focus which is a week-long program also held at NC State University. N.C. Citizenship Focus allows participants to learn about their state government through hands-on workshops and visiting with prominent NC Officials and legislators. The 4-H Afterschool All-Star Summer was huge success! The program operated from Central Wilkes Middle School and C B Eller Elementary with more than hundred youth participating. Participants enjoyed weekly action-packed fields trips, cooking projects, and swimming. The Wilkes County 4-H enjoyed a great summer and would like to thank all those who participated and helped to make a huge success!!