Youth learned about drones, photography, and agriculture during the recent S.C. State 1890 Extension Pee Dee Region Summer Enrichment Camp.
Photo by Jacqueline Hough
Rising Blenheim Middle School of Discovery eighth-grader Zarie Bridges had always wanted to learn more about drones.
It was at the recent S.C. State 1890 Extension Pee Dee Region Summer Enrichment Camp that Bridges and 36 youth learned about drones, photography, and agriculture.
“I enjoyed learning about drones and how to can food,” she said. “It was a great learning experience.”
This was what Kinda McInnis, 4-H youth development agent for S. C. State 1890 Extension, wanted to hear.
Earlier this month, the camp was held for four days. The purpose of the camp was to show the youth what the S.C. State 1890 Extension offered.
Throughout the week, the youth learned about 4-H, drones, photography, agriculture, and college readiness.
Agriculture is the leading industry in South Carolina, McInnis said, and most kids don’t know much about it.
“We wanted to introduce it to them,” she said. “Some have no clue that when they eat every day if we don’t have farmers, we don’t eat.”
A USDA official showed the youth how the soil works in the ground to grow vegetables. At one point during the week, the youth learned about eating healthy and made ice cream in a bag.
On the final day, the youth did a virtual tour of South Carolina State University.
“We were not able to go down to campus, so we brought South Carolina State to them,” McInnis said.
Also on the final day, they wrote about what they learned, and what they liked or didn’t like. Each participant gave her five sentences on how they enjoyed it or not and why.
As the 4-H youth and development agent, McInnis works with youth ages five years old to twelfth grade. They learn through a variety of activities with emphasis on STEM, character education, nutrition, and agriculture.
There is also an education innovation component to help high school students wanting to go to college learn about financial aid and scholarships.
“We have some very good things that our community needs to know about the S.C. State 1890 Extension program,” she said. For more information, call McInnis at 843-456-5174. Her office is located at 204 Suite 6 Highway 15-401 Bypass (across the street from Auto Zone).