ArizonaRealCountry.com 55 January 2018 MY HANDS TO Larger Service! By Haydee Pardee Several months back Dr. Ed Martin, our University of Arizona, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Director was approached by Maricopa County Juvenile Probate program in hopes of a collaboration. Per the Maricopa County Extension Director Dr. Ed Martin: “The project began with recommendations from a meeting with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisor’s Chiefs of Staff. They felt our 4-H program could be a great addition to the Juvenile Probate program. After meeting with Chief Eric Meaux and his Chief of Staff, Teresa Tschupp, from Maricopa County Juvenile Probate, it was clear that we had an opportunity to work together. As Chief Meaux stated at the meeting, “it is better to educate than incarcerate”. That meeting began a new collaboration with Maricopa County Juvenile Probate and the University of Arizona, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program.” 4-H is always looking to grow our community and new delivery mode clubs, so when we were presented with this amazing opportunity we were very excited to lend a hand. We started to meet with the staff of the juvenile program to discuss their needs and see how we could assist. We came to the conclusion that we could offer some help in one of the areas that 4-H values most: community service. Using the 4-H Service Projects curriculum, created by our very own 4-H Youth Development staff, and incorporating some service project ideas our Teen Outreach Program already uses in their clubs, we were able to provide the juvenile program with the foundation for productive and developmentally rich lessons. 4-H Youth will be learning the steps to planning a service project. They will be taught how to use the community service planning model to carry out the community service projects in their own communities; for example, they will be taught how to make dog toys that they will then donate to local animal shelters. Our 4-H Youth Development staff also offered a train the trainer session for the juvenile program staff that will be delivering these lessons. Additionally, one of our Americorp volunteers, Tim Lonchar (also known as Timmy Neutron) collaborated with the juvenile program. Staff members from the juvenile program have been observing Tim while he teaches the 4- H Robotics curriculum at one of his after-school 4-H Special Interest Clubs! The juvenile program also plans to incorporate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) focused programs into their lessons. Maricopa 4-H wants to continue motivating youth to provide service to their communities. 4- H believes that these youth will be able to make an impact on their community while acquiring new skills! This is the true meaning of 4-H. For a more comprehensive list on the opportunities available, go to: https://extension.arizona.edu/4h/statewide-projects Or for information on how to join 4-H in Maricopa County, go to: https://extension.arizona.edu/4h/getting-started