The National 4-H Week celebration emphasizes 4-H's high tech connectedness on the theme of "4-H Online."
"Virginia 4-H has a strong foundation in helping the Commonwealth's youth learn about online work," said Robert Ray Meadows, director of 4-H youth development. For example, a few months ago the Wildfire 4-H Club, Annandale, won a national third place in the 4-H division of Colgate-Palmolive's program to honor community service projects. The Annandale group was cited for creating a video aimed at keeping youngsters safe while online.
These club members not only were using the technology but also being aware of the concerns and making efforts to help others avoid the concerns.
Virginia 4-H has an outstanding science and technology program. A few years ago, a 4-H group in Virginia Beach, working with the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation staff and the NAACP Youth Council, used computers to help elementary school youngsters learn to read. Virginia 4-H had a Tech Corp that in 2000 did projects such as training teens to help seniors locate their Medicare resources online. It was part of a pilot project for the Health Care Finance Administration and Medicare. The group also worked with a Virginia high school and a New York City high school and wrote an Online Murder Mystery.
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