Bozeman Magazine

The Department of Agricultural and Technology Education in Montana State University’s College of Agriculture will host a two-hour event to introduce young 4-H members to new areas of exploration and teach hands-on skills. 

Spring Into 4-H is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, April 16, at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds Exhibit Building No. 4. The event, geared toward youth 4-H members, interested students and their families, is designed to teach students about opportunities available within Montana 4-H, which is the youth development sector of Montana State University Extension. Spring Into 4-H is free and open to the public.

Attendees will rotate through five workshops, 20 minutes each, led by undergraduate students in the MSU College of Agriculture. The full listing of workshops follows: 

• “Sun, Water, Air and Worms” will teach students about healthy plant care, including an overview of both natural and synthetic fertilizers.
• “Growing Your Community Service” will focus on learning about community engagement activities that students can implement in their hometowns. Attendees will make a guided visit to the Bozeman Senior Center to deliver flowers to residents.
• “What’s Buzzing with Bees” will teach students about the importance of pollinators to the agricultural industry and food production, including how to foster a bee-friendly environment. Participants will also get to taste locally sourced honey.
• “What in Carnation?” will teach the basics of floral design, types of flowers and flower arranging using hands-on crafts.
• “Becoming a Cowboy Poet” will teach students about the history of cowboy poetry, the art of creating rhymes and the guidelines of the Montana 4-H Cowboy Poetry project. The session is designed to spark creativity in youth of all ages.

The day’s program will be overseen by Shannon Arnold, an MSU agricultural education professor, who said the event aims to educate members of the public about the importance of agriculture and 4-H in Montana.

“This workshop provides a valuable opportunity for MSU students to partner with Gallatin County Extension to teach the public about agriculture and youth development programs,” Arnold said. “This mutually beneficial experience helps improve our students’ career skills while also educating the public about 4-H programs and agricultural topics.”

Students and families interested in attending can RSVP at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084da9a92aabfe3-spring1. Other event sponsors include Gallatin County 4-H and MSU Extension.