The Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) board of trustees heard what the 4-H program at Ardmore School has to offer their students.
During their regular meeting on Wednesday, April 10, representatives from the school explained what goes into the program and the unique options available.
Principal Ken Pshyk told trustees they started offering 4-H 12 years ago as a way to make the school more attractive to families.
”There was a number of things they were looking at, and 4-H was one of them. Why they chose 4-H was that a number of the staff had experience with 4-H... They really saw the value of the 4-H. They saw the value of the public speaking of the 4-H program, and they saw the value of the option courses,” he detailed.
According to Pshyk, Ardmore was the first school in Canada to adopt a 4-H club.
”There were a number of schools that followed our lead across Canada. However, to date, the research that we have been given and done, we think that we’re the only one left in Canada that offers 4-H in a school setting. It makes our school very unique.”
The Ardmore School parent advisory committee covers the cost, which Pshyk noted has increased over the past two years. The fee for registering the school for the 4-H program is $5,000.
”It’s an expensive program, but we see the value in it... The reason we think it’s still so good and we still support it, is we have students that have gone to university and have come back that say ‘you know what, because of the 4-H program, it made our presentations better, we got better marks, and it helped us in presentations for jobs. It helped us in job interviews that, because we were able to public speak, it made a difference.’”
Grade 7 Ardmore School student Bella Cory and Grade 8 student Brooklyn Graham shared a presentation they made during their 4-H Communications Day. It outlined what youth are taught when they participate in 4-H.
They detailed what a good display looks like, how to have a good overall demonstration, and ways to help de-stress ahead of public speaking.
”The first thing when you have a presentation, you start at your club level. Then you would move onto your districts if you placed first. If first place couldn’t go, you would move onto second, and then if you won first in districts, you would move onto regionals,” explained Graham.
With their project, Graham and Cory came in second place at this year’s regionals in the intermediate age category.
Certain courses are made available to students through the 4-H program.
Pshyk explained, ”The staff will get together at the beginning of the year, and we will look at what the strength of our staff are and what we can offer. We put together a list, then we let the students choose, and we typically have them choose their top three choices.”
Cosmetology, 3D printing, pottery, and arts and crafts are some of the options that have been available over the years.
The program highlights the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community, whether it’s with local seniors or taking part in roadside cleanups throughout Ardmore.
Arlene Hrynyk, NLPS board chair said, “The citizenship for your community, you’re not just restricted to your own walls, what we continue to learn is the outreach to the elder community, taking care of Ardmore community through garbage, those sorts of things speak to you are as people and what you’re learning in the wonderful public school in rural Alberta.”
