Guelph, ON (May 1, 2024) – 4-H Ontario is proud to announce the following projects have been updated for 2024: A World of Food in Canada, Eye on Energy, Cultural Diversity and The Real Dirt on Farming. Each year, 4-H Ontario updates and/or develops new club projects to meet the current needs of youth, whether that be updating content information, learning objectives and activities of existing 4-H projects or exploring entirely new topics through the development of new 4-H projects. The recent project updates have been generously sponsored by Ontario Mutuals, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Grand River Agricultural Society, the Stanley Knapp Resource Development Fund and Farm & Food Care Ontario.
“We would like to thank our sponsors for their support,” says Elizabeth Johnston, 4-H Ontario’s Programming and Resource Coordinator. “With the regular support of our sponsors, 4-H Ontario is able to update projects each year so that youth aged 6 to 21 can experience a new or updated way to ‘learn to do by doing’. Each year, thanks to funding received from our generous sponsors, we are able to select projects that need updated content so that 4-H project resources are current, relevant, appealing and exciting for today’s youth. Our goal is that 4-H Ontario project resources can help youth expand their minds about what they want to do in the future and to help them continue to become leaders in a rapidly changing world.”
An update on each of the 2024 projects is noted below:
A World of Food in Canada Project was created in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s Centennial and has now been updated for 2024. Originally created to trace the development of Canadian food customs from the days of the early settlers to modern times, the project now has new recipes – some from the early days of Canada to today. In this project, you will learn how Canadians from any different backgrounds have influenced and continue to influence our food habits and gain respect for the traditional food practices of various cultural groups who have made this country home.
Some of the recipes featured in this project include Baked Indigenous Pudding, Bannock, Sourdough Bread, Jiggs Dinner, Mini Beavertails, Healthy Poutine and more! We thank Ontario Mutuals for their support in updating this project.
The second project to be updated and released in 2024 is the Eye on Energy Project. With this newly updated project, youth can work toward becoming an “Energy Ambassador” by starting with small, simple changes in their energy use habits. In addition, youth will learn about different forms of energy, develop an understanding of how specific types of energy impact the environment, find practical and creative ways of using energy efficiently and brainstorm ways to make a difference. The development of this project resource has been made possible through the support of funding provided by the Stanley Knapp Resource Development Fund.
The third project to be updated and re-released this year is the Cultural Diversity Project. Celebrating the fact that Canada is one of the world’s most diverse countries, this project helps youth learn more about this huge part of our collective identity. In this project, youth will explore and discover how each culture in our multicultural society keeps its uniqueness, while making up the mosaic of Canada. Youth will also learn more about their own culture and the cultures around them by sharing experiences with others. The goal of this project is that participants develop an understanding and appreciation for many cultures, learn skills and tips for living in a multicultural society and find the beauty in other cultures. The development of this project resource has been made possible through the support of funding provided by the Grand River Agricultural Society.
The fourth project to be updated is The Real Dirt on Farming, generously sponsored by Farm & Food Care Ontario. Canadian farming has an impressive story to tell, and all Canadians deserve the opportunity to make informed choices about their food and to be part of Canada’s farm story. That opportunity, though, requires credible information based on sound science. Just as The Real Dirt on Farming publication created by Farm & Food Care Ontario touches on many aspects of agriculture in Canada, so does this 4-H project resource. In The Real Dirt on Farming project, 4-H participants will learn how to introduce themselves to the consumer – who they are, what they do and why they do it. This project is designed to help participants address concerns, answer questions, debunk myths about food and farming, and learn how to tell their own agriculture and food story.
“We are really pleased about this year’s updated projects and we hope that the 4-H Ontario associations are too,” notes Elizabeth. “In addition, three new Cloverbud units have been created (A World of Food in Canada, Cultural Diversity and Eye on Energy) that have been added to Year Three of the Cloverbud curriculum. The 4-H Ontario Cloverbud program is open to all youth ages 6 to 8 years old.”
To find out more, please register with 4-H Ontario and reach out to your local association or search the project library.
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About 4-H Ontario
4-H Ontario is a non-profit positive youth development organization that builds youth as leaders within their communities and assets to the world. With roots in rural Ontario, today it is open to youth of all backgrounds across the province. 4-H youth ages 6–21 and screened, engaged volunteer leaders come together to learn about selected topics through fun hands-on activities and mentorship. There are also provincial camps, conferences, competitions and national and international travel opportunities available to further develop skills in leadership, business, self-confidence and more. 4-H provides youth with a place they can be involved, accepted, valued and heard while developing valuable skills for leadership and life.
For more information please contact:
Mary Haurilak, Communications, 4-H Ontario
Email: communications@4-hontario.ca