December 10 – “The kids enjoyed the contest incredibly!” 4-H Parent Christopher Komound said his student was fully engaged at the recent Texas Tech G.E.A.R. (Get Excited About Robotics,) competition. The Prairie View A&M University’s Cooperative Extension 4-H and Youth Development program is committed to redefining the perception of Agriculture for Texas youth by incorporating 21st Century skills into programming such as AgRobotics. Through AgRobotics, 4-Hers learn new and exciting 21st Century and employable skills. This year, PVAMU 4-H and the Brazos Valley County Fair partnered to bring Texas Tech’s G.E.A.R. contest to Brazos County area youth. The competition took place on Saturday, October 20, 2018, on the fairgrounds.
Nine junior teams, eight intermediates, and two senior teams competed for the beloved blue ribbon. More than 80% of the youth who participated in this year’s contest were competing for the first time. All of the youth did an excellent job and took notes on ways to improve in time for the next competition. Parents of the young 4-Hers were completely awed with their children’s response to AgRobotics, Gaylon Morgan said, “Thank you for creating such a wonderful memory and learning experience for them.” This turnout has encouraged these students to explore new ideas while incorporating technology into agricultural learning.
This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 1890 Extension Formula Program projects under Section 1444.
Cynthia Pierfax
Program Specialist for 4-H and Youth Development
(936) 261-5028
cmpierfax@pvamu.edu