By Matthew McClellan

Rowan County 4-H

It is a well-established fact that youths lose much of the information gained during the school year over the course of summer vacation. This phenomenon is known as “summer loss” and leads to lower overall testing scores and academic performance.

Research also shows that lower-income youths are at more risk than those in higher socio-economic conditions.

So how do you, as a parent, combat this loss of information and keep your child engaged in the lifelong pursuit of learning?

Well, one way is to read and play mathematics-based games like Yahtzee or Monopoly with your child during the summer. Another way is to get your child involved in summer educational programming.

There are many providers of summer educational programming in Rowan County, and any of these will keep your child learning and having fun while providing a safe environment for your children over the summer months.

While there are many organizations that provide summer educational programming that can match almost any interest and educational need, I would like to plug my 4-H programming in particular.

Every year, the Rowan County 4-H program holds educational programming, and this summer certainly is no exception. We have programs ranging in duration from a few hours to weeklong day camps and ranging in content from robotics to arts and crafts; outdoor adventures to culinary skills; backyard poultry to crocheting.

These programs are designed to be fun, safe, educational and as affordable as possible. Age requirements vary for each class but there are classes available for ages 5-18. A complete listing of the offerings can be found in the Summer Fun section of the Salisbury Post from April 28; by coming by the Rowan County 4-H Office; the county website at www.rowan.ces.ncsu.edu; Rowan County 4-H Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rowan4h; or seeing one of the fliers posted around the county at the headquarters of Rowan Public Library or at Horizons Unlimited, both in Salisbury.

To sign up for any of the Rowan County 4-H Summer Fun! classes, you will need to come to the Cooperative Extension Office at 2727 Old Concord Road in Salisbury to sign up.

If you have questions regarding the 4-H Summer Fun! programs, feel free to contact me at the Cooperative Extension office at 704-216-8970.