Eisenberg Elementary Afterschool Club

The 4-H afterschool program at Harry O. Eisenberg Elementary School has been an integral part of the Colonial School District for the last three years. Federally funded by the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and partnered with the Police Athletic League of DE, Inc. and Summer Learning Collaborative, the program services students from both Eisenberg and Castle Hills Elementary. With our 21st CCLC programs, we strive to improve academic performance and school attendance, build strong connections between the school and families, and increase the capacity of participants to become productive adults. The program meets every Monday through Friday during the school year, from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Each day, participants are provided with homework help, a free meal, opportunities for physical activity, and fun interactive STEAM activities. We also offer a full day program for six weeks each summer. The summer program includes all the fun of the afterschool program, while also adding in learning opportunities to combat summer learning loss. Even though COVID prevented us from taking field trips this summer, we enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with each other in-person after a long school year of virtual programming. With the 2021-2022 school year starting, we are looking forward to all the fun possibilities it may bring!

Bridgeville Mustangs

The Bridgeville Mustangs 4-H Club was established in 2009.  Our traditional 4-H club is comprised of 40 hardworking members, ages 5-19, 13 knowledgeable Project Group Leaders and dedicated Co-Organizational Leaders Gina Anger and Susan DeFord. We meet on the 2^nd Thursday of every month from 6:30-8:30 at Union United Methodist Church in Bridgeville. We have been holding monthly Zoon meetings since the start of the pandemic.  During these meetings, we have had a home scavenger hunt, made Christmas ornaments, created gingerbread houses, and quiz bowl games- just to name a few.  The Mustangs leaders and members are very anxious to return to normal, in person meetings and activities.

The Mustangs members are involved in a wide variety of projects such as Foods and Nutrition, Horticulture, Horse, Citizenship, Goat, Poultry, Photography, Woodworking, Arts & Crafts, Outdoor Adventures, Leadership and Shooting Sports-Archery & Small Bore.  Our project groups meet monthly at various times for focused learning in that area.

Volunteerism is an important part of being a Bridgeville Mustang.  Throughout Sussex County, we actively volunteer with the Apple Scrapple Festival, Bridgeville Community Night Out, Greenwood Community Night Out, Kiwanis BBQ, UUMC Food Pantry, Coastal Clean-up, Beach Grass Planting, and gathering items for Operation Christmas Child.  This year the Mustangs have chosen a community outreach project “Cancer Care Kits” for Tidal Health Allen Cancer Center.  Members have donated hard candy, magazines, socks, Chapstick, word search and crossword puzzles and have made inspirational cards for the kits.   We hope to continue with supporting a new cause each year.

Our club is very active in county and state events which include Public Speaking, Demonstrations, Favorite Foods, International Foods, Pumpkin Contest, Judging Contests, Camps, Horse Bowl, Legislative Day, and the Delaware State Fair.  This year our club was excited to try something new, the Litter Barrel Contest.  It will become a yearly tradition with the Mustangs.

Anyone interested in more information about the Bridgeville Mustangs can contact Gina Anger at mom2jenna@hotmail.com  or Susan DeFord at susan.deford@seaford.k12.de.us

St. Anne’s 4-H Club

St. Ann 4-H Club is finishing our 3rd year as a club. We meet as an afterschool 4-H club at St. Ann’s School.

Until COVID, we had a nice spot in the art room. When the school went to virtual last spring so did we, meeting weekly instead of monthly. Even though the students have been in school since September, there have been no after school activities allowed so we continued to meet via Zoom. We finally met in person for the first time in March.

We started the Mars Base Camp STEM kit. Landing on Mars with the wind blowing took some creative thinking!  We built our Mars Rovers outside and we were successful. They all took off down the sidewalk at quite a fast pace. Over the school’s Spring Break, the 4-Hers met twice to paint our litter barrel for the litter barrel contest. Our club also has youth who participate in public speaking, demonstrations, Favorite Foods, science workshops, fair entries, younger member overnighters, day camps and more!

We are glad to be back to meeting monthly at the school and look forward to what is up and coming!

Peach Blossom

The Peach Blossom 4-H Educational Youth Club, established in 2006, is a traditional 4-H Club located in the southwest corner of Kent County. Named after Delaware’s state flower, Peach Blossom has 75 members ages 5 to 19, from Harrington, Felton, Frederica, Greenwood, Lincoln, Camden, Milford, and Houston townships. The Peach Blossom Club meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm in the “4-H Shed” building located at Webb Farm, west of Greenwood. Since May 2020, monthly club meetings have been held via Zoom, with each session embracing a different theme. Some recent theme examples include school-spirit, pajamas, and tie-dye to make gatherings a little more fun. Peach Blossom also hosts monthly Exploring 4-H and Leadership meetings via Zoom. Outdoor monthly club meetings will be planned in the future, conditions permitting.

Peach Blossom Club members focus on many project areas, including archery, clothing, consumer sciences, dairy, fair prep, foods, horse, photography, poultry, livestock, small engines, and woodworking. Youth members are supported and trained by adult Project Team Leaders.

Members also participate in various volunteer community service projects, including coastal cleanups, beach grass plantings, the Pack-a-Purse Project, and assist non-profit organizations including Wreaths Across America, the Food Bank of Delaware, and the Prospect Church Closet. Rather than gathering as a group to do community service activities in 2020-2021, Peach Blossom established a community service focus each month, encouraging member families to participate in their own projects, such as baking a treat or cooking a meal for a family member or neighbor.

The Peach Blossom Club hosts several annual events and looks forward to a time when it will be possible to return to hosting its annual awards, fundraisers, and camp events.

• The fall Peach Blossom Family Night awards members and recognizes volunteer leaders for their outstanding service. The highlight of Family Night is the project work auction with both a silent and live auction of members’ donations.
• The February Peach Blossom Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebee’s is an opportunity for members and leaders to serve pancakes and sausages to fundraise money for club activities.
• Like 4-H Day and State Camps, the May Camp Peach Blossom offers classes, camp songs, people groups, and Council Circle for youth members.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Peach Blossom Club may contact club leader Elaine Webb at peachblossom4h@yahoo.com.

Country Clovers 4-H Club

The Country Clovers 4-H Club is located in Sussex County and comprised of about 20 youth that are very eager and excited to experience all that 4-H has to offer. Our youth range in age from ages 8-19 years old. Many of our members have a deep passion and love for horses and participate in the equine project area. Our club is also participating in the woodworking, science, sewing, leadership, demonstration, and arts/crafts project areas just to name a few. 

The Country Clovers have participated in the community this year by helping one of our club members who is completing her Diamond Clover Project. This member’s project is called Blankets of Love and she is making blanket care packages for children in need or going through difficult situations.  The club members have met several times and are helping to sew the blankets to go in the blanket care packages. Our members also adopted a family in the community for the holidays and purchased clothing and much needed items to help make their holiday a little brighter. Country Clovers can also be found participating each year with the Cards for Heroes event and volunteering during the Delaware State Fair. The club will also be sewing placemats for Meals on Wheels later this year.  

The Country Clovers 4-H Club meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month for their business meeting and we meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month for our project meeting. Our meetings are normally held at the Sound United Methodist Church but we are currently meeting over Zoom. Anyone wishing to find out more information about our club or to join you can contact Rebecca Johnson at 302-381-4616 or email.

Heritage 4-H Club

Heather Coverdale has a passion for 4-H after a long history as a 4-H’er, leader and employee of the 4-H Afterschool Program in Kent County. With extra free time during quarantine, she started to envision activities, tours, projects and community service for a new club. Out of a challenging time, the Heritage 4-H Club was born!

The club is up and running and members are exited.  Currently, members range in age from 8 to 19 years old.   The club meets on the 1^st Monday of the month from 6 to 7:30 PM at the Coverdale’s home. The projects at this time are foods and nutrition, science, archery, horticulture/gardening, and fishing.  A few of the members have an interest in goats and swine.  The members are currently preparing and practicing speeches for the public speaking contest and choosing a recipe for the Favorite Foods Contest.  The next community service project will be making Valentine’s Day favors/cards for the local nursing home. Heritage 4-H members are very excited and eager to explore the many things 4-H has to offer.

To join us on our adventures contact Heather Coverdale at 302-343-9335 or hlgooden@hotmail.com.

Flock of Friends

Flock of Friends is a 4-H club that ranges in age from 5-12. We meet on the 2^nd Sunday of the month at our leader’s house in Newark (176 Rhythm Court). We are focusing on Exploring 4H and finding areas of interest for our young members. We enjoy doing crafts and activities, giving back to the community and spending time with each other. Our members currently participate in Favorite Foods and Public Speaking but are looking to expand as they continue to learn and grow.  We enjoy field trips to the Children’s Theatre, Philadelphia around the holidays, scavenger hunts in the park, and year end BBQ pool parties sans COVID. For more information please contact the New Castle County 4-H Office at 302-831-2506.

Lucky Leaf 4-H Club

Lucky Leaf 4-H club was established in 2016 after moving our Maryland club of 21years, the Melson’s Mustangs, to Delaware. Our current leaders are Melody Hudson, Chelsea Hudson, and Sherrie McMann with 18 club members ages 5-18. Each member chooses their own project area, from cooking to livestock, and presents demonstrations to the club to share what they have learned. Each member (ages 8-18) completes a project book each year to maintain membership. We have participated in many community outreach projects including Coastal Clean-up, Christmas stockings for Sussex County Fosters, and HALO homeless shelter to name a few. We also have many members that enjoy activities such as the pumpkin contest, state fair, favorite foods contest, and public speaking. We are very excited and looking forward to having our first in-person meeting this November! Meetings are on the 1st Thursday of every month at 6 pm.