Just because you and the kids are cooped up in the house doesn’t mean you can’t experience the fun of catching up with your favorite furry friends at your favorite zoo or animal conservatory. Zoos and animal habitats have also moved their program online during the COVID-19 pandemic. When visiting a zoo, online or in-person, you can confirm the organization is kind to and … [Read more...]
Starting a Poultry Science Project at Your School
It isn’t uncommon to see a school or community garden in urban New Jersey, where residents come together to grow fresh food. Some people step it up a notch by introducing new members of the farm: chickens! As backyard chickens become more and more popular, some schools are considering the idea as well and are able to integrate Animal Science into their school day program. In … [Read more...]
Five Essential Ag Safety Practices for Youth Programs
4-H programs can happen anywhere - rural, suburban or urban areas. Often, these programs will interact with the agriculture industry - even if for a short time or day trip. While it is important for youth to learn more about agriculture, these settings can be a hazardous place for young people. Agriculture is the only industry where children of all ages may be present at any … [Read more...]
New 4-H Turkey Project: Animal Science and Community Service
This year, New Jersey 4-H is introducing a Turkey project, offering the chance to engage families in poultry science and community service by raising turkeys for families in need for Thanksgiving. The 4-H Turkey Raising And Youth (TRAY) project is for families who wish to participate in a community service project while also learning how to raise turkeys that will be donated … [Read more...]
No Animals, No Problem! Engaging urban and suburban youth in Animal Science projects
Last month we shared information about curriculum and resources available to lead urban livestock projects in urban and suburban areas. One reader came back to us with a great question: "If we don’t have bees, rabbits or chickens, can our youth still get involved with animal projects?" The answer is yes! If your family or club cannot commit to raising your own animals, there … [Read more...]
Opportunities for Urban and Suburban Livestock Experiences
Many of our urban and suburban youth have limited interaction with livestock. 4-H livestock projects, although not typical to urban or suburban areas, are possible and are becoming quite popular. In addition to learning about animal science, there is a great opportunity to teach young people about entrepreneurship. Does this mean 4-Hers bring cows to the into city? … [Read more...]
7 Careers in Animal Science That May Surprise You
Do you love animals and want to dedicate your life to working with them? You have many career options ahead—probably more than you think! When young people imagine careers in animal science the first thing that comes to mind is usually a veterinarian. Working as an animal doctor is a great career, but did you know there are many more careers that involve helping animals? … [Read more...]
Your Animal Science and Agriculture Projects are STEM! Here are National Resources to Showcase the Connection
You probably already know that STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. When people think of STEM, they picture a man in a lab coat mixing chemicals. Or perhaps a boy building a robot comes to mind. But as animal science educators, we know that STEM learning involves so much more! With every lesson we are connecting our youth to STEM. It's happening all the … [Read more...]