Five Williston 4-H'ers showed off their talents and project work at the 2021 4-H State Day, a capstone event for the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H program. They were among the 37 participants from eight counties who took part in this virtual opportunity.

4-H'ers statewide were invited to enter action exhibits, illustrated talks, posters, stage presentations and other exhibits to demonstrate what they learned through their 4-H club work this year. Entries were submitted as photos or videos and were evaluated on a number of different criteria including presentation, originality and workmanship.

Three members of the Card family participated in State Day this year. Bristol, 11, and Remington, 9, both earned blue ribbons for their illustrated talks. Bristol addressed myths surrounding beef while Remington described beekeeping practices and equipment and gave an overview of bee behavior and lifecycle in her talk, "Sweet as Honey."

Their brother Colt, 7, also presented an illustrated talk, entitled "How Chicks Hatch." As a 4-H Cloverbud, a program for kids ages 5-7, his work was not scored although he received a participation ribbon for his efforts. All three are Chittenden County Independent 4-H members.

William Palmer, 9, entered the Maker/Tinker category with his creation of an upcycled found object sculpture. Entries in this category are scored on creativity, design, craftsmanship and other criteria and typically involve science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) principles, which are an integral part of the 4-H curriculum. William earned a red ribbon for his exhibit.

His brother Eli, 5, also entered an upcycled found object sculpture in the Maker/Tinker category. Like Colt Card, as a 4-H Cloverbud he could participate in State Day, but his entry was not evaluated. He was awarded a participation ribbon. The brothers are members of Green Mountain 4-H of Williston.

"Every year our 4-H'ers impress us with their ambitious goals surrounding communication and public speaking skills," says Allison Smith, UVM Extension 4-H Youth Learning Experiences coordinator. "One positive aspect of using a virtual platform is that we have wonderful videos of 4-H members like the Card and Palmer families, giving presentations on subjects that they are passionate about while demonstrating important life skills.

"These presentations illustrate a 4-H'er's ability to research a subject, break down complex concepts for the audience and deliver information clearly and concisely. The knowledge passed along in the videos and photos of the exhibits can be shared with different audiences and be used to also help upcoming 4-H'ers see what a quality and successful presentation looks like."

To learn more about 4-H in Chittenden County, contact UVM Extension 4-H educator Margaret Coan at (802) 651-8343, ext. 505, or margaret.coan@uvm.edu.