2020 RVC Insights Fall Wtih Edits copy 20 pages - Flipbook - Page 15
Virtual fairs promote learning
2020 county fair competitions, activities go virtual in many counties
Jayne Carstensen, Communications Specialist
On a normal summer day, you would
have found Jennifer Peterson spending 14-hour days on the fairgrounds
somewhere, but this summer was
anything but normal. For Jennifer,
Youth Development Educator, University of Illinois Extension, which serves
Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Stark
Counties in Illinois, things changed
dramatically on June 1 when it was announced that in-person events would
be postponed or hosted online. The
unprecedented announcement meant
switching 4-H exhibitors’ entries and
shows to a virtual format, which was
something new for everyone involved.
Although physical fairs were not held
this year, extension staff worked to
transition the exhibits and livestock
shows to a virtual platform.
Even with the new format, Jennifer
was happy to report that they still
had approximately 350-400 4-H youth
participants, which is about 25-50%
over prior years. She stated that kids
who would normally have had 20 fair
entries might have only done two or
three, and those that showed animals
entered two rather than six.
Jennifer went on to say that awards
were presented virtually, and they
tried to recognize everyone on social media. Traditional awards for
grand champions and general project
awards were presented during a drivethrough family bundle pickup.
Jennifer Peterson, Youth Development Educator,
University of Illinois Extension, sporting an “I
Survived the Virtual Fair Season” t-shirt, donated
by River Valley Cooperative.
“What we’ve learned most from this year’s fairs is
that 4-H is about community and gathering together to celebrate,” said Jennifer. “Going virtual was
a good way to do it in this climate and a way to
keep everybody safe. It was different, and people
definitely expressed their desire to get back to
normal as quickly as possible. We hope next year
we’ll be bigger and better and more together than
ever before.”
“What we’ve learned most from this year’s fairs is that 4-H is
about community and gathering together to celebrate.”
- Jennifer Peterson
Youth Development Educator,
University of Illinois Extension
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