The Active Learning Center at State Fair

The Active Learning Center at the Iowa State Fair reached a large non-traditional audience. Adult volunteers and older 4H'ers developed communication and leadership skills as they helped daycare children and non-4H'ers learn about swine, sheep, art, nutrition, wildlife, safety, communications, and pets. In the livestock activities, 4-H project members were grouped with youth 10-14 years old who were inexperienced with animals. Younger children learned about art and nutrition through individual hands-on activities. In an evaluation of the program, a majority of the participants strongly agreed that they had learned something new.