We continue our series of Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact, with Taylor Furr, 4-H and Youth Development Agent from the Stokes County Cooperative Extension.
Taylor discusses how COVID-19 has impacted her work with 4-H & Youth Development and the innovative steps she is taking to stay connected with the youth of Stokes County.
1. What are you and/or your agency doing here in Stokes County to support our residents during COVID-19?
Stokes County 4-H is a youth development program where I, as the 4-H Agent, provide educational opportunities for the youth in our county. During this trying time, we have created a couple activities youth can be working on.
We have a History Scavenger Hunt going on where youth can learn about 4-H while completing a fill in the blank form. You can find more information on our website at stokes.ces.ncsu.edu.
I am continuing to provide resources to teachers, such as our Embryology Program and the Steps to Health program. We are pre recording videos and sending them to the teachers so they can share it with their classes. Each week I will be posting an activity for youth and families to participate if they wish.
All of the summer youth activities hosted by the Extension Office have been postponed, cancelled, or moved to a virtual setting.
The Stokes County Cooperative Extension agents are working together to plan activities youth can participate in on their own at home this summer.
Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks.
If you have any suggestions or requests of activities you’d like to see, please reach out to Taylor Furr at taylor_furr@ncsu.edu. More information can be found at stokes.ces.ncsu.edu or our Facebook page.
2. Why is it important that our community practice self-care, for mental and physical well-being?
It is still important that we deliver relevant and trustworthy information to our citizens, but what has changed is how we deliver our information. We are working diligently to provide our community with knowledge through virtual platforms instead of face-to-face interactions. This way we are being good stewards of social distancing but still serving our community.
3. What is something positive you have seen in midst of chaos of COVID-19 as we navigate this together?
I personally have seen families who do not normally get to spend time together, being able to do that now. They are building connections, and making memories, and that is something to be thankful for during this time!
Taylor Furr, 4-H & Youth development for the stokes county cooperative extension
