Rockets landed two local 4-H youths blue ribbons at the Lyon County Free Fair this year, which means Mitch Whitfield and David Kosinski fit right into this year’s theme for National 4-H Week, which starts Sunday. The theme is “4-H Science and Technology.”
This was the first year 10-year-old Mitch has participated in the space technology or rocket program. It’s the fourth year for 14-year-old David. Both boys are among the 317 youths involved in 4-H in Lyon County.
David said his rocket took him about a weekend. Mitch’s took a couple of weeks, but only because they worked on it over time, he said. The opportunity to work with science and technology attracted the two to the rocketry program, they said.
“I wanted to do more technology,” David said.
Mitch agreed.
“I chose rocketry because my dad has a lot of experience in it and I thought it would be fun,” he said.
David and Mitch each had humorous stories to tell about their rocket launches. David chuckled as he explained his rocket’s mishap. He built a two-engine rocket designed for each engine to go off at the same time. When David finally got it to work, only one engine went off and the rocket took off and ended up flying sideways at one point, landing in a tree.
Mitch also chuckled when he was asked to tell a story about launching his rocket. As the rocket was coming back down after the launch, it was spinning. When the rocket landed, he found out what was wrong. The top part of the rocket had separated, causing the rocket to spin on its way down.
The program allows 4-H’ers time to get to know themselves and others.
“You get to meet a lot of people,” David said. “And you learn a lot of skills.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much the same for me,” Mitch said as he nodded while David was talking.
Michele Koenig, Lyon County extension agent in charge of 4-H youth and development, said the science and technology program has grown a lot in Lyon County.
“Science and technology gets away from the stereotypical ‘4-H is for corn and heifers,’” Koenig said.
Koenig said 4-H offers many more opportunities for students than just projects to be shown at the fair including leadership seminars and trips to places like Washington, D.C.
An application to enter 4-H lists categories in everything from the traditional livestock categories to plant science, geology, forestry and shooting sports. More than 30 categories are available for youths to get involved in.
If there’s something a 4-H’er wants to do that isn’t listed on the category list, there is a self-determined category.
“They can enter into the self-determined category and do whatever they want,” Koenig said.