The 2008 Louisiana State Fair in Shreveport is dedicated to 4-H and its celebration of 100 years in the state. The fair runs from Oct. 23-Nov. 9.

Ricky Kilpatrick, Jeannie Crnkovic and Terry Foster, all LSU AgCenter extension agents in the Northwest Region, help set up the forestry exhibit at the Louisiana State Fair. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell)

Lola Shuttleworth, extension agent in Caddo Parish, arranges photos for an exhibit at the Louisiana State Fair in Shreveport. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell)

The 2008 State Fair of Louisiana, Oct. 23-Nov. 9 in Shreveport, is dedicated to Louisiana 4-H to help celebrate the centennial of the youth organization. The fair theme is “Celebrate and Educate!”

“Louisiana 4-H is an integral part of the State Fair of Louisiana. The livestock, crafts and many other educational exhibits and activities give the young people an opportunity to be recognized for the hard work they put forth throughout the year. Speaking on behalf of the board of directors, we are honored to be able to help Louisiana 4-H celebrate such a momentous occasion,” said Chris Giordano, president and general manager of the State Fair of Louisiana.

Go to 4-H Kids’ Clubhouse

On Oct. 29, during 4-H Fun Day, the LSU AgCenter will officially launch a new Web site aimed at fourth- through sixth-graders called Louisiana 4-H Kids’ Clubhouse. It features nearly a hundred games, quizzes, downloadable activities and videos.

“This new site is part of an overall effort to reach out to broader audiences through 4-H,” Tassin said. “Our children grow up using computers so we are integrating video games and more computer activities into our program.”

The clubhouse Web site was developed based on the “Discovering 4-H” project book that all new 4-H’ers complete, said Katina Hester, 4-H Web content coordinator for the LSU AgCenter. The project book is broken down into six areas: agriculture, environment, plants, animals, family and world.

Games in the Kids’ Clubhouse site include “The Farmer,” a multileveled game designed to help children learn how food is grown; a Louisiana agriculture jigsaw puzzle, which when solved tells the viewer he/she is a genius; various quizzes about plants, animals and the environment; and a duck hunt game to test shooting and hunting skills.

Short videos include how to make a solar oven and how to get chickens ready for livestock show competition.

“Some of the games were purchased. Others were developed by our staff,” Hester said. “We will continually add new activities and games to the mix to encourage children to keep coming back to the site.”

The site also includes information about how to join 4-H and obtain the educational materials offered by 4-H.

“This new Web site will give youth who aren’t aware of all of the opportunities 4-H offers a chance to re-think 4-H in Louisiana,” Tassin said.

4-H Fun Day Oct. 29

More than 1,300 students in the greater Shreveport area are scheduled to visit the 4-H Express on Oct. 29 at the State Fair as part of 4-H Fun Day, according to Karen Martin, northeast and north central regional 4-H coordinator for the LSU AgCenter.

The 4-H Express is a 10-station exhibit inside a 24,000-square-foot red tent. Each station will feature different aspects of the 4-H program by decades, beginning in 1908.

“This is the first time we’ve ever done anything like this,” Martin said. “The students will travel through 10 decades of 4-H. It should take about an hour to go through all the exhibits.”

The first station – the first decade – features the beginnings of 4-H with corn clubs and tomato clubs. The next decades and themes are forestry, poultry, gardens (with information about the Victory Gardens during World War II), exercising, insect depot, food tasting, water quality and wildlife.

The last station – the decade that ends in 2008 – features the high-tech activities of 4-H in science and technology.

Teachers will receive kits with additional activities for use in the classroom as part of the 4-H Express, Martin said.

The LSU AgCenter’s mobile communication unit will be parked next to the red 4-H tent and will include four laptop computers so children can go to Louisiana 4-H Clubhouse.

Go to the 2008 Louisiana State Fair for more details about the fair.

The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.