MSU Extension 4-H Cloverbuds (Ages 5-7)

Empowering Cloverbuds

Cloverbuds can participate in community service as much as any other 4-H member.  Lessons may need to be adapted for developmental appropriateness, but they can achieve the benefits of service regardless of age. 

What's it all about?

Service involves looking outside yourself and helping or doing work for your community or individuals within the community. 

• Serving the community, the individuals receive benefits because they are a member of the community. 
• Serving others also benefits the 4-H member by building life skills that may include: 
  • Responsible Citizenship, Teamwork, Character, Concern for Others, Communication, Goal Setting, Problem Solving and many more.

Before Project

• September Child Cancer support month
• Identify possible donors or resources
• Discuss empathy 
• Items to help with side effects, provide comfort, and entertainment
• Determine where to take packages once completed.

During Project

• Gather goods – chap stick, mints, gum, soft socks, water bottles, books, moisturizers, peppermint tea, ginger sticks/chews, pillow case
• Package goods with care. 
• Include a personal touch. (special project, personal note, photo etc.)
• Take photos and record the event to share with the media. 

After Project

• Reflect on the project
• Have a celebration. 

Focus on service

The most successful service projects are ones lead by the youth, even Cloverbud aged 4-Her’s can voice their ideas for projects.  If the youth personally know of a friend who is going through cancer treatments then they will be more invested in the project.  This project will feel personal to them and empathy will be more easily identified.  If your youth do not have a personal connection with a child going through cancer treatment then one of these video links might help them better identify with the side effects and  the seriousness of the disease and treatments.  Preview the links to decide on which one will be appropriate for your group.

• Kids with cancer: (1:28) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRbOA-JRRSM
• Children share their experiences of cancer – Cancer Research UK kids & Teens (2:13) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAu0-HO4CL0
• What childhood cancer treatment looks like: Vara’s story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ7kJWYtWfw 10-year-old girl assembles chemo ‘kare kits’ for kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cvqr05smBw

Once you have cultivated the empathy piece and the youth are interested in the service project you will need to start asking the youth to make some decisions.

• How will you collect the items needed for the kits?
• Who will pay for them?
• When will you meet to put kits together?
• How will you distribute the finished kits?
• Who will take the photos of the project?

Ask good questions throughout the project: 

• Why are we doing this project?
• If we did not do this project who would?
• How do you think the cancer patient will feel when we give them this kit?
• What would you like to receive if you were a cancer patient?
• Do you like to help others? Why?

Reflections and Celebrations

• With the process captured with photos, have the youth put the photos in sequence.  Ask them what photo was first, next, until they can talk about the whole project from start to finish.  Have an adult write captions under the photos from what the youth remember about the service project.  A great way to capture the impact on the youth who participated.
• Reflect on what changes should be made for next time.
• Organize a party with youth, partners, donors and recipients, if possible.
• Share with local newspaper, MSU Extension office, at a county commissioner meeting and social media; photo release must be signed by those in photos.