Afterschool engagement

When many people think of 4-H, they think of showing animals at a county fair. But as the saying is often echoed, 4-H is more than just cows, sows and plows.

The largest nationwide youth development program for children and teens ages 5 to 19 values head, heart, hands and health (the four H's). It's all about hands-on learning and helping children and teens gain social and critical thinking skills.

The University of Delaware's 4-H afterschool programs cover all of those values. And they're not just a huge help to children, but to their families as well.

On a March afternoon, Miranda Aleksandrowicz, a staff member with the afterschool program, taught her group at Mispillion Elementary School in Milford about how people can hold in their emotions and erupt, just like volcanoes. Each time she asked a question, she gently tossed a bright green squishy ball to a student for their turn to answer.