Judges play key role in 4-H Life Skills projects

Judges play key role in 4-H Life Skills projects
Dave Mast

Judge Kim Mumaw chats with 4-Her Rachael Ellis about her sewing project. The 4-H Life Skills award winners will be presented at this year’s fair in the main arena on Saturday, Aug. 10.

                        

Challenging oneself to explore new horizons is a big part of what Holmes County 4-H is all about, and on Tuesday, July 16 at Harvest Ridge, plenty of growth took place during the annual Holmes County 4-H Life Skills judging event, where 4-Hers put their knowledge and skills to the test in front of a bevy of judges.

Volunteer judges make the event possible, and their role is not just to judge, but also to dispense knowledge and help mentor and advise the youth in their respective projects.

“We can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate you volunteering to fill these roles,” Holmes County Extension 4-H educator Ella Lorentz said to the volunteers on Life Skills night, where a host of Holmes County youth ventured into the expo center at Harvest Ridge to present their projects to dozens of Life Skills judges who provided expertise in their respective field.

Each year there are hundreds of projects submitted, ranging from sewing and cake decorating to electricity, gardening, art, rocketry, shooting sports and more. It truly is a list from A to Z that creates opportunity for kids to explore new skills.

“Life Skills is something that sometimes flies under the radar in 4-H, but it is a wonderful program that gives 4-Hers a chance to explore new things,” Lorentz said.

Through the local judging process, all of the Life Skills categories give 4-Hers an opportunity to craft their hard work into award-winning county efforts, and a select few have a chance to earn high enough marks to advance to the Ohio State Fair Life Skills Competition, where their projects are put to the test against the best from around the state.

Over the years Holmes County 4-Hers have experienced success at the state fair, and it all starts right here at home, which is why the local judges play such a critical role.

Justin Estill was asked to judge the shooting sports entries.

Estill, who said he was a last-second replacement judge, said he was glad he accepted the offer to serve.

“I like seeing youth being passionate about a topic, learning more about something and being responsible,” Estill said. “They are all looking to further themselves outside of the social media world and take time to work at something new. Seeing them pour themselves into this rather than sitting at a screen is always good, and I enjoyed talking to them. They all did such a wonderful job explaining their projects. I think some of them were teaching me about some things, and I hope I was able to give them some valuable tips that can help them in the future.”

First-time Judge Amy Loveday did double duty at her station, serving as a judge for both quilting and cooking, and she said she also was impressed by the sheer level of knowledge and talent that came through her many interviews.

“I’m passionate about both cooking and quilting, so I was honored to have this opportunity to help the kids in our community,” said Loveday, who understands what it’s like to get judged on your effort because she’s entered many offerings into the Holmes County Fair Art Show.

“I think 4-H is such a wonderful program. I was so impressed with how hard each of these kids worked on their projects,” she said, “and how hard the projects are. Some of them are so involved, and what I like is that behind each of these kids is a mentoring adult, whether it’s a parent, grandparent or teacher who is showing support and giving guidance and walking alongside the kids.”

Becca Schuch is not far removed from being one of the 4-Hers being judged on a Life Skills project, having grown up in the Holmes County 4-H world.

She judged natural resources and said being on the other side was nerve-wracking in a very different way than being a 4-Her having her projects judged.

“When Ella reached out to me this summer and asked me if I would judge, at first I was unsure because I still know a lot of the kids in 4-H,” said Schuch, who is attending Grace College and working as an intern with Holmes County Soil & Water Conservation District this summer. “But then I realized that I had a lot of judges who were active in 4-H, and they helped me grow and become more passionate about my projects, and I like the idea of being someone who can share my passion and pass along advice to these younger 4-H kids.”

She said having a project judged and sitting in front of an adult can be a frightening proposition, but part of the process of going through Life Skills and 4-H is learning how to speak and connect with adults, something she said has helped her grow immensely through her time in 4-H.

“We’re not as scary as they think,” Schuch said. “We’re all here to help and mentor.”

The award-winning 4-H youth will be honored on Saturday, Aug. 10 during the Holmes County Fair.


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