Our Youth. Our Nation’s Future

4-H Youth Development

Our team of 4-H agents and specialists are committed to providing high-quality positive youth development opportunities around STEM topics to the youth of the Lower and Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Specialties & Ready-to-go Lessons

In addition to creating STEM programs at UMES, we encourage community organizations and schools to request help from any member of our team to deliver lessons at their events and classrooms. We can offer help in the following ways:

  • In-school enrichment lessons
  • Afterschool program enrichment lessons
  • Workshops & short-term experiences (ex: day camps)
  • Professional development for educators and teen counselors
  • STEM curriculum training for educators
  • Consultations on new program designs
  • Support for program evaluations and research projects
  • Equipment, curriculum booklets, and other resources

To request help from our staff, simply contact the person below who best matches your needs. If you are unsure who is the best match, please contact Ariel Clay at amclay@umes.edu or 410-651-6724 and she will be happy to advise you.

Ariel Clay

Specialties & Ready-to-Go Lessons:

Educator Development
  • 4-H Staff
  • Youth-Serving Volunteers
  • School Teachers
  • Afterschool Program Staff
  • Teens-as-Teachers
Curriculum Development

Curriculum Development

Program Design & Evaluation

Program Design & Evaluation

Animal & Avian Science
  • ChickQuest
  • Avian Science Bowl

Julie Laurent, left, and Louisiliana Pierre, gets help from Navonne Owen, 4-H Caroline County Educator during a recent visit to UMES.
Navonne Owen, 4-H Caroline County Educator, left, watches Brad Hartle, 4-H STEM associate, shows students how to dissect a Squid during a recent visit to UMES.

Brad Hartle

Specialties & Ready-to-Go Lessons:

Marine Science
  • Squid Anatomy (Dissection)
  • Shark Biology
  • Fish Adaptation
  • Turtle Hurdles – Project Wild Aquatic
  • Water Chemistry
  • Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  • Schooling Fish Sticks
Climate Science
  • Weather vs Climate
  • Sea Level Rise
  • Solar Energy
  • Hydrologic Cycle
Conservation
  • Oh Deer – Project Wild
  • Esmeralda’s Island
  • Plants of the Forest
Soil Investigations
  • Soil Chemistry
  • Soil Texture
  • Soil Porosity & Permeability
Physics
  • Power of the Wind
  • Rockets to the Rescue
  • Density Divers
Engineering Challenges
  • Strawbridge Challenge
  • Ecobots Challenge
  • Penny Boat Challenge
Navigation
  • GPS Clue
  • Orienteering
Miscellaneous Lessons
  • Fossil Hunt/Archeology Dig
  • Edible Entomology
  • Owl Pellet Dissection
  • Strawberry DNA Extraction
  • Fingerprinting
  • Cool It – Lizard Thermoregulation
  • Animal Olympics
  • Nocturnal Adaptations
  • Butter Making (Changes of Matter)

Email: bhartle@umes.edu

Phone: 410-651-6729

Jeremiah Mowen

Specialties & Ready-to-Go Lessons:

Robotics
  • LEGO WeDos
  • VEX
  • Mindstorms
  • FTC
Rocketry
  • Water Bottle Rocket Launchers
  • Water Pressure Rockets
  • Stomp Rockets
Coding/Programming
  • Scratch
Engineering
  • Spoon Catapult
Forestry

Forestry

Junior Master Gardener
  • Plant Press
  • Soil Ball Competition
  • Vermicomposting
  • Paper Pot Making

Email: jlmowen@umes.edu 

Phone: 410-422-3005

Nyck Shirkey, right, shows a student the flight simulator during a recent visit to UMES.
Diamond Nwaeze helps students with seed trays in the greenhouse during a recent visit to UMES.

Diamond Nwaeze

Specialties & Ready-to-Go Lessons:

College & Career Readiness
  • Building the Framework: Searching for Scholarships
  • Etiquette & You
  • Navigating Pre-College Programs
  • Majors & Areas of Study: What is best for you?
Nutrition Science

Nutrition Science

Agriculture & Community Gardening
  • Creation of a Vegetable Crop
  • Teatime in the Garden!
  • Not Just Seeds!
  • Closing Up Shop: How to prep your garden for next spring

Email: dcnwaeze@umes.edu

Phone: 410-651-6724

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