Nia Imani Fields (far left) and Kendra Wells (far right) pose with Miroslav Stamenkovic from the Ministry of Education for the Republic of Serbia.
Image Credit: Nia Imani Fields
Talking about the benefits of and principles behind the 4-H program is something Kendra Wells and Nia Imani Fields could likely do in their sleep.
Wells is a retired 4-H Youth Development specialist for University of Maryland Extension (UME) and Fields is a current 4-H educator in Baltimore County. The two women recently embarked on a rare opportunity to share their passions for 4-H with Extension professionals in Serbia.
The partnership began when a Serbian delegation from the country’s equivalent of an Extension service traveled to the United States in April to learn about 4-H and its programming. They were specifically interested in visiting Baltimore County because its mix of urban and rural areas is similar to the population makeup in Serbia. The two groups planted a tree outside the Baltimore County Extension office following their visit (photo).
Before returning home, the Serbians invited representatives from Maryland 4-H to visit their own country and conduct a training workshop for professionals interested in incorporating 4-H programming into their work.
Formerly Yugoslavia, the Republic of Serbia is located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe. The country gained its independence and formed a republic in 2006 following decades of war and political unrest.
“The war left some generational gaps and voids in cultural awareness,” said Wells. “Young people in that country have been through some difficult times and in this period of transition, they need support.”
During their week-long trip to Serbia in September, Fields and Wells got a chance to visit schools in both rural and urban areas and even taught an interactive lesson called “edible aquifer” to students in the capital of Belgrade about how groundwater is absorbed.
“The youth were really engaged,” said Fields.
The main purpose of Fields’ and Wells’ visit was to lead training sessions, with the aid of a translator, for Serbian Extension workers on how the 4-H program functions and brainstorm how they might be able to adapt it into their own fields. Serbia doesn’t have Extension professionals specifically dedicated to working with youth but many expressed an interest in reaching out to the younger generation.
“I think they really grasped the concept of the 4H program,” said Wells. “They seemed willing and enthusiastic about working with young people specifically.”
Both Wells and Fields described their experience in Serbia as “inspiring” and “intense.”
“It wasn’t just us going over there and telling them how to improve their country. We definitely took away a lot of new ideas and it was certainly a two-way learning street,” said Fields.
Representatives from both Serbia Extension and Maryland 4-H continue to keep in touch and are considering the possibility of future partnerships. Currently, 80 countries outside of the United States have 4-H programs. (Pictured: The 4-H pledge in Serbian)
“It’s exciting to get 4-H started in a country like Serbia that has yet to experience the many possibilities of 4-H," said Fields.
said Fields.
Contact Sara Gavin at 301-405-9235 or sgavin@umd.edu.
