Bringing engineering expertise to 4-H

August 15, 2011

Kosciusko REMC recently hosted a workshop for local 4-H participants, and Wabash Valley Field Technologist Brian Maxey joined the co-op’s Field Engineer, Ryan Miller, in helping the students develop the basic skills they need for their 4-H projects.

“We covered what the judges would be looking for,” Brian recalled. “We also gave them a chance to do some hands-on work with soldering and some of the circuits that come with the kits. Our goal was to prepare them for the work they would do on their own.”

Brian said that he enjoys participating in efforts such as these. “Although our work takes us into the community, we rarely get a chance to meet people face-to-face. This was an opportunity to give something back to the community.”

He added that the students paid attention and came up with good questions. “Most were the ‘how can I’ type of questions and things they could do to make their projects stand out,” he said. “We shared the tips on how to go that extra distance to make projects more noticeable.”

Brian also participated in the judging for the county fair. “I was impressed with the quality, especially from the more advanced students. It was clear that the kids put forth a lot of effort to deliver their projects to the judges.” He already plans to help again next year. “I really enjoy doing it.”