By Anna Rose "What is your favorite way to be creative?" That was the question I posed to the youth who attended our art day camp earlier this summer. The answers were as unique as each kid in the room; one youth member shared that their favorite way to express themselves was by eating food—specifically their mom’s cooking, and Cocoa Puffs. While that was not the answer I was expecting, I did appreciate this youth member’s out-of-the-box thinking. It was creative and authentic. Creativity and art are essential to positive youth development. There are many benefits of art education : Art encourages youth self-expression in such a way that words are not required, welcoming youth of all abilities. Creating and consuming art allows youth to create connections with their peers and relate to their communities in introspective ways. While creating art, youth explore the creative process; they can learn how to problem solve while expressing their individual identity. 4-H Portrait
By Sarah Devine What careers do you associate with someone who works with outer space topics? Astronaut, scientist, NASA? But what does a career connected to space really mean? As Rebecca Meyers pointed out , career pathways can be opaque for young people, and careers linked to space endeavors are no different. Sure, there are astronomers studying objects and processes in outer space, engineers who build the spacecraft to take astronauts to space, and the astronauts themselves. However, did you know that 58.8% of astronauts have had a previous career in a military branch before becoming an astronaut or that 53% have experience being a pilot? So even being an astronaut is often a second career. The skills and careers linked to astronomy don’t stop with astronauts either, but hit almost every career sector of the US. More countries around the globe are growing their spacefaring capabilities, as are private companies. With more activity in space, how do these nations and organizati