STEM camp draws participants
By Sam Waller
After two false starts, Shackelford County 4-H held a STEM camp session Tuesday, July 26 at The Feed Store.
Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said 12 students attended the session for science, technology, engineering, and math.
Sessions scheduled for the previous two weeks had to be cancelled because of low registration, staffing issues, and COVID-19 concerns.
Bell said efforts to add another session before the start of school did not work out.
“That’s the week that I’m on vacation, and organization of the event would have totally been up to Kelli Kreitler,” Bell said. “She did not feel like she could do it. She needs to turn her focus to getting ready for school.”
However, Bell did say the program may be able to continue during the school year.
“The trick is keeping it manageable,” she said. “All the people who can lead something like this are teachers. It’s hard for them to tackle something like this during the school year, but we’re brainstorming that, and we’ll see where it leads.”
Hunter Safety Class
A hunter safety program for Shackelford County youth has been scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6 in Breckenridge.
The course is limited to 15 students with Shackelford County residents given priority.
“If we only have five or 10 kids, Mr. Holt will open it up to others to fill the spots,” Bell said. "I would like to stress the need to get enrolled quickly.”
Registration for the class is online at tpwd.elementlms.com/course/hunter-education-classroom-course-7602. The fee for the certification is $15.
The class, presented by instructor Will Holt, is designed for novice or young hunters, ages 9 years and above. The course covers the core competencies of firearm and hunting safety, hunting ethics, and wildlife conservation. All materials are provided.
The Hunter Education Classroom Course lasts a maximum of six full hours of classroom instruction, not including time for registration, breaks, test administration, and certification card distribution.
The field course portion is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at 1805 and 1807 W. Walker St. in Breckenridge. Parking is available in the front lot of 1807 W. Walker St., which is immediately next to Breckenridge Auto & Engine.
Lunch will not be provided, but several restaurants are available nearby.
The classroom portion will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Room AFA 2 of the Breckenridge High School gymnasium located at the corner of corner of North Live Oak Avenue and West Second Street.
Parents or guardians are welcome to attend if they need to also be certified. Even those who do not need to be certified are welcome to attend to assist the instructor and engage in quality time with their child.
For more information, call Bell at 325-762-9435.
Art Club
Bell announced that Shackelford County 4-H will add an extra session of Art Club.
“We’re going to go ahead and extend classes to Thursday, Aug. 11, because we have supplies left over from all of the meetings this summer,” she said. “Kids can come and create whatever they want out of what we have left.”
