RUTLAND–Tracey Stubbins of Rutland has been hired as the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H educator for Bennington and Rutland Counties. She is based in the UVM Extension Office in Rutland.
Stubbins plans to grow the 4-H program in both counties by helping to establish new clubs and support existing ones. One of her immediate goals is to recruit more adult volunteers to serve as organizational club and project leaders and to assist with 4-H activities at the county level including quiz bowls, horse shows and clinics and hippology contests.
In addition to coordinating these and other local events, she will oversee 4-H activities at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland and organize the annual Southwest Regional 4-H Night, a showcase of local 4-H talent.
According to Sarah Kleinman, the UVM Extension 4-H state program director, “Tracey has a wealth of experience in a number of different areas including event planning, curriculum development and youth development, to name a few. Most recently, she served as the founder and director of a homeschool co-op while also volunteering for a variety of community organizations, many of which support equity and social justice causes.”
Stubbins is no stranger to 4-H, having served as an adult 4-H volunteer for the past six years after being introduced to the organization through her daughter’s interest in the 4-H horse project. She is currently the organizational leader of the Wind Riders 4-H Club in Rutland, whose members participate in the unmounted horse project and acquire life skills through experiential learning and community service.
Bennington County has five active 4-H clubs and Rutland County, eight. More than 70 youths are members of these clubs, learning about everything from robotics and shooting sports to sewing, livestock and public speaking. One club, the Young Explorers Club of Bennington, offers activities for the youngest 4-H’ers, ages 5-7, known as 4-H Cloverbuds.
To learn how to join a 4-H club or become involved as a 4-H volunteer in Bennington or Rutland County, contact Stubbins at (802) 773-3349, ext. 276, or (800) 281-6977 (toll-free in Vermont) or by email at tracey.stubbins@uvm.edu.
