Youth Development

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small container garden contains three small echiveria and other succulents, pebbles and a tiny wooden A-frame house
UC Master Gardeners of El Dorado County: Article

Central Sierra: Best Plants for Imagination Gardens | El Dorado County

May 1, 2026
Imagination gardens are a fun way to plant container gardens Almost all these tiny plants do best in indirect light and in moderate temperatures; in other words, indoors in the summer and winter. They may outgrow a small container but can be divided or pinched back to stay in scale. Do keep their feet…
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Thriving Forward: Article

Supporting Youth Mental and Emotional Health in 4-H Competitive Environments

April 28, 2026
By Matthew R Rodriguez, Marcel Horowitz, Ally Lemmer
Introduction 4-H has a long history of using competition as a method of providing feedback on skill mastery and continued task improvement. Preparing young people to show their animals, photographs, rockets and other 4-H projects at county fairs is a critical step in helping them grow. 4-H adult…
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UC Master Gardeners of the Lake Tahoe Basin: Article

Central Sierra: Pea Growing Instructions

April 28, 2026
Nitrogen Fixation in PeasAtmospheric nitrogen (N2) is not in a usable form for most plants. For legumes like beans and peas a symbiotic relationship exists with a type of nitrogen fixing bacteria (Rhizobia spp.). The bacteria “infects” the root system obtaining essential nutrition, while providing the plant…
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A group of elementary school children in a PE class outside on the school blacktop with their PE teacher on a cloudy day.
Nutrition Policy Institute News: Article

New study examines the role of structured play in reducing chronic absenteeism in California elementary schools

April 22, 2026
Playworks, a national nonprofit organization that promotes structured, inclusive recess in low-income elementary schools, has been shown to improve student engagement, physical activity, and school climate. However, little is known about whether programs like Playworks—where trained adults lead games that…
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Thriving Forward: Article

Cultivating Emotionally Healthy Beyond Ready Skills

April 14, 2026
By Matthew R Rodriguez
IntroductionWe all have feelings. And they matter. Feelings help us learn about ourselves and others. Despite their benefit, many of us have a hard time identifying feelings. In his book, Permission To Feel, Dr. Marc Brackett encourages us to lean in to our feelings. By doing so, we can lead more healthy and…
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Thriving Forward: Article

Logistical Considerations When Implementing a 4-H After School Program

April 13, 2026
By Matthew R Rodriguez, Grace Belt, Stepha Velednitsky, Steven Worker, Marianne Bird, Nicole K Marshall-Wheeler, Ally Lemmer, Kimberly Holmes
Introduction In our previous post, we discussed the importance of assessing staff capacity. Assessing the after school staff’s capacity is an important consideration when discussing a partnership. Also, understanding your 4-H staff’s capacity can also help ensure that your partnership will have the…
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Small plant pots filled with soil and a pumpkin seed.
UC Master Gardeners of Tuolumne County: Article

Central Sierra: Economies of a Seed

April 2, 2026
By Angela Johnson
Economies of a Seedby Julie Silva, UC Master Gardener in Tuolumne County, CA Are you a combination of both picky and frugal? Do you know exactly what you want and enjoy hunting for the best price? Are you not satisfied with the choices on the shelves? Going shopping anywhere today makes all of us feel…
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