How Clay County 4-H Amplifies Voices to Make An Impact Through Innovative Learning Experiences

Ms. Hendricks’ 6th grade STEM class was filled with laughter and excitement.  We just introduced Sphero Bolts.  The 6th Grade STEM class had not grasped the concept of aim with their Sphero Bolts so they collided with each other and the walls. While they haven’t grasped the concept yet, but they were going to learn soon.

This spring, I was a part of Apple’s CEI Ambassador Class.  We were challenged with two questions “How do we amplify voices and make an impact through innovative learning experiences?" and “What is our one best thing?”  In the Clay County 4-H STEM program, the answers is one in the same – our 4-H Learns to Code with Sphero program.    

A Clay County 4-H Youth Doing the Stop Motion Animation Activity.

How The Program Have Amplified Voices

Since the inception of the program, Clay County 4-H has reached 468 youth. More than half of these youth would not be a part of Clay County 4-H without the 4-H Learns to Code with Sphero Program.  Most people still think that to be in 4-H that you must live on a farm and have livestock.  It surprises people to hear they can learn about coding and computer science in 4-H. 

We offer the 4-H Learns to Code with Sphero program in a variety of ways – summer camps, school enrichment, workshops, short term special interest (SPIN) clubs, and afterschool programming to name a few.  Our goal is to reach youth wherever they are, and we actively try to plan programs and events in parts of our county where 4-H doesn’t have a large presence.  All of this is to ensure that youth in our county have a chance to be seen, heard, and feel like they belong.     

Coding & Creating Campers at an Apple Store Workshop.

Innovative Learning Experiences

While each 4-H Learns to Code with Sphero program site is different, we do our best to structure each lesson plan to be hands-on, active, and engaging.  For example, in our past Coding & Creating Camps, we had youth code their favorite childhood story or movie by recreating a scene from the story or movie.  Their Sphero Bolt was the main character, and they had to code the Sphero Bolt to move throughout the scene. 

A youth created scene from The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

In our partnership with Tynes Elementary School, we taught the youth how to program games such as Hot Potato and Red Light Green Light.  These games taught them higher level coding concepts such as comparators, if then/else statements, and loops.  With another in-school partner, the kids spent weeks meticulously building chariots out of everyday materials so that they could race their Sphero Bolt Chariots at the end of the quarter. 

With our 4-H Learns to Code with Sphero SPIN clubs, at the final club meeting of the year, the youth apply what they have learned to code the Sphero Bolt to move through a maze. Through this activity, they are applying crucial computational thinking skills such as decomposition, abstraction, and pattern recognition.    

Clay County 4-H members coding their Sphero Bolt to move through a maze.

Why It Matters

In 4-H, there is a national focus on helping youth become #BeyondReady for work and life. 4-H Learns to Code with Sphero program is doing just that.   Since the inception of the program in 2023, 83% (n=307) of youth have learned new content knowledge, 79% (n=293) of youth reported demonstrating critical thinking, communication, or teamwork during the program, and 59% (n=203) of youth indicated having a positive mindset change about coding. 

In addition to these gains, we’ve had one youth apply for Apple’s Apple Maker Academy for summer 2026 and made it to the final interview round.  Six teens have taken leadership roles teaching computer science activities to their peers.   Five teens have expressed interest in pursuing a computer science career field because of participating in our program. 

Additionally, three adults who work in the technology industry, volunteered to co-lead technology SPIN clubs and share their expertise with youth.  This allows more voices to be amplified and to bring in new innovative learning experiences.

When I think about our CEI Ambassador’s class essential question, “How do we amplify voices and make an impact through innovative learning experiences,” one previous Coding & Creating Camper said it best in her end of camp evaluation, “[STEM] means that I can have fun and be me.”  By creating innovative learning experiences that have impact, more youth will have the chance to laugh, be excited to learn, and have their voices amplified.