Highlightsof Extension TYI NG RESEARCH TO REAL LI F E COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, H EALTH AND NATURAL RESOURCES programming. Mr. Kloter was very impressed with Sean’s work and wanted him to enter it in the fair along with his tractor. Sean was apprehensive about entering his 3D printer and speaking to the public about his work. Sean explained, “If it wasn’t for Mr. Kloter encouraging me to enter my 3D printer in the Fair, I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of all the other opportunities that have happened.” Winning at the 4-H Fair was just the start of an impressive summer for Sean. As Sean was preparing for the 2016 4-H Fair, his former teacher Celeste Estevez was attending the UConn Engineering Joule Fellows program. The Fellowship brings K-12 teachers from across Connecticut to the Storrs campus for a six-week summer engineering program. While attending, Ms. Estevez talked to Reza Amin, a graduate student with the Tasoglu Research Group, about Sean and how he helped the Tolland Middle School to get a 3D printer. “I had been interested in having a printer for our school, but cost was a barrier,” Ms. Estevez says. “Also, there were no other printers in the district and no one with expertise on how to run or maintain them. I had been talking with Sean about 3D printing since he was in 6th grade and at the end of 7th grade I asked him if he would be willing to suggest a kit that he would then build for us. He agreed and then he presented the budget request to the PTO. At the meeting, he gave an overview of 3D printing, brought some of his models, and showed a video of his machine in action, demonstrating his knowledge of additive mechanics. After seeing and listening to Sean, the PTO voted unani- mously to approve $1000 for all the parts for the kit, and 8 rolls of filament. I created the SPARK award in honor of Sean.” The annual award recognizes students who use their talents and do something that ‘sparks’ activity in and for the school. The Tasoglu Research Group invited Sean to work on a project this past summer, and he built a chip microscopy holder. Mr. Amin said that Sean worked so well on his first assignment, that they asked him to join the team. The lab typically takes on promising undergraduate students and teaches them how to properly conduct research. “This is the first time we have asked a high school student to join us,” Mr. Amin says. Because of his experience in 4-H, when the Tasoglu Research Group spoke with Sean about joining their lab, he was ready. Sean Murdock is presently in 9th grade. He is a member of the Piston Pushers 4-H club and Second Vice President of the 4-H Fairboard. He is working on an electro- magnet design for the Tasoglu Research Group. He hopes to attend UConn and is interested in electro mechanical engineering and computer science. What is a Record Book? The Connecticut 4-H Record Keeping system was developed as an outcome of a survey taken among leaders, parents, 4-Hers and alumni. The record keeping system mimics the real world, and uses in- dustry standards as a guide for deciding on the information needed for record keeping. 4-H members are encouraged to keep records as part of their leadership experi- ence. The 4-H records present a picture of growth and development as a 4-H member. A complete 4-H record book includes a: • 4-H Activity Record for each year of experience; • 4-H Project Record sheet for each indi- vidual project taken during that year; • Financial summary of the project; and • Appropriate 4-H project supplemental sheets for each individual project taken during that year. “I created the SPARK award in honor of Sean. The annual award recognizes students who use their talents and do something that ‘sparks’ activity in and for the school.” Photo courtesy of Mark Kloter, 4-H volunteer. 2016 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION 11 TOOLS & TRAINING