The 4-H afterschool program at Phillip C. Showell Elementary School has been an integral part of the Indian River School District for the last four years. Federally funded by the Nita. M Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, this afterschool program is not your traditional 4-H. With our 21st CCLC programs, we strive to improve academic performance and school attendance, improve the connection between the school and families and increase the capacity of participants to become productive adults.

The program meets every Monday-Thursday during the school year, from 2:35 PM until 5:45 PM. Each day at the program, participants are provided with opportunities for physical activity, extensive homework help and remediation, a free meal and a variety of STEM and Art activities. We also offer a full day, eight-week program each summer. The summer program includes all the fun of the afterschool program, while also adding in a big day at the Delaware State Fair and field trips to places like Assateague Island, Jungle Jim’s and Killens Pond State Park. To cap it all off, each year, approximately ten of our students who best exemplify Head, Heart, Hands and Health, are chosen to attend a three day trip to the 4-H National Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

Although COVID-19 has forced us to close our program for the last few months, each Friday throughout the summer, we have been delivering STEM kits, 4-H goodies and other fun things to our students. We have enjoyed making the best of an unfortunate situation this summer and we are looking forward to getting back to school this fall and being all together once again as soon as we can!