Note: this video is being posted a week late due to technical difficulties! 

12/28/2021 Weekly check-in with Jessica from the UMaine 4-H Learning Centers at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove. With the 4-H and Earth Pledges, nature appreciations (what we've been noticing in nature this week), and a reflection. 

This is the final week of 2021, one that many spend time reflecting on the past year. During times of challenge, it can be easy to fall into the trap of focusing on all that we might not have accomplished, the goals that we didn't meet--however, we all have accomplished so very much this year and have much to be proud of. 

At Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove, we are grateful for the year past that allowed us to carry out programs connecting folks to the natural world and each other. From the middle and after-school programs at Blueberry Cove, Open Air Classroom programs at Tanglewood, virtual programs across the northern New England states, and summer camps at both sites, we are so grateful for the opportunity to keep doing what we do best: positive youth development. It is that work, that gives us all an immense amount of hope for not only the coming year but also the future. 

Our reflection today centers around that feeling, it comes from Jane Goodall, "It's my greatest reason for hope: everywhere I go, these young people are telling me, showing me, with shining eyes, what they're doing and what they've been doing, what they plan to do, to make the world better." Her voice rings true in the work we do every day with students, staff, and teachers--and we wouldn't be able to do it without the families, teachers, school administrators, funders, our colleagues, and the folks at UMaine and Cooperative Extension who believe so deeply in our work. Our hearts are filled with hope, and we cannot wait to share it with you. We wish you a happy and safe New Year. We'll see you next week in 2022. Peace, ❤️🍀