NC Cooperative Extension Service

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As the year 2002 turned to spring, the” Rocky River Festival celebrated it’s tenth anniversary”. The festival is a time of fun and discovery focusing on the Rocky River as a living, tangible, nature force that has been a part of the community since before its beginning. Two hundred eighteen third grade students and 84 volunteers from five schools experienced this during the festival.
Chatham County
4-H
Youth Development
students looking at what is in the river students on the rocks at the river Volunteers welcome students, teachers, and parents to the festival at their buses. Students were grouped by guides and taken to each station.
Each group facilitator designs his/her own program from an array of discovery stations; including river crafts, wildlife, games, archeology and colonial living. River front sites complete with climbable rocks are open for exploration. This is the students’ favorite station at the festival.
students learn about our local history
teacher and students on the rocks at the river
IMPACTS:
Students essay contest and teacher post evaluations:
Students from each school participated in the Rocky River Festival essay contest “What the Rocky River Festival means to me”. Students had very positive comments such as: “ I loved the face painting and the Indian necklaces made of beads, feathers and a piece of deer skin”; “My favorite station was the Revolutionary War, we got to see the gun fire”; “The bones, fossils, and furs station was great”;
“Going to the rocks and water to search for aquatic life, my friends found water spiders, a snail shell, eggs, and a snake”; “I have been on many field trips, but this is my favorite one”; “I must give thanks to the Rocky River people, teachers, principal, and 4-H for such a wonderful experience”.
Saving Bonds were given to the first, second, and third place winners from each school.
students learn about the local wildlife
98% - liked the set-up of stations that allowed students lots of movement and involvement.
78% - would like to see more schools and grade levels included.
93% - students learned much from each station.
88% - will use information from this activity for classroom work and study more about the river.
92% - used information on Rocky River web-page with students in classroom.

Sarah Hardison , Extension Agent, 4-H
Glenn Woolard ,County Extension Director

Chatham County 4-H is a United Way Agency through the United Way of Chatham County. united way logo
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This page was created by Paulette Thomas, County Extension Secretary II

paulette_thomas@ncsu.edu

Date created: August 21, 2002 updated April 21, 2005