Rain barrels can bring life skills
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EmailBeing creative, innovative and impactful can be fun - especially with a project like rain barrels. With the help of staff and volunteers, Bay County youth have been doing just that and more.
It’s fun being creative, solving real-world problems with innovation, and learning some of the best techniques to make a difference in local communities. With the help of staff and volunteers, Bay County youth have been doing all of this, as well as gaining life skills through their participation in a rain barrel project.
Bay County youth are taking a creative approach to improving water quality and increasing the visibility of green infrastructure in their community. More than 150 youth and 30 educators from five different schools and youth organizations participated in a rain barrel art project organized by Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Sea Grant and 4-H. For more information on this project, see Katy Hintzen’s article.
One of the most valuable impacts of this project is that youth recognize that they are doing more than painting on a rain barrel. Staff and volunteers deliver a message to youth which helps them recognize, identify and teach others about the life skills they are gaining through their participation in a local rain barrel project.
A few skills youth may say they gained:
- Cooperation
- Concern for others
- Responsbile citizenship
- Contributes to group effort
- Self-responsibility
- Problem solving
Being creative, innovative and impactful is fun. What’s most important is that, regardless of the project, activity, event or program, youth realize that they are learning valuable life skills. MSU Extension offers several resources on life skill education.
For additional information about creating your own rain barrel project, read these articles:
