In the spirit of the season St. Johns County 4-H members used their team building, creativity, engineering, and problem solving skills to build the gingerbread houses on exhibit. Some of the houses on exhibit will be donated to local organizations to bring joy to youth and elderly of all ages throughout the community.

This is the 3rd year for the SJC 4-H Gingerbread House Challenge where youth may enter as an individual, as a team, or as a 4-H Club.

Chef Nils Rowland, owner of Crème de la Cocoa and Tina Wiswedel, contest sponsor and former 4-H parent, served as judges for this year’s contest.

This exhibit is sponsored by The St. Johns Cultural Council. The Cultural Council would like to thank the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners for their continued support of this Art in Public Spaces project. For more information visit www.stjohnscultural.com.

4-H is a youth development program for youth ages 5-18 that focuses on the development of life skills, citizenship and leadership. 4-H has been around for over 100 years and provides opportunities for youth to use their Head, Heart, Hands and Health to positively develop into competent, caring and contributing citizens. There are a variety of 4-H clubs throughout St. Johns County and numerous schools that participate in 4-H in the classroom projects (public speaking and chicken embryology).  Club and enrollment information can be found at: http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H.shtml . There is a $20 membership fee for youth, ages 8-18, who join a community club and some clubs may charge an additional fee for project supplies.

Caring adult leaders are also being recruited. For more information about the St. Johns County 4-H program, located at 3125 Agricultural Center Drive (near S.R. 16 and I 95) please go to the website listed above, or contact the 4-H office at 904 209-0430.

4-H and all programs and related activities sponsored for, or assisted by, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are open to all persons with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.