The Kids on the Block community 4-H club was recognized recently by the Pine Bluff City Council for adopting a spot in the city’s 3rd Ward.
Led by Verna Perry, CEO of the Carpenters’ Daughter Apprenticeship Program, the club introduces youth to trades including landscaping, carpentry and plumbing.
“KOTB obtained an ‘Adopt-A-Spot’ in Ward 3, which is why they were recognized at the city council meeting,” said Teki K. Hunt, director of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s 4-H Youth Development Program.
“Ms. Perry was also presented with UAPB’s 2024 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award during the meeting,” Hunt said in a UAPB news release.
The new initiative was developed by Perry in partnership with Pine Bluff 3rd Ward City Council Members William Fells and Lanette Frazier, according to a previous release from Fells.
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The club has adopted multiple city blocks in the 3rd Ward that it will work to keep litter-free through the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Clean and Beautiful Commission, which is led by Director Kelli Kennedy.
Hunt said this 4-H club has been active for two years and is directed by three trained volunteers. Members learn leadership by participating in the basic 4-H club process. They are also introduced to various trades by professionals and participate in community service.
“Ms. Perry has led apprenticeships in juvenile justice centers around the state. Since starting the KOTB 4-H club she has also begun a partnership with Ambassadors for Christ to serve youth transitioning out of juvenile detention into apprenticeships,” she said. “Ms. Perry is a 4-H alumnus. She chose to lead a club to bring the knowledge and connections that she was using with incarcerated youth to other youth in the community.”
It is hoped that 4-H clubs will be established in all four wards in Pine Bluff, as well as in other counties.
“To join, youth can attend a club meeting, and parents can complete a UAPB 4-H enrollment form,” Hunt said. “For information, meeting locations and monthly topics, they can contact me directly at (870) 575-8538 or huntjimenezt@uapb.edu.”