YEAR IN REVIEW — Zach White, WVU Extension agent for Hancock County, appeared before county commissioners last week to discuss the various programs offered through the service. -- Craig Howell

NEW CUMBERLAND — The WVU Extension Service in Hancock County has been focused on growth, offering programs for area residents of just about every age.

“2025 was an extremely busy year for us,” Extension agent Zach White explained during Thursday’s Hancock County Commission meeting.

Through the local 4-H program, four camps were offered in the summer, including the week-long overnight camp program offered at Tomlinson Run State Park, with 60 campers and 26 staff members. The camp featured an “Ancient Greek Heroes” theme with campers taking part in games, activities and challenges all inspired by Greek mythology.

Cloverbud camp welcomed 25 of the program’s youngest members who spent three days taking part in a variety of programs.

For the first time, a weekend STEM camp was offered, with 25 campers exploring the areas of science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on experiments.

The Weirton Cloverbud program offered its own day camp, featuring a dinosaur theme.

“We reached about 130 kids just in our camp programs,” White noted.

Growth also was seen with the introduction of two new 4-H clubs in the county, with youth coming together in Weirton and Chester to join the existing clubs.

The Extension also goes into the schools in Hancock County, offering a variety of STEM-related lessons, included those focusing on environmental issues and agriculture.

“We found a lot of the kids want ag programs,” he said, explaining the Extension has spent approximately 350 hours in local schools in the last year.

White mentioned a canning class was held at Oak Glen High in November, with plans for a pickling class later this year.

The Extension Service programs aren’t just for youth, though, as its umbrella also covers the Tri-State Area Master Gardener program.

Locally, Master Gardeners are involved in programs and projects in Hancock and Brooke counties in West Virginia, as well as Jefferson and Columbiana counties in Ohio, assisting residents in cultivating their own thriving gardens through horticultural education.

White explained two of the group’s major projects in Hancock County include caring for a park in New Manchester, with upcoming plans to take over care of a park near the Weirton Geriatric Center.

The Community Education Outreach Service also has been active, White noted, as has the Storybook Cafe which reached approximately 275 individuals in the county.

CEOS focuses on member education and community service projects.

The Extension Service also recently was selected to receive $240,000 in opioid settlement funds from Weirton Council, to establish an assistant position for a substance use prevention education program geared toward middle school students.

White also offered his appreciation to the Hancock County Commission for its support in recent years.

“We’ve got great programs going on,” he said.