Twenty-six youth from the Moultrie-Douglas, Shelby, and Cumberland County 4-H programs recently traveled to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine for its annual Open House, themed “Camp Vet Med.” The event offered a day of hands-on learning, career exploration, and opportunities to discover the many fields of animal science.
The annual Open House welcomed visitors from across Illinois and featured more than 40 educational exhibits, demonstrations, and interactive activities.
Throughout the day, 4-H members explored the Large Animal Clinic, Basic Sciences Building, and Clinical Skills Learning Center. They interacted with veterinary professionals and current veterinary students while learning about animal health, disease prevention, surgery, nutrition, rehabilitation, and public health.
One highlight was visiting the Wildlife Medical Clinic exhibits to learn how veterinarians care for injured and orphaned wildlife. Youth also saw ambassador animals and explored educational stations covering topics such as anatomy, pathology, animal behavior, and nutrition. These interactive displays demonstrated how science helps professionals diagnose illnesses and promote the health of animals and people.
At the Clinical Skills Learning Center, participants learned about techniques veterinary students practice before working with live animals, including examinations, bandaging, suturing, anesthesia, CPR, and imaging procedures.
Additional demonstrations included horseshoeing by professional farriers, rehabilitation therapy for dogs and cats, and presentations by the Illini Service Dogs program. Youth also spoke with current veterinary students about college preparation, veterinary school admissions, and careers in animal science.
The field trip supported the 4-H mission of helping young people discover new interests, develop career readiness skills, and connect classroom learning with real-world experiences. Through these activities, participants gained a better understanding of the science, technology, and compassion involved in animal care and protecting public health.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.