This is a good week to join the fun at 4-H

Editor:

This week, from Oct. 4-10, youth and volunteers in our county and around the nation will celebrate National 4-H Week.

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development program and it allows youth the opportunity to learn about things that interest them while becoming more confident and better prepared for secondary education and careers.

There’s plenty of great reasons to join 4-H. Findings from the Tufts University “4-H Study of Positive Youth Development” indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are: nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities, two times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors, and two times more likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.

Another reason to join 4-H is being able to include 4-H accomplishments and experiences on scholarships and applications. But the best reason is 4-H is having fun participating in project-based learning and becoming more confident youth.

4-H in action is having fun while learning and it’s sometimes hard to describe to somebody who hasn’t participated. Some examples of positive youth development in action from this year are:

Having a robot you built slide down a grappling hook with a needle mounted in it that has to stab through a target;

Dancing to 80’s music with your dog and all your friends and their dogs and winning best in the state for your routine;

Being one of the youth who for the first time ever participated in 4-H at Kendall School and gave Public Presentations;

Traveling to Kentucky to participate in a plant identification contest;

Being one of 16 youth who receive an award trip for a week of camp, a teen retreat, Albany or career explorations in Cornell;

Completing your fifth star in the dog or horse knowledge program and receiving your award belt buckle or leash;

Attending Sr. Council and learning parliamentary procedure and having cookie parties all at the same time.

The list can go on and on of the incredible activities the 442 Orleans County 4-H youth have participated in over the last program year. Our new year is starting now and it’s the perfect time to join. You can learn more by calling our office at 585-798-4265 or emailing us at orleans4h@cornell.edu.

We’ll also have an open house at the fairgrounds on Oct. 7 to celebrate National 4-H Week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We’ll have free car washes for volunteers, popcorn for everybody, door prizes and other fun. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. youth can participate in the National Science Experiment.

Robert Batt
Orleans County 4-H Youth Development Educator