More than 6 million young people across the country today will celebrate National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October. During this week, Fillmore County 4-H will showcase the great things 4-H offers young people and highlight the incredible 4-H youth in the community who work each day to make a positive impact on the community. This year, 4-H will also showcase a refresh of its brand, revealing new photography and creative materials that show the various life skills 4-H grows in young people.
Fillmore County 4-H’ers are celebrating with a decorated pumpkin contest, wearing their 4-H shirts with pride, the option to participate in the Quilts of Valor Project, and National 4-H Youth Science Day. Through school-enrichment, community events and regular 4-H enrollment, the Fillmore County Extension Program has impacted approximately 64% of youth ages 8-18. In 2015, there were 190 youth enrolled in the Fillmore County 4-H Program, making it the largest youth organization in the County.
Research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. Recent 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 like, and
- Two times more likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.
Also during National 4-H Week, hundreds of thousands of youth from all around the nation will complete a single, innovative experiment on 4-H National Youth Science Day, which will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. The 2015 National Science Experiment Motion Commotion empowers youth to explore the physics of motion and distracted driving. Developed by Oregon State University Cooperative Extension, this exciting activity combines a speeding car collision and a distracted driving demonstration in a simulated activity that investigates the physical and human factors of motion. To learn more about National Youth Science Day, please visit http://www.4-h.org/nysd/.
About 4-H:
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. 4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA, and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs.
Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H. Locally, we can be found at Fillmore County 4-H FaceBook page.
Views from VanDeWalle 