Wakulla County Youth Celebrate National 4-H Week

October 7-13 is National 4-H Week, and Wakulla County is celebrating the 4-H youth who have made an impact on the community, and are stepping up to the challenges of a complex and changing world.
“After becoming involved in the 4-H Program here in the county, I realize how far-reaching and exciting that 4-H can be for young people,” said Wakulla County 4-H Volunteer Maria Odom.
Recent findings from Tufts University's 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H.  Notably, the Tufts research discovered that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that 4-H'ers receive plays a vital role in helping them actively contribute to their communities.  In Wakulla County, more than 800 4-H members and 65 volunteers are involved in 4-H through community clubs, camping programs, after school and classroom clubs as well as the 4-H Tropicana Public Speaking contest and Community Citrus Project.

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, Oct. 10, 2012.  The 2012 National Science Experiment, 4-H Eco-Bot Challenge, explores how robots can be used to preserve and protect the environment, while offering a glimpse into the future of science, technology, engineering and math.

4-H youth are a living breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live.  Learn how you can Join the Revolution of Responsibility at 4-H.org/revolution, or contact Sherri Kraeft, Wakulla County 4-H Agent, at the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Office at 926-3931 or sjkraeft@ufl.edu.

Courtesy of Wakulla County News and Writer Sherri Kraeft