Youths, parents, volunteers, and alumni across the country are celebrating everything 4-H during National 4-H Week, October 6-12.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a proclamation calling for Missouri to observe National 4-H Week this year. Missouri 4-H is celebrating by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people, and will highlight the remarkable 4-H youths who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.
The theme of this year’s National 4-H Week is Inspire Kids to Do, which highlights how 4-H encourages kids to take part in hands-on learning experiences in areas such as health, science, agriculture, and civic engagement. The positive environment provided by 4-H mentors ensures that kids in every county and parish in the country—from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities—are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles and are empowered with the skills to lead in life and career.
“4-H is the largest positive youth development program in the world and our goal is to continue offering this program to all the youths in the state,” said Lupita Fabregas, director of the University of Missouri Extension’s 4-H Center for Youth Development. “4-H Week is the perfect time to highlight the opportunities we offer in Missouri, such as leadership development, empowerment of youth, service-learning, civic engagement, and STEM education.”
Missouri 4-H offers hands-on, research-based programming and leadership opportunities to all Missouri youths through traditional community clubs, SPIN (SPecial INterest) clubs, and in-school and after-school clubs. About 200,000 youths and more than 6,000 community volunteers in Missouri are involved in 4-H.
One of the most anticipated events of National 4-H Week is National Youth Science Day, in which hundreds of thousands of youths across the nation take part in the world’s largest youth-led STEM challenge. The theme for this year’s challenge, which will run throughout October, is Game Changers. Developed by Google and West Virginia University Extension Service, Game Changers uses physical activity and puzzles to teach kids important computer science concepts and problem-solving skills.
To learn more about how you can get involved in Missouri 4-H, visit 4h.missouri.edu.
