4-H members in Illinois will join the 6 million youth across the country in celebrating National 4-H Week Oct. 2-8. Some of you may currently be involved with 4-H, some may be familiar with it from your past experiences, while others may not have heard of it at all. So let me tell you a little about 4-H today!

Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth program for the University of Illinois Extension and the largest out-of-school youth organization in Illinois. Youth who are involved can learn, practice, and demonstrate new skills while exploring the interests that are important to them. 

As a staff member, past 4-Her, and a parent of current 4-H members, one of the things I love about 4-H is the opportunity for youth to lead and to learn public speaking skills. I remember myself being a timid grade schooler afraid to talk in front of people. 4-H gave me the opportunity to talk in front of my fellow club members, a county judge, and eventually gave me to courage to speak in front of larger group of people. As a staff member, I now get to get those same changes happening in youth every year.

When I asked my children what they loved about 4-H, my daughter said the projects. Her favorites are scrapbooking, photography and cooking, but there are so many more to choose from! My teenage son said the competition – he’s competitive in nature, so he loves the friendly competitions at our county barn yard games, as well as exhibiting his projects.

So, if you have never checked out 4-H, my suggestion to you is try something out. There are lots of ways to get involved, here are just a few:

• Check out your local 4-H website for information in your area. If you are in the area of Fulton, Mason, Peoria, or Tazewell counties, check out our website. If you aren’t sure of your local website, you can find more information on the State 4-H website.
• Follow the local or state Facebook page for current activities.
• Check out a community club meeting- 4-H clubs are meeting in communities across the state.
• Try out a special interest club like archery or dog obedience.
• Check out 4-H camp – it a great opportunity to meet new friends and try new things.

Illinois 4-H is open to youth 5-18, so if you think this something that might be fun for your family, don’t wait – check it out today!

MEET THE AUTHOR

Judy Schmidt provides leadership to 4-H metro programming in Peoria County. Schmidt joined Extension in 2001, working as a Youth Development Educator at the East Peoria Center and joined the Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell unit in 2011. Her work focuses on 4-H youth development programming in the local metropolitan area, specifically leading positive youth development initiatives for after-school programs, community groups, 4-H clubs and other youth-serving organizations. Her areas of expertise include positive youth development principles, youth leadership, and work with teens as teachers.

Schmidt attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her bachelor's degree in psychology and also for her master's degrees in Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a certified facilitator of the Matrixx System/Real Colors program by the National Curriculum and Training Institute.

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Connection Corner:  is a blog that provides timely information, activities, and resources to help you stay connected to loved ones, the world around you, and yourself.