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Our Illinois 4-H Story

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brandt race car with 4-H logo and FFA logo

Life lessons are everywhere, even at the race track

BRANDT believes so much in the future of agriculture, the Illinois ag company put the icons of the two greatest youth development organizations, 4-H and FFA, on the hood of its race car. Early September was the unveiling of the 4-H clover-adorned racecar, and Illinois 4-H was at Chicagoland...
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Google and 4-H ... and Russell

Google made quite a splash at the Illinois State Fair. Rob Biederman, head of Google's Midwest external affairs office, and Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of National 4‑H Council, announced a $1.5 million dollar grant from Google to the national 4-H program to expand nationwide computer...
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Failures don't have to be failures

To say 4-H at the Illinois State Fair was a success would be an understatement. Stir gently the 3,300+ exhibitors, a national media announcement with representatives from Google and Gov. Bruce Rauner present, perfect weather, an estimated 20,000 visitors to our exhibit area, and I can't imagine a...
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hereford cow drawing

Remember what matters at this year's fair

As we look toward a summer filled with 4-H shows, we encourage you to remember this: It's never about winning; it's about being part of something more than yourself. It's never about being perfect; it's about being your personal best. It's never about beating someone else; it's about beating...
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5 lessons every 4-H member knows

Lessons come wrapped in all types of boxes. Here are five lessons every 4-H member knows. #5: You aren't going to win every time, and that's okay. How you lose is just as important as how you win. There's no way you're going to get through life #1 all the time. Real champions...
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Adventures Await in faraway places

What makes an Illinois teenager decide to travel to a new country and live for weeks with a family she's never met? For Lana Fitzgerald, it's adventure of the unknown. Lana was part of the 4-H intercultural exchange program and lived with a host family in South Korea for four weeks last summer....
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Raise your hand for 4-H

4-H, the largest youth development program in the nation, is calling on all alumni to raise their hands to help bring 4-H to 10 million youth by 2025. Currently 4-H empowers nearly six million young people in every county across America, including 26,500 4-H'ers in Illinois. For more than 100...
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Feeding your neighbor takes on new meaning

Some 4-H teens have taken the "hands to larger service" challenge of the 4-H pledge to heart and focused their 4-H energy feeding their neighbors. Clare VanSpeybroeck was recently honored by Illinois 4-H as a state community service award winner for her efforts fighting local hunger. Together, with...
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Blog Authors
tina veal

Tina Veal

4-H Alumni & Constituent Engagement Manager