Freeport, IL – Giving back to your community gives you a sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for what you have.  The 4-H Ambassadors in Stephenson County have learned that one way of giving back is through sharing what you have learned in 4-H, with younger youth.

The Stephenson County 4-H Ambassadors helped plan and then led or assisted with the workshops at the 4-H Super Saturday at the Stephenson County Farm Bureau office on March 4. Being a 4-H Ambassador means helping promote 4-H and encouraging others to become involved in the program. 

“The 4-H Ambassadors really got excited about the 4-H Super Saturday project,” says 4-H Program Coordinator, Brenda Heimann, “the teens were involved in the whole process: from brainstorming workshops, to leading workshops, and helping with setup and tear down. With over 50 kids attending, these teens helped make sure the morning went smoothly by assisting wherever they were needed.”

Currently, there are twelve 4-H Ambassadors that are blazing the way in showing our community and younger youth what 4-H is all about here in Stephenson County. 4-H stands for the four H’s: head, heart, hands, and health, which is part of the 4-H pledge. Youth that are enrolled in 4-H are encouraged through their 4-H clubs & 4-H events to use these four H’s to give back to their club, community, country and world. 

The 4-H Ambassador program is for youth ages 11 and older, that are enrolled in a 4-H club and want to be engaged on a leadership level within their county. 4-H Ambassadors are a youth-voice that help promote 4-H and encourage younger youth to want to be in the 4-H program.

If you would like to learn more about 4-H or the Ambassador program, please call our Stephenson County Extension office at 815-235-4125 or check out our website at: web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw

About 4-H: Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. 4-H programs are offered in every Illinois county by University of Illinois Extension. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 250,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming. 4-H is a community of seven million young people around the world learning leadership, citizenship, & life skills. For more information, contact University of Illinois Extension-Stephenson County at 815-235-4125.