SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Seven Illinois teens, including Lilian Frazee of Sangamon County and Sophia Schneider of Logan County, have a new way to make their voices heard on a statewide platform through the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team.

The team is comprised of 20 4-H members and recent alumni under the age of 21 who coordinate and assist with statewide 4-H activities.

“Team members bring an invaluable youth voice to the program through planning and leading the Illinois 4-H Junior Leadership Conference, walking the halls of the Illinois State Capitol talking to legislators, and representing Illinois 4-H at state and national events throughout the year,” says Katie Duitsman, University of Illinois Extension 4-H youth development specialist.

The Youth Leadership Team offers 4-H members and recent 4-H alumni an opportunity to give back to the 4-H program while further enhancing their leadership skills.  In addition to planning and leadership roles, teens serve on statewide committees and boards including the Illinois 4-H Foundation Board of Directors and the Illinois Farm Bureau Youth Education Committee.

"I applied to the team, to pursue bigger opportunities in 4-H and hope to share my skills and strengths to help 4-H," says new member Lily Frazee of Sangamon County.

Bringing on new members is an important part of making sure that the team reflects an authentic youth voice. “Our new members bring new ideas and perspectives to the team,” says Duitsman. “Illinois is a large and diverse state and a flow of new members ensures that all youth voices are heard.”

New Youth Leadership Team members for 2023 include: Alex Paul of Wayne County, Amanda Nieman of Montgomery County, Andrea Schaffnit of Adams County, Lilian Frazee of Sangamon County, Ojas Shah of McLean County, Sophia Schneider of Logan County, and Xitlaly Jasso of Cook County.

New members are chosen yearly for two-year terms and can serve up to two terms total. Team Officers are elected once a year by their peers. To learn more about leadership programming in Illinois 4-H, please visit our Leadership Page.

More information about 4-H activities in Logan, Menard and Sangamon Counties can be found at extension.illinois.edu/lms/4-h-youth-development.