4-H invites youth to join 4-H clubs
4-H members in this county will join the 6 million youth across the country in celebrating National 4-H Week Oct. 6-12. 4-H youth development programs provide hands-on learning activities for youth in Illinois and throughout the country. 4-H youth programs focus on leadership, citizenship and life skills.
Every county in Illinois has a 4-H program which is operated through University of Illinois Extension. 4-H club membership is open to youth aged 8 to 18. Youth 5 to 7 years of age may join the 4-H Cloverbud program.
There are several ways to participate in 4-H. Youth may join 4-H clubs, coordinated by local screened adult volunteers. Each club decides how often it meets, the location of its meetings and the activities held during the meeting. Members may select from dozens of project areas to study while they build leadership, teamwork, cooperation, decision-making and communication skills.
Youth may also choose to focus on a very specific project area and join a club specifically related to that one project, said Anne Scheel, University of Illinois Extension Marshall-Putnam. Robotics, photography, gardening, visual arts, and nutrition, are just a few of the popular topics for special interest clubs.
One may also participate in 4-H through short term projects held during school or at after school youth organizations. Some of these popular groups teach youth about caring for the environment, preparing for a career, making healthy choices or other priority issues which build a person’s life skills.
To learn more about 4-H and enroll your child in a local club, one may contact:
For Marshall-Putnam Counties: Anne Scheel, 309 364-2356 or email amscheel@illinois.edu
For Bureau County: Danielle Saletzki, 815-875-2878 or email des@illinois.edu
For LaSalle County: Toni Pienta, 815-433-0707 or email fusinatt@illinois.edu
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About 4-H: Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming.
For Further Information, Contact:
Source: Dr. Lisa Diaz, Assistant Dean & Director 4-H Youth Development: 217-333-0910
News Writer: Judy Mae Bingman, Extension Media Communications Specialist, 217-300-2113