Stephenson County youth spent a Saturday morning exploring, creating, and discovering new interests at this year’s Super Saturday, held April 18 at the Stephenson County Farm Bureau. The event brought together young people from across the area for a hands-on experience designed to introduce the wide range of opportunities available through 4-H.
Participants aged 8-18 years old rotated through a variety of engaging sessions that showcased the diversity of 4-H project areas. Youth built bluebird houses, explored leathercraft by creating keychains, and repurposed books into unique pieces of art. In kitchen-focused sessions, participants designed edible fruit displays while learning about food safety, made sweet treats in the Cream Cheese Mints session, and discovered fun, easy snacks in Snack Time Fun with members of the local Illinois Association for Home and Community Education.
Floriculture activities gave youth the opportunity to create beautiful centerpiece arrangements, while science and agriculture sessions added even more hands-on learning. Participants got creative with Mix, Stretch, Slime!, learned about animal health in Animal Disease and Health, and explored service-learning through T-shirts to Tail Wags. A highlight for many was the Shooting Sports session, where youth learned about archery and the Stephenson County 4-H Archery SPIN Club.
Youth ages 5-7 participated in the Cloverbuds activity where they learned all about farm animals! They had a lot of fun painting board signs, imprinting hand towels, making butter, playing with clay and more!
For many youth, Super Saturday served as an introduction to new 4-H project areas, offering a chance to try new activities, meet peers, and discover interests they may pursue in the future. The event reflects 4-H’s commitment to providing experiential learning opportunities that help young people grow into confident, capable leaders.
“This event is all about giving youth the opportunity to explore and find what sparks their interest,” said Jen Schultz, Stephenson County 4-H Program Coordinator. “It’s exciting to see them try something new, build connections, and gain confidence.”
The success of Super Saturday would not have been possible without the many volunteers who generously shared their time, talents, and expertise. Their dedication created a welcoming and engaging experience for all who attended.
A special thank you is extended to the Stephenson County Farm Bureau for providing the event location and supporting this program. Their partnership continues to help create meaningful opportunities for youth in our community.
Stephenson County 4-H continues to offer a wide range of opportunities for youth to explore their interests, build life skills, and connect with others. To learn more about 4-H programs in Stephenson County, contact the University of Illinois Extension office at (815) 235-4125 or visit go.illinois.edu/SC4-H.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.