This is Behind the Clover: Real 4-H Talk with Real 4-H Pros. A look at 4-H from the perspectives of 4-H professionals from Illinois and beyond with your hosts, Henry Craft, Amy Henschen, and Ryan Littlejohn.
Ryan Littlejohn: 00:32Welcome to another episode of Behind the Clover. I'm Ryan, and I'm here with my co-hosts, Amy and Henry. Today, we're continuing our conversation with Katie Duitsman all about Illinois 4-H leadership. We have an alphabet soup is what I'm gonna call it, option of team leadership groups throughout the state. But we also have, like, our local county groups, which can be ambassadors, federation, teen teachers.
Ryan Littlejohn: 01:01Katie, could you describe what each one of those are and kind of, like, the unique benefits to them and roles of each group?
Katie Duitsman: 01:11Yeah. I would love to. It's funny that you said we have an alphabet soup of them. I literally had to make a list because we have so many awesome opportunities. So I'm gonna refer to my list because I do not wanna leave anyone out.
Katie Duitsman: 01:24And I actually gotta meet with our staff who are on our working committee around these groups this morning. So we're kind of starting to reassess where we are, and things might be changing a little bit in the future. But right now, we have a lot of awesome state events, but then we have local groups as well. So I'll get started with our alphabet soup, which is first up would be Federation. Federation is more of our inward facing groups.
Katie Duitsman: 01:50They focus on leadership within the 4-H program itself at the county and the unit level. They are the youth youth voice in program planning, decision making, and event organization. So they'll help do some different planning of local events, help staff put on workshops, programs, or maybe helping at the fair. Next up is our Ambassador program, which is our external facing representatives of 4-H. So they advocate with stakeholders, recruit for 4-H at public events.
Katie Duitsman: 02:22They go through a series of trainings to develop some strong communication skills, advocacy skills, and public speaking skills. The next one we have is our Teen Teachers. So that's doing more peer to peer education and mentorships. So they take on responsibilities of teaching to typically our younger members, specific skills or different 4-H programs depending on the local needs within their unit and county. And this might take place at a 4-H event or in some of our schools, but they get trained on developing teaching, facilitation, and mentorship skills.
Amy Henschen: 03:01I'm curious, Katie. Do you have a sense from helping support these county and unit groups, like, what might be the most common one around the state? Like, do most counties have one or the other or both or all three? Or I guess, like, is there, you know, something that you think is the most utilized of this group, or do you see any counties kind of taking a little bit of this one and a little bit of that one and making something new?
Katie Duitsman: 03:27That's a great question. We're actually assessing that right now. So at upcoming meeting, we're gonna be doing an evaluation with all of our staff to kinda see where we are. Definitely, the most common one is a Federation. That's historically probably been the cornerstone of, like, that unit or county leadership team.
Katie Duitsman: 03:46A lot of them are also doing some of the ambassador roles, but we're also seeing, like, new groups kind of emerge, like, the Ford Iroquois Emerging Leaders, or we have some leadership teams throughout the state. So we're seeing the needs of our youth change, especially with time and just everything post COVID. So as a group, we're trying to kinda reevaluate where we've been and kinda figure out road map for where we're going because everyone is so limited on time, whether that be our staff or our kids. So we're starting to see a lot of groups that are kind of a little bit of everything. So we're starting to figure out a way to address that.
Katie Duitsman: 04:26But my advice for our staff, like, if they're starting to figure out which is the best fit for them, is just to take a look at their community and talk to some of their kids. So like we said, some have multiple groups and some have one group. We also have some counties that don't have a group right now. So I think later on, we're gonna get into some of my tips and tricks on that. But everyone's kind of doing their own thing, but we're working on a plan to kind of create resources that everyone can have and utilize.
Katie Duitsman: 04:54So we're not all reinventing the wheel and doing our own thing just to save some time and energy from some of our staff.
Amy Henschen: 05:01But I think you point something out that's really important for everyone to remember. Like, you don't need to feel bounded. Like, well it says Federation doesn't work at promotional booths or doesn't speak to the county commisioners... it said that somewhere. But there's like, if that if taking that task and giving it to your Federation kids works for you, you can do that. Right?
Amy Henschen: 05:23So there's a lot more I think sometimes people are like, well, there's that's an Ambassador task, and that's a Federation task, and that's a Teen Teacher task. And I can't people who are maybe type a don't see that. Then you can combine them if it may meets your local needs.
Katie Duitsman: 05:38Yeah. Nobody knows that better than, you know, our whole offices. They know their staff. They know their community. So I just try to help guide them on what I think works for them and creating resources and things to help.
Katie Duitsman: 05:49But nobody knows their communities better than those who live and work in those communities.
Amy Henschen: 05:54Well, Katie, you gave us a great overview of kind of some of our county or unit leadership teams, but we we know there's a lot of state leadership teams available as well and opportunities. Can you kinda give us just kind of an overview of some or all of those opportunities and what each one focuses on?
Katie Duitsman: 06:11We have a variety of state leadership teams designed to kind of engage our older youth in meaningful leadership roles at the state office. The Illinois 4-H team is the youth base of the Illinois 4-H program. So it's for kids who are passionate about leadership, personal development, and public speaking. And they plan the Junior Leadership Conference and assist at state level events throughout the year. We also have our 4-H Influencers that work on building skills and content creation, storytelling, and leadership, and they represent 4-H across our social media platforms and run media coverage of various events and create content for some national brands.
Katie Duitsman: 06:55We also have our Livestock Ambassador Team, which is for kids who are passionate about advocating in the livestock industry. So they put on events within the livestock pathway, including Junior Livestock Conference, skillathons, livestock judging contests, and superior young producer competitions. We also have our STEM Ambassadors, which are youth in interested in STEM. They help determine the challenge for the state robotics competition and help at that event and a variety of other STEM events throughout the year as they come up. We also have our Shooting Sports Ambassadors.
Katie Duitsman: 07:32Each year, Illinois selects someone to serve on our national shooting sports ambassador team. So they receive some advanced training, and they represent Illinois 4-H at shooting sports programs at the county, regional, state, and national events. We also have our Speaking for Illinois 4-H Team, which is a group of youth who receive advanced public speaking training to prepare them to advocate for 4-H, with the county and state elected officials, potential donors, and civic engagement groups. So they attend all of our legislative visits throughout the year. We also have our newest of the teams, which is the 4-H Art Ambassador Team, which is for youth who demonstrate strong visual and performing art skills and a commitment to leadership within the arts.
Katie Duitsman: 08:21And then we also have a few new teams in the works that I won't quite announce yet, but been working behind the scenes with some of the state staff on some of those upcoming opportunities as well.
Amy Henschen: 08:33I okay. Just like it is weird to just sit here and be, like, dumbfounded by the, like, oh my gosh. There's another one. There's another one. There's another one.
Amy Henschen: 08:41I don't think I mean, you must talk to people kinda in your role in other states. Like, no states have this many opportunities. Right? Like, I having worked in another state. We had one state leadership team.
Amy Henschen: 08:53I don't know about Kansas, Ryan. So it's kind of I really love that we're saying find the leadership opportunity that's a fit for you. I think that's pretty unique here.
Katie Duitsman: 09:05Yeah. It definitely is. I have the opportunity to serve on a national leadership work group, And some states just have one ambassador team that kinda represents their state as a whole. But we do see this model in a few other states, probably not with this menu of options. Here, we are a large state, we have a very large program.
Katie Duitsman: 09:26And I think we're really fortunate to get the funds and support to create these different opportunities for youth to help them figure out what the best fit for them is. And then it also helps to build that pathway within that area. And then we have a lot of kids who serve on multiple teams or kinda jump around between teams. So it's also a great opportunity for kids who it isn't a good fit for them to find something that is a better fit for them as they go throughout their 4-H career.
Amy Henschen: 09:54So, Katie, you're in charge of, like, the OG team, I'll say, like, the original, the big one, the one that's, like, you know, has been the most high profile maybe or is the most established, and that's the YLT or Youth Leadership Team. Can you tell us a little more about, like, how how that team came to be, what you do, how you get on that, and, like, you know, who makes a good YLT member?
Katie Duitsman: 10:20Yes. So the Youth Leadership Team has been around for twenty five years, so it is our most established team. We do get some different opportunities that the other teams don't just because of the high profile. We have a lot of teens that will serve on different state leadership teams and then advance to the youth leadership team once they've kind of figured out where their passions lie and as they age a little bit, which make them a little bit more unique in being able to tell their 4-H story and kinda give back in a different way. But the youth leadership team puts on the Junior Leadership Conference for our junior high youth.
Katie Duitsman: 11:00They also run all of the Speaking for Illinois 4-H trainings and our Legislative Connection events. And then as part of their responsibility, they also have to come to two state events to assist in the behind the scenes things or to potentially speak at it depending on what the needs are for that event. So you'll see them at various events throughout the year with the their green polos on. So they kind of are the face of 4-H, and then they also sit on a lot of boards, adult boards across the state. So an example of this is the Youth Education and Agriculture Committee.
Katie Duitsman: 11:36We have four 4-Hers no. Five 4-Hers and the state FFA officers on that. And it's a board that's made up of different, like, company representatives. So it's a great way for them to kinda network and get some internship opportunities, but kinda just serve as a youth voice. And then we also have youth that serve on our alumni board.
Katie Duitsman: 11:58In the past, we've had youth on our Foundation board. So just serving in different capacities to help guide the direction of Illinois 4-H. As far as who would be a good fit, I think anyone who is displaying leadership skills in their local communities, whether that be through 4-H or outside of 4-H. Usually, it's people who like public speaking or the idea of public speaking or wanna kind of craft their skills with public speaking and facilitation, it'd be a great fit. But also somebody who's just interested in teamwork.
Katie Duitsman: 12:34They work on committees throughout the year for to come up with various different state initiatives. So for example, one of them is the canned food drive at the State Fair. They plan and market and do all of the stuff for it. Another one right now is that group is leading an exchange program with other state leadership teams across the country. So exchanging youth for different events and coming to speak at events just to kind of idea share and build their professional network.
Katie Duitsman: 13:05But there's every year, they come up with their own committees, so it's kind of fun that they get to kind of direct their work on the team. And then you'll also see them at the State Fair doing a variety of different tasks, whether it be helping with project assistants, at the hall of fame ceremony. Usually, they have a YLT booth or giving tours. So we have a lot of people come visit us in the Orr Building, so we have some of those youth guiding tours and kind of talking about 4-H and advocating for us.
Amy Henschen: 13:35How old do you have to be to be a YLT member? And, like, how do you is it an application process, or how do you get selected?
Katie Duitsman: 13:43So to get selected as a Youth Leadership Team member, there is an application process. Typically, that opens in the summer, and it closes in December. And then from there, we select people to interview. So they go through an interview process. So we look at that and their application to select the team.
Katie Duitsman: 14:04We try to get youth that represent Illinois 4-H and youth from across the state. So it's a great opportunity to meet new people from across the state too. And then our our youth also serve one or two two year terms. So sometimes we'll get a youth that is on it for one year, but a lot of them, they fall in love with it, and they stay for two or four years depending on where they go to college and where their life stage is. But we do have a lot of kids that do serve the full four years just because they become such great friends and just love getting to spend time with each other, I think, more than anything else.
Amy Henschen: 14:43I love that. And what's the minimum age to join or apply?
Katie Duitsman: 14:47It is 16 for the Youth Leadership Team. For some of our younger members, though, some of the other state level teams do start at 14. So depending on the age of the youth that you work with, you can help kinda guide them and kinda come up with some goals to figure out which teams would be a good fit for them down the road.
Ryan Littlejohn: 15:05I just have to jump in here and say because we've been fortunate enough in Wayne County to have a member on YLT, and it's really brought a different perspective to the youth in my county when we like, when they were at Federation events or Ambassador meetings and we were talking about ideas and with the kids here heard ideas that are going on all over the state. They weren't just stuck with the same thing that we've been doing over and over and over. And it just we're very fortunate that we had that because my kids have come up with all these new ideas now. And I strongly suggest everyone tries to get one person in your time here in Extension to join because the benefits that it will leave on your county, it'll do wonders for your kids.
Amy Henschen: 15:52And I surmise this is another one where a personal ask or personal suggest to a kid can really make the difference in them, like, thinking having the confidence to apply. Right? So looking at your local kids and saying, like, hey. Have you thought about applying for a state leadership team? I think can be a really important thing to do.
Katie Duitsman: 16:12Yeah. You really hit the nail on the head with that, Amy. I think a lot of times, the kids are so busy and things in their own school community. They kinda lose sight of some of the things that we have to offer at the state and national level. So having a trusted adult kinda give them that extra push and encouragement to kind of step outside of what's comfortable for them goes a long way.
Katie Duitsman: 16:34And to Ryan's point, I do think once you have somebody serving on a state level team, it changes the dynamic and the interest of some of the kids within your unit. I start to see, depending on which team it is, like, little pockets where we have really strong applicants because they're seeing what those kids are doing on their own social medias or maybe they come and present at a local meeting. They're getting to hear all of these cool travel opportunities and different experiences that the state leadership teams bring on. It helps them kinda figure out what else is out there. And I also think it just helps them get excited about, you know, the retention and staying in 4-H a little bit longer when they do have so many other options for events that they can do once they hit high school.
Henry Craft: 17:20So, Katie, you you laid down I can't even count. I don't think I got enough fingers. The number of teams and pathways that, our youth can access at the state level. Now, kind of a behind the curtains question here because, again, I don't know the answer to this, so I'm genuinely asking for me, and all of our listeners. Are you involved with every one of those state level teams?
Henry Craft: 17:47Like, are you consulting with them? What's the skinny on that?
Katie Duitsman: 17:51Great question. So I am the main main adviser for the Youth Leadership Team and a Speaking for Illinois 4-H. So I plan and help them, you know, envision what they wanna do through the year with those teams. But as far as the other teams, my job function is to support the staff and help them kind of plan and implement different programs and trainings that help develop those youth. In this coming year, we're actually gonna change things up a little bit and kind of streamline the application process because we have the alphabet soup of opportunities at the state level for teens.
Katie Duitsman: 18:28I'm hoping that it will help to get kids interested and on the right teams. A lot of times, we'll see teens apply one time to YLT, which is a very competitive process, then we won't see their name come across for any the other teams. So when I started this process, for me, it was a way to figure out what are other opportunities for kids to get them to where they want to be and to kind of figure out what's the best fit for them, whether it be because of their project work or their interest or their career aspirations. So at the end of this year, we are going to have one application, and so we will then from there, the kids will be able to select their interest in each of the teams, and we'll kind of work behind the scenes to figure out what the best fit is for them based on their application, interest level, and interviews. So I'm hoping that that will help kind of streamline efforts for our staff for promoting it, but also make it a little less confusing for the youth.
Katie Duitsman: 19:27Because there's nothing more frustrating than seeing a kid out somewhere, and it's like, oh, you'd be a perfect fit for this team. You know? And it's a whole another year before the application process opens. So hoping that that will help. And with that, from then on, I will be doing trainings with all of those kids on a quarterly basis.
Katie Duitsman: 19:45So starting next year, all of the teams will attend trainings quarterly together. So they're all getting some of the same training, whether it be about their personal brand, different career pathways, working as a team, planning events, whatever it may be. Just as a way for them to connect across teams to kind of build that 4-H network and professional network for them, and then that'll also be my way to, like, support other staff. So they'll still have their own functions as a team, but we're hoping to kinda raise the bar for all of the kids so they're having a similar experience across all of the state teams.
Henry Craft: 20:24That sounds like a big task for one person, Katie. I'm not gonna lie. That sounds huge. I think you need a buddy.
Katie Duitsman: 20:30It is a big task, but I think everyone's so excited about it. Because I think a lot of the other teams see some of the great results of the youth leadership team, and it's something that it can easily be replicated for all of the youth. So I'm excited about that. We're also gonna come together for a planning retreat with everyone, which I think is gonna be really fun. And I think it's also gonna be an added value for youth because it's gonna be we're actually gonna do it out of 4 H Memorial Camp, so it'll be in a fun environment.
Katie Duitsman: 21:02We'll be able to bring in better speakers, and get to do some really fun activities with them, and just kinda build the ambassador team as a whole just so we're, all in the same playing field and promoting 4-H the best that we can.
Henry Craft: 21:18Well, Katie, since we've got the expert on the line here, we wanna know. We wanna pick your brain a little bit. So for those of us that are looking to start a leadership group in their county, what advice might you have for staff in regards to recruitment or just structure in general?
Katie Duitsman: 21:41That's a great question. I think the first thing is understand the needs of your community. So do a needs assessment, talk to local leaders, parents, and youth themselves to get a clear picture for what would be the most impactful for your area. And I think youth voice is the biggest part of that. It's the heartbeat of the 4-H program, so you gotta talk to the kids.
Katie Duitsman: 22:04You got to get them invested, and figure out what their wants and needs are because to get them to buy in, they need to be excited and passionate about it. And if you can spark that interest for them, they will come, and they will invite their friends to come. And they will be your best brand ambassadors for it. And so I think if the more they're involved in shaping of what the program looks like, the more invested they're gonna be in its success. As far as recruiting, I think find a few kids who are really passionate and really wanna get something started, a leadership team on the county or unit level, and get them excited about it and out there advocating and recruiting for you.
Katie Duitsman: 22:46And, also, I think getting kids from different towns or different counties if it's a unit wide experience is really beneficial, because as a teenager, it's a flex to know kids at other schools. They're gonna see each other at ball games and things outside of the 4-H realm, and it's really fun to have a network of friends at different schools. So the more you can get them from different places, I think it's gonna bring different perspectives for one. But then they'll also go back in their own communities and talk about their that experience and get more kids interested. I think a big part of it too is don't be afraid to start and make mistakes.
Katie Duitsman: 23:24I think one of the biggest barriers that I've seen is just fear from long standing groups or volunteers that have a lot of opinions of these groups because these groups have been such a cornerstone of a lot of adults' 4-H experience. Sometimes our new staff feels intimidated by some of that. And I think just kind of breaking down some of those barriers and not being afraid to try something new also can go a long way while also knowing what your capacity is and what your goals are and kinda leading through that lens. And I think starting small is okay, but if you're starting small, like, you also have to be committed. Because my experience over the last several decades working with teens is if you're committed, they will be committed.
Katie Duitsman: 24:08So I think just seeing it through and not giving up after a few, you know, meetings or a few botched experiences, you have to be committed and show up. They want a place where they can get together and network and hang out with their friends, and they need a trusted adult to kinda provide that space for them and help them kind of I like to tell the YLT members that it's all the works on them. I'm just the guardrails. So going through that mindset where it's youth led and you're just there to support them, I think, goes a long way. And then the other one is talking to staff.
Katie Duitsman: 24:42We have a lot of expert staff members who've been doing this a long time, whether it be in 4-H or outside of 4-H, share resources. Talk through some of your issues. Go out and shadow somebody else at a federation meeting or ambassador meeting. Call me up. I'd be happy to help walk you through or connect somebody in your local area.
Katie Duitsman: 25:02But know that we're all here to support you in that, and we've all done this type of work, and we know the joys and challenges that come with it. But just don't be afraid to get it started.
Amy Henschen: 25:13Yeah. And you all have met if you've been listening the past few months, you've met three people from totally different parts of the state with a Federation, Ambassador team, and a I'm trying to remember what Sara calls hers.
Katie Duitsman: 25:25Emerging leaders.
Amy Henschen: 25:25Emerging leaders. Emerging leaders.
Amy Henschen: 25:27Like, so you have some people who would be happy to take a phone call too if if you liked something they said to to get you some tips. I love all those suggestions you had. But I think you're right on that. Like, your excitement level matters to the teens if you if you demonstrate buy in. Like, I mean, they're not gonna demonstrate buy in if they see that you don't have buy in.
Amy Henschen: 25:46Right? So that's a really great reminder that I don't think we always remember.
Katie Duitsman: 25:52I think another big thing is to make sure you're also adding value for them. So helping them, you know, figure out what they wanna do with the rest of their life, whether that be through connecting them with experts that you know in a content area that they're passionate about or getting them more involved in their community and doing some important resume building activities. So you can start to help them think about, like, what's next and kind of practicing some of those skills. I think it goes a long way with teams today.
Amy Henschen: 26:23Katie, you're just proving why you're the leadership specialist with all of these good tips. I think that's another like, I'm just like, oh, I'm taking notes. I love that.
Katie Duitsman: 26:32I think the hardest thing, though, for everyone is time. It's such a valuable commodity, and I think with teens today, they're just so busy. So just figure out what works for you and them, and it might not look the same as a county over, but just know that that's okay. And do the best that you have, the best time that you have. Give it to this, and then you have to make it work for your kids and the parents.
Katie Duitsman: 26:56If not, then you're just gonna be showing up to an empty room, and you're not gonna be as engaged with it as well. So make sure it's fun and works for their schedules too. So that might be, you know, having some virtual opportunities or having some events quarterly instead of monthly, each one's gonna look a little bit different.
Henry Craft: 27:16Listen. Powerful advice. This has been an amazing treat to pick your brain and just to get to hear from you, Katie. I I just thank you so much for being here. I I think there's there's times when I kind of pick out words that come to mind when I think of particular speakers on our podcast.
Henry Craft: 27:38And if anybody knows Katie Duitsman, that is powerhouse. And we are so lucky. Don't scoff. She scoffed off camera. But but it is true.
Henry Craft: 27:49I I we're so lucky to have you taking the lead of this this ship, and leadership is is truly the bread and butter of what we're doing in 4-H, and that is what has made our program successful. And I would I will say on behalf of the hosts here and for the I will I'll be so bold to speak for the state and say, we are truly lucky, and thank you for your passion, for leading leadership, and in making it what it is today. And we just thank you, for your work. I I will echo all of the sentiments that have been said. Folks, if you don't have a leadership group in your county or if you're struggling, you have resources.
Henry Craft: 28:37Yeah. All that to say, man, this is another one of those top podcasts for me. I think there's nothing but golden nuggets in this entire thing, and I think we've got a great future ahead for our leadership program. So with that folks, listeners, thank you so much for joining us for this episode of Behind the Clover, all about youth leadership. Join us next time for more real conversations with real 4-H pros.