It's easy to tell friends and family about 4-H. Now, imagine you're a teenager and you're telling your story at the Illinois State Capitol. This spring, 49 4-H members did just that. The youth were specifically trained, either through the Speaking for Illinois 4-H educational program or as members...

The DeWitt County "Where Does My Lunch Come From?" 4-H SPIN Club gave 4-H members a chance to check out local agricultural sites to see where their food comes from and how it is raised or grown. Each day, the youth prepared a lunch which related to those agricultural businesses they toured. "In...

The competition is only a small part of the real accomplishments which happen through Illinois 4-H robotics. A group of Will County 4-H participants discovered that when 24 teams showcased their skills in the regional 4-H Robotics Box Bot Showcase in Joliet, hosted by University of Illinois...

The real world is a lot tougher than most eighth graders know. Extension's "Welcome to the Real World" brings home that lesson. WTTRW is an experiential learning simulation which shows youth real facts about how the careers they choose and the decisions they make effect...

Some 4-H stories touch your heart in ways you don't ever forget. Meet 4-H member Tiffany Williams from Clark County who, as part of the five-member 4-H QOV Spinners 4-H Club, has donated time, talent and material to make beautiful "Quilts of Valor" for veterans of the area. Deb Lindley, the leader...

Any better, and he'd been perfect. Darren Hawkins of Grundy County missed only one clay target throughout a full day of shotgun trap competition at the Illinois 4-H Shooting Sports State Shoot held Saturday, May 31 at the Brittany Shooting Park in Bunker Hill. Hawkins hit 74 of his 75 targets to...

One never knows how 4-H experiences can shape one's future. Josh Cole Brodnax participated in 4-H nutrition sessions while a youngster living in public housing in East Moline, thinking that would be his only experience with 4-H. Little did he know that 4-H would find him again as a teen and hone...

Dozens of local youth have discovered a way to combine summer fun with learning. They will participate in an interactive activity that challenges youth to use critical thinking and science skills to address an agriculture problem. Led by Illinois 4-H members, the Fish Farm Challenge activity is...

A group of intrepid middle school investigators, with the help of young scientists from area universities, solved the last of three crimes during their six-week stint as "Library Investigators." The 12 youth representing six Waukegan schools worked alongside scientists from the University of...

Sometimes, the best teachers are those who once learned the same lessons in the same setting. 4-H alumna Rachel Skelton, who currently serves on the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team, returned to Logan County to teach teambuilding skills to the 4-H Leadership class. "She really made this...