Blog Keywords

What Illinois House Bill 3814 means for 4-H youth

August 16, 2023

Illinois 4-H creates nearly 180,000 experiences for 4-H youth between the ages of 5-18 in all 102 Illinois counties. And 4-H empowers young people and creates a pathway of experiences for youth to explore topics that spark their interest whether that be in agriculture, STEM, community service, or...

Finish this story

Engaging youth in conservation: Changing strategies

July 25, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Last spring I was on the Urbana-Champaign campus at the University of Illinois and heard that familiar “honk” of a Canada goose. I was nowhere near any water source that I knew of, but I know what a momma goose sounds like when she is rounding up her brood to march them to a destination she thinks...

Finish this story

girl holding hand to head reciting 4-H pledge

What does the 4-H pledge mean? A youth leader's perspective

July 18, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Did you know the University of Illinois Extension 4-H program reaches nearly 100,000 youth between the ages of 5-18? 4-H empowers young people and creates a pathway of experiences for youth to explore topics that spark their interest whether that be in agriculture, STEM, community service, or...

Finish this story

Declare Independence from your smartphone: Happy Unplugged Second Half of Summer

July 5, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Imagine celebrating the moments of a fun summer celebration - without your smartphone. Now, I am not suggesting you miss the great photo ops - by all means, take time to capture the memories to share later. The challenge arises when we disengage from the present moment to update our social media...

Finish this story

National Safety Month bike safety tips

June 1, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Summer days are filled with fun outdoor activities that include biking! I remember riding my bicycle to visit friends, go to softball practice, and head to the local swimming pool. My bike was not only transportation for me – it made me happy. Physical activity, like bike riding, is...

Finish this story

How Teen Teachers can spark a career path

May 3, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

You may ask what is the 4-H Teen Teacher program? The University of Illinois Extension offers a 4-H Teen Teachers program for High School youth across Illinois. In this program, 4-H Teen Teachers develop leadership and teaching skills as they train, plan, and implement hands-on learning...

Finish this story

Eight mental health self-care tips for youth

April 27, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Did you know that 7 in 10 teens struggle with feelings of overwhelm, stress, anxiety, and depression? One way to help manage these difficult emotions is to practice self-care. Self-care is simply taking time to do something every day to help you relax, manage...

Finish this story

Celebrating military families in our community during April

April 1, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

4-H Clubs looking for a service project during the Month of April might want to explore doing something for the military families living in their communities. 4-H clubs looking for a service project this spring should explore ways to support military local families during April which is the Month...

Finish this story

Three tips for fighting youth food insecurity on school breaks

March 31, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Spring breaks have come to a close and summer breaks are on the horizon. While undeniably a time for fun and relaxation, spring break can also bring challenges to people struggling with food insecurity. The absence of school lunches, coupled with the impossible task for some parents of taking time...

Finish this story

youth participating in a livestock judging contest

Livestock judging helps youth gain skills for a lifetime

March 30, 2023

Our Illinois 4-H Story

“I’ve got 23 members going today,” was the text message I woke up to just the other day. It was from one of my volunteer livestock judging coaches and he was referring to the first livestock judging contest of the season for our 4-H members. That contest fell on a Friday, a Friday when school was...

Finish this story

Blog Keywords

4-H Blogs