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4‑H alumni are always eager to share their 4‑H story. It’s a proud moment as they recount their experience at 4‑H camp, attending and showing at their local Fair, or completing a 4‑H project. These experiences are what shaped them to become who they are today. Whether they’re farmers, educators, or small business owners, alumni credit 4‑H for giving them the skills needed to do what they are passionate about, both personally and professionally.Through our partnership with American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), we seek to ignite the desire of young people to embrace agriculture, cultivate innovation, and empower them with opportunities to improve the world around them. These young people grow up to become Farm Bureau members at the county level and have stories of their own to share.

Lacey S., Nevada

I wouldn’t be who I am today without 4‑H. Growing up, I was a very shy young person. I wouldn’t ever dream about speaking to new people or in front of a crowd (unless it was a nightmare) until I joined 4‑H. I had an amazing 4‑H agent who encouraged me to join the horseless horse club to learn more about horses. The club also helped me work through my fear of horses due to a traumatic experience when I was a young child. I loved it so much, and it eventually helped me work through my fears and start riding horses again. That then started my mom to become a local 4‑H Horse leader for our valley. I was able to be a leader and start learning how to run meetings and encourage the younger members to be involved and engaged. I loved working with youth and agents from across the state, which helped me network and has helped me throughout my career. I also loved working with the younger kids in a camp setting, which cemented that I knew I wanted to work with youth no matter what in my future careers. The life lessons learned in 4‑H have helped in my life, and I love being able to pass on those life skills to my children. I am so thankful for the many opportunities and doors it opened up for me.

Megan D., Illinois

Like many of my peers, agriculture is in my blood, and 4‑H was the first organized outlet to meet others with similar interests and begin sharpening my skills. I have fond memories of Red Ranger club meetings where the adults truly let us become leaders and run a meeting. It also provided unique outings and taught me how to speak in front of a group through demonstrations. It was also something we did as a family. Meetings took place in our basement, and we worked together to finish projects, prep pigs for the show ring, and traveled 2.5 hours to the state fair to present award-winning rice crispy treats. 4‑H offered an outlet to express yourself through any interest. Today, I try to be a spokesman for agriculture at all levels. I remember some of my first experiences with the media were being at the Fair representing 4‑H. As an adult, I have been asked to do national media interviews and work directly with consumers and legislators.

Amy J., Virginia

I was raised in a very rural community. Growing up, 4‑H provided me opportunities to meet people outside of my community and experience different cultures. I also participated in leadership, citizenship, and community service activities that taught me the values of ethics, fairness, hard work, and commitment. My fair animal projects helped me save money to pay for my college education and establish a partnership with my dad buying and selling feeder cattle. Many of my memories growing up involve some type of 4‑H activity. I owe many of the skills that I have today to my time in 4‑H. As a nurse practitioner, I have to be able to multitask, think critically, and make strong decisions, sometimes very quickly, while having compassion, good listening skills, organization, and documentation skills. As a member of several director’s boards, I use meeting organization skills, parliamentary procedure, group organization, leadership, and strategic planning. After researching farm safety and injury prevention when I obtained my doctorate in graduate school, I am now a farm safety expert and I travel locally and nationally speaking on this topic. I am still involved in 4‑H today. I volunteer as a 4‑H leader in my local area, was an adult leader at 4‑H camp, served as a judge for district contests, served as a club leader for the Cloverbud Club, and assisted with special interest programs at the local level. I am a past president of the State 4‑H Leaders Association and remain on the state Board of Directors as the Central District President.

I’ve never missed a county fair in my life. In fact, I was almost born at one. My county fair will always hold a special place in my heart. I want to ensure all young people have the chance to participate – particularly three little boys in my life who have special needs.

Individuals who have special needs can participate in lots of activities – they just need support. Even I need support when it comes to some tasks in my life. I’m a big-picture thinker, which means I struggle to plan for small details in my life. That doesn’t mean I’m left to figure it out myself or fail. I simply ask for support.

My friend Jacob and my brothers Asher and Elias aren’t fortunate to have the verbal communication skills to ask for support when they need it, so I look for ways to support them based on their needs.

For my friend Jacob, support means two pairs of extra hands – a person to push his wheelchair and a person to keep the goat from eating its tires – and learning to use a device that helps him speak through pressing buttons. This requires teaching the goat to stay calm around a big, scary wheelchair. I also spend lots of time teaching Jacob all about his goat; what keeps it calm, what might scare it, what it eats, and how to name body parts when the judge asks.

My little brother Asher thrives on routine. To show a goat, Asher needs help developing a routine for moving around the show ring. Asher also has severely limited verbal communication. He and I spend much of our training time learning simple body parts he can point to and show the judge. We walk into the show ring with a laminated index card that tells the judge which questions Asher has practiced.

My youngest brother, Elias, has no trouble leading a goat much bigger than him. In the summer, he can often be found leading his goat and as many others up and down the driveway. Elias is more than strong enough to lead a goat in the right direction; he is ready to learn finer steps to goat showing. Fine-tuning, however, requires patience. Supporting Elias means teaching him that goats respond to gentleness and positive correction.

Through my involvement in 4‑H, I have been lucky to have a support system that encourages me to be a leader and help bring positive change to my community. Knowing I have a team of mentors and friends who are always there for me has given me the confidence to take on challenges and step out of my comfort zone to try new things. I encourage you to think about how you can provide support to those in your community – especially those who struggle to ask for it. You don’t have to have a degree in psychology or childhood development to figure out how to offer support. Often, support can come even in the smallest, simplest of things which can mean the world to an individual.

Has anyone ever told you that all of your hard work will pay off in the end? I heard this line several times growing up, never thinking twice about it. I always figured it was some adult way of trying to keep me motivated to stay on track.

When I was recognized as the 2019 4-H Youth in Action Healthy Living Pillar winner, I knew this was the pay-off adults were talking about.

Preparation for the National 4-H Council Legacy Awards started early in the afternoon. With the help of a little hair styling, makeup, and a stand-out dress I felt like a true star. I enjoyed meeting Carla Hall, the emcee of the event. With my strong passion for food, it was a major fan girl moment. During the reception, I met several individuals who have the power to influence and create positive change. The experience was a great way for me to network with possible future employers and specialists in industries I wish to pursue.

For a few days prior to the Legacy Awards, I spent time with members of the National 4-H Youth Advisory Committee. It was my very first time hearing about the group. The 4-H alumni were very impressive individuals who taught me a great deal of information in the short time I spent with them. The group was so diverse, allowing me to hear about 4-H programs in several different states.

Applying for the Youth in Action Award is only a benefit to you. You should be proud of all of your accomplishments and interests 4-H helped you to identify. Put yourself in the spotlight so others can recognize you for your hard work and growth in an area that matters most to you. By sharing your story, you will inspire other 4-H’ers around the nation to reach for the stars and accomplish ventures you never thought possible.

 

4-H Youth in Action: Recognizing Hard Work

National 4-H Council and Google recently convened in Oklahoma to announce a new $6 million collaboration to bring computer science (CS) education to underserved youth across the country. This grant—part of Grow with Google’s efforts to ensure that everyone has access to future opportunities—will help provide more than 1 million youth across the country with computer science (CS) skills, plus computer science training for their educators over the next three years. There’s also a focus on rural youth and populations that have traditionally had limited access to CS education.

As a part of the announcement, Google and 4-H shared the story of Decklan Thomas, a high schooler from Bruceton Mills, West Virginia (population 86). Following three generations in the trucking industry, Decklan knew he was destined to follow the family tradition and pursue a career in the field.

Here’s a bit of his journey into computer science:

One day, Decklan learned about computer science through his local 4-H chapter. He didn’t even know he was coding at first—it just felt like solving a puzzle on the computer. As he began to do more coding, he quickly saw the parallels between the skills you need to be a mechanic and the computer science he was learning at 4-H. He says, “You see something wrong, then fix it—and end up with something amazing.” Decklan is still enthusiastic about becoming a diesel mechanic, but he’s now also exploring other opportunities like becoming a biomedical engineer or even going into the Navy. 

Brian Wendlandt, a Google Data Center Facilities Technician, also shared his 4-H story and how his experience in Oklahoma 4-H inspired where he is today:

I grew up going to my local 4-H chapter in Oklahoma. I loved learning about animal care, teamwork, and practical farm skills—a hallmark of 4-H. Like Decklan, those skills inspired me to learn how to fix things—I went to Oklahoma State University and went on to work for Google in Pryor. And I still fix things: the servers in our data centers that power our internet products for people across the country.

Wendlandt shares that he and Decklan are “representative of the many students across the United States who lack access to computer science learning opportunities.” With the creation of computer science-related jobs at nearly four times the rate of other jobs, students in small towns need more opportunities to discover and learn CS skills in classrooms and clubs at school, as well as introducing students and parent to CS opportunities outside of school.

“Together with 4-H, we believe in the potential of technology–and youth—to change and improve our lives, industries and communities,” Wendlandt says. “The Google.org grant will provide 4-H educators with the resources they need to ensure that students can access the skills they’ll need—both technical and non-technical—to create the technology that may improve our future.”

4-H and Google Inspire Kids to Discover Technology

I’m proud to be the 2019 4‑H Youth in Action Agriculture pillar winner (sponsored by Bayer). Since my friend Pearl and I founded our hunger relief project, Meating the Need for Our Village, five years ago, one of our guiding values has been to empower youth to make a change in their communities. To me, this award means a platform to encourage others to make change wherever they see fit, and I’m excited to give back to the organization that has shaped the person I am.

Staying true to my years of 4‑H experience, I made lifelong friendships and developed lasting support systems during my time at the National 4‑H Conference Center for YIA training and the Legacy Awards. Clyde Van Dyke, the 4‑H Youth in Action STEM winner, was the first 4‑H’er I met. Within seconds of saying hello, I found myself engulfed in a genuine “I’m happy to see you” hug. After minutes of conversation, I knew he was the real deal. The same held true shortly after when I met Mason McClintock and Elisabeth Watkins, the Civic Engagement and Healthy Living winners. Many more 4‑H’ers joined us for the Legacy Awards, and one thing bound us together: we were all the real deal. Every 4‑H’er I met was genuine and committed to pursuing their passions without question.

Of course, you can’t get too close to our nation’s capital without taking a monument tour, and the best tours have a tour guide. Who better than a 4‑H alum, Citizenship Washington Focus program assistant, and Youth Advisory Committee member? Noor Alshafie was incredible. She illustrated our tour with stories of Pierre L’Enfant and the building of our capital, as well as shared neat facts at each monument – complete with expertly crafted jokes. By the end of the day, Noor managed to make our group of teenagers and parents feel like a second family. I don’t know what she did, but I know 4‑H helped teach her how.

I’m a nerd. There’s no denying it, and yes, I’m going to blame 4‑H for that, too. Quite possibly my favorite part of our DC trip was our media training day. I’ve developed a love for agricultural communications, so it was exciting for me to work alongside National 4‑H Council’s communications professionals. Even though this day was technically our workday, there was never a dull moment because now, we were friends.

The capstone of our DC experience was the Legacy Awards. For that night, we dialed down the service-mindedness 4‑H taught us to never lose, because for that night, we were royalty. We met at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and were led to a room stuffed with delicious refreshments to serve as our green room for the night. We put on our fancy outfits just before going to hair and makeup, and enjoyed an incredible night at the gala.

No 4‑H experience is complete without a late night with good friends you just met. That’s exactly how this trip ended – sitting around until the early hours of the day munching on now-cold pizza, reminiscing on our past 4‑H experiences. Hundreds of 4‑H experiences led to that night, each of them ending similarly. I wish my time as a 4‑H’er never came to an end, but when it does, I hope it ends like just like that.

4-H Youth in Action: The Real Deal

My very first 4‑H demonstration was entitled “Omelet Up!”. When I started putting the demonstration together, I didn’t even know how to make one myself. Needless to say, a few YouTube videos later and a lot of practice, I became a star omelet maker.

As my demonstration advanced through San Joaquin County, North Central Section, and finally on to the California State level, I would beef up my speech with chicken and egg facts. I would tell the audience that a chicken lays an egg about every 26 hours. You can determine the color of the egg a chicken will lay by looking at the color of the earlobe. If you raise your own laying hens you might notice a spec of blood inside the egg. This defect is called a blood spot, and although it does not look appealing to the eye, it is safe to consume.

I like to start my omelet with two eggs and a splash of milk or half and half. It is important to season with salt and pepper. I melt a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Then, I pour in the whisked egg mixture.

The most important part of the process is how you cook the egg. You don’t want the pan to be too hot and brown the egg. We are looking for a gentle heat. Use the idea “dig a hole and fill it”, moving the cooked egg from the outer edges into the center, allowing the remaining liquid egg to fill the holes you’ve just made.

The filling can be anything that tickles your fancy. I like cheese and bacon crumbles. Just make sure that your ingredients (bacon, sausage, peppers, onion, etc.) are pre-cooked and warm. As soon as you put in the filling, your omelet is done cooking so the ingredients won’t have time to heat up.

Fillings can be completely vegetarian or a meat lover’s dream. Any leftovers? Omelets are a great way to repurpose leftover meat and vegetables.

2-Egg Omelet Recipe
Ingredients:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk or half & half
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup filling of your choice (I like sausage, grated cheese, sautéed bell pepper)

Cooking Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter allowing it to melt and coat the sides and bottom of the pan.
  3. When hot, pour in eggs. Using a rubber spatula, dig a hole and fill it.
  4. Bring the cooked egg from the edges to the center of the pan, allowing the liquid egg to fill the hole you just made.
  5. Once the egg is cooked place your filling on half. Flip the half of the egg without filling over the half with the filling.
  6. Gently slide out of the pan.
Inspire Kids to Do: My 4-H Omelet

Every once in a while, 4-H alumni take center stage at some of the year’s most prominent events. One of those moments happened this weekend, as Georgia 4-H alumna Jennifer Nettles and Arizona 4-H alumnus Bob Baffert took part in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.As you can guess, Grammy award-winning singer Jennifer Nettles lent her powerful vocals to the event as she opened the race with the National Anthem.Dressed in her Derby best, the 4-H National Spokesperson shared her love for the icon Kentucky Derby styles displayed. And in true 4-H fashion, she showed a little love to fellow alum Bob Baffert, recognizing their former 4-H’er status and wishing him well during the race.

“Bob Baffert is a fellow 4-H’er. We both grew up in 4-H,” Nettles shared. “So I’m definitely going to be betting for some of his horses for sure.”

And yes, two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert had three horse in the race. While he was hoping to secure the historical title of three-time Triple Crown winner, his horses, Game Winner, Roadster, and Improbable, placed 4th, 5th and 15th, respectively.

In March, Bob Baffert attended the 10th annual 4-H Legacy Awards, where he received the Distinguished 4-H Alumni Medallion. Before accepting the award, he shared how 4-H prepared him to become the successful horse trainer he is today.

“I learned to communicate with these animals, and [4-H] really helped me through the years,” he said. “So it really helped me down the road to pick horses out, which turned out to win Kentucky Derbies.”

Let’s be honest, STEM can be intimidating to adults, so of course it’s not surprising it is for kids too – especially for those who haven’t been exposed to the topics often. Trying new things can be scary, so a perfect way to overcome any fears is to introduce new ideas in creative ways.

Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz, an author for the Growing Up Bilingual blog, curated her favorite STEM projects she made with her son. Check out her projects below, and download our Spring Activity Guide for more fun projects to do with your family.

Here are her top picks:

Fruit Battery

Build a battery out of fruit and explore how electric circuits work and whether or not chemical reactions create electricity. (It does.)

Materials:

  • 3-4 lemons (limes, oranges and other citrus fruits work too)
  • galvanized nails
  • copper pennies
  • alligator clips
  • LED light

Instructions:

  • Start off by rolling your lemons, limes or oranges to break the juice pockets in the citrus fruit and make sure they are juicy inside.
  • Carefully use a knife to make a small incision in each of the citrus fruits. Insert the penny into the incision and insert a nail in the opposite end of each fruit.
  • Using the alligator clips connect a penny in one of the fruits to the nail in another one of the fruits and vice versa. You will be left with two free clips at each end of your battery.
  • To close the circuit, attach each one of the clips to each one of the wires on the lead light.
  • If the LED light does not light up try switching the alligator clips to opposite wires on the LED light, you can also try using more fruit to create a stronger electrical current or use different fruits to test what fruits will produce more energy by using a voltmeter.
FruitBatteries

 

DIY Robot

You can create an easy robot at home that will teach kids basic concepts about motors and engineering concepts. Paula originally followed the 4‑H Inspire to Do Activity Guide, but her son ending up making some changes to the original concept and create his own invention – we’re going to share their instructions!

Materials:

  • an AA battery
  • washable markers
  • a paper or plastic cup (Paula’s son tried this with a can to give it a more metal robot look)
  • a copper wire with stripped ends or alligator clips
  • a DC motor
  • rubber bands
  • electrical tape
  • Paula and her son added: pipe cleaners for the hands
  • a popsicle stick
  • gear to attach to the motor
  • aluminum foil
  • googly eyes (optional)

Instructions:

  • Attach the popsicle stick to the motor then attach the motor and the battery to the top of your cup using the tape. Then connect the copper wires or the alligator clips to the connectors on the back of the toy motor. Secure them with tape or rubber bands to keep them from getting disconnected.
  • Secure the toy motor to the top of the cup using the tape, then tape the battery to the top of the cup. Tape one of the copper wire ends to the + side of the battery (or the alligator clip). Touch the second copper wire or alligator clip end to the – side of the battery and watch your robot go!
Robot

 

Growing Your Own Herbs

Growing herbs connects the family to the earth and teaches kids how plants grow. It’s also a great way to get the family cooking with different herbs and tasting new flavor combinations! If you don’t have outdoor space or are just a little weary of starting a full garden, start small by growing herbs in mason jars first!

Every herb is different. Some need more water, some like direct sunlight while others like partial sunlight or shade. Before planting, do some research online or at your local library and find out what each herb needs. If you plan on cooking with your herbs (of course you are!) also think about what kind of dishes you’ll be cooking and how your herbs will incorporate into those.

Don’t forget to check out more activities to do with your family by downloading the Spring Inspire Kids To Do Activity Guide!

Inspire Kids to Do: Inspiring STEM

In this exclusive “Reflecting on Kindness” series, Ponysitters Club members reflect on moments from episodes that allowed them to express different forms of kindness.

In this week’s journal entry, Ethan demonstrates kindness through the themes of not judging a book by its cover, leaving your comfort zone, embracing change, keeping an open mind. He shares how these themes taught him to love all animals, allow himself to grow, and let go of prejudice.

While Ethan is trying to tidy up Blue the horse’s pen in “Pony Blues” (S01E09), Olivia lets Houdini the rat escape his cage. Ethan is not the biggest fan of rats — he loves most furry creatures, but has a hard time wrapping his head around keeping a rat as a pet. However, he sets his work aside and helps Olivia search anyway, and learns a lot about rats along the way. By the end of the day, Houdini has is found and Ethan volunteers to look after him!

Dear diary,

When I started volunteering at Rescue Ranch, I thought I would just be looking after horses and maybe playing with a goat or two — maybe the occasional donkey. I had no idea I was signing up to look after rats! Any other day and I would have been coming to you with a horror story about how creepy and scary rats are, but to be honest, they’re really not as bad as they seem. I definitely didn’t start my day feeling this way, though.

So, after school, I came to the Ranch like usual. It was my job to tidy up Blue’s pen so he can be nice and comfortable when he arrives. He’s a new horse to the Ranch and we try to take extra care in the first few days so new animals can get used to their new environment. Olivia was cleaning out a cage nearby — I thought it was for a bunny, but she told me it was actually for a rat. I had no idea we boarded rats, and had no idea why we would. Who wants to keep a creepy pest as a pet? Don’t rats carry diseases? Before I could even find out, my worst fear became a reality: not only were we boarding a rat, but it had escaped.

I wasn’t too thrilled about it, but Olivia and I formed a search party and started looking. She told me the rat’s name was Houdini and that he’s escaped before. His name makes a lot of sense I guess — although I doubt he could escape from a locked box underwater like the real Houdini. I let Olivia know that I don’t like rats but wanted to help her anyway because I knew how much doing a great job taking care of the animals means to her. For a girl who’s a little nervous around reptiles and other creepy crawlies I thought she would feel the same about rats, but she actually seemed to really like them. She told me all sorts of facts about how different domesticated rats are from wild ones: they’re bigger because they can eat a healthier diet, and they’re more colorful and super clean as well. They also make themselves comfy spots to rest and groom themselves, almost like a nest. I didn’t know any of this before — rats were starting not to sound so bad after all.

When Olivia said they like to make comfy nest-like spots, I had an idea of where Houdini might have gone. Sure enough, he was right where I thought he was: resting on the pillow on top of the haystack I’d made for Blue! Kind of greedy, but I guess it would be hard for a tired rat to pass up such a comfy spot.

When I saw him calmly grooming himself, I started to think about rats differently. I had this idea of rats as gross, dirty animals who always ran away from people and somehow also made them sick, but Houdini is nothing like that. He’s super clean, and he loves to play — after his nap, we fixed up his running wheel and gave him a ball to play with. I guess it goes to show that sometimes you think you’ve got something (or someone) figured out, and you find out you were totally wrong. In this case, I’m happy I was wrong — I would have never met my new favorite member of Rescue Ranch otherwise! Well, favorite except for the other Ponysitters of course ? Catch you later, diary!

Did you know that kids can become a real member of the Ponysitters Club? Learn how to join and be sure to inspire your kids to be doers by downloading the 4‑H Inspire Kids to Do Activity Guide!

 

Since a 4‑H’er from my state and county won the 4‑H Youth in Action Award several years ago, my mentors and peers motivated me to pursue this amazing opportunity to represent 4‑H youth across the country. When I applied for the award, I was hopeful that National 4‑H Council would see all the amazing work that I have done in the field of STEM. After a few months went by, going through the interview and waiting for some time, I found out I was selected from many incredible youth as the HughesNet-sponsored 2019 National 4‑H Youth in Action STEM Pillar Winner. My family was so excited for me to be recognized at such a prestigious level.

Attending the 2019 4‑H Legacy Awards was such an incredible opportunity to see how 4‑H has grown since the beginning of its era. I got to meet such influential role models and hear their 4‑H stories and how 4‑H has impacted them in a positive way. I also got the amazing opportunity to meet the other pillar winners. Addy Battel (Agriculture), Mason McClintock (Civic Engagement), and Elisabeth Watkins (Healthy Living) are not only youth that are catalyzing incredible change in their communities, but also are some of my amazing friends who I get to work with this year!

The trip to DC was amazing and gave me a new perspective on the nation that we live in. I got to learn about the history of the United States, learn how to represent 4‑H through media outlets and just meet some incredible people, like the National 4‑H Youth Advisory Committee. I would tell anyone who is interested in applying to just show your passion and personality. The work you are doing is great; share your personality and show how you stand out from others. I am honored to represent all things 4‑H and promote STEM to youth as well as to promote the mentoring that 4‑H offers, which started my 4‑H career.

4-H Youth in Action: The Most Memorable Moment of My Life