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For many kids, it is eye-opening for them to realize that not everyone is exactly like them or as fortunate to have the same things they do, and it’s important to teach kids the importance of helping those in need. That’s why a goal for many parents is to teach their kids gratitude. Doing so not only helps them appreciate what they have, but it also broadens their perspectives and makes them more caring.

To celebrate National Volunteer Month and provide ideas for your True Leaders in Service project, here are ways you can encourage your kid to be grateful and to give back to their community.

Volunteer as a Family

There are many ways families can volunteer together. Some opportunities include serving lunch at a local soup kitchen, taking part in community clean-up projects, or dog-walking at a local animal shelter. Volunteering helps kids recognize the things they have, which in turn will teach them to be grateful and appreciative of those things, along with their ability to help others.

Collect Change for Charity

Encourage your family members to start putting extra change in a jar every night when they come home. You’ll be amazed at how quickly it adds up. At the end of the month, or on a particular date, research and select a charity you’d like to donate the money that was collected. This is a great way for kids to learn about different charities and non-profit groups.

Get Moving for a 5K Run/Walk

A 5K Run/Walk is a great way to not only spend time together as a family for a cause, but you are also able to reap the health benefits. Also, paying the race fee and learning about the cause and organization behind the 5K provides a ready-made way to give back.

Visit HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® for more ideas to inspire your kids and family to give back to the community. Once you’ve picked your family’s service project, be sure to register at 4‑H.org/TrueLeadersinService as part of this month’s True Leaders in Service initiative.

 

Working together as a family is a way to teach kids how to take on more responsibility and participating in a group project is a great opportunity for your child to take charge and become the true leader that they are. At 4‑H, service to the community is an important pillar of our organization and something we strive to engrain in all our members. Not only do kids learn the importance of their role in the community, but community service harnesses their time and energy into doing good. Not to mention, it’s fun!

Brandi Riley, author of the Mama Knows It All Blog, decided to start a family service project with her 9-year-old daughter Ayva and learned a few things in the process. Here’s what Brandi thinks you should consider when starting a family service project:

Find out what the people you are helping really need.

Brandi knows how eager kids can get to help out others. The thing is, it’s important to ask the people you’re helping what they really need. Brandi and her daughter made a quick call to a shelter for women and children to help shape their project. In talking to and learning about the shelter, they found out it was most in need of clothes for babies and toddlers. Brandi and Avya were planning on gathering soaps and toiletries, but when they found out what the shelter really needed, they changed their plan.

Make a plan before you begin.

Speaking of planning, before starting talk with your family and decide what exactly you’re going to do. What do you want to accomplish? Do you need any materials to complete the project? Talk together and figure out a game plan, then go from there.

Let your child/children take the lead.

As Brandi said it, “This tip is for the mamas.” If your child has an idea of a project they want to do, let them be in charge of it. We all want our kids to succeed, but they won’t have the satisfaction of knowing that they did something amazing if you do it all for them. Instead of trying to be the lead, take a step back and encourage your kid to let you know what they need. Be there to support them, but let them be the boss (to a certain extent of course!)

Take a look at our Inspire Kids To Do activities for more ideas to do good with your kids!

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Imagine laying on your bed while watching television and moments later you get a phone call that would change your life forever. It’s a scenario that happened to me, and I could not be more thankful that it did!

I answered hesitantly, as it was a number I did not recognize. When I answered, it was Ms. Abbey Tillman who stated, “Consider this is an early Christmas present.” When she relayed the news to me that I had won the 2018 4‑H Youth in Action Citizenship Pillar Award, I was elated. I began to cry and scream, and all I remember saying to my grandmother was, “Grandma! I cannot believe this is happening. I won!” I could not help but feel so blessed.

Months prior to me receiving that phone call, I began my application process. I had to fill out forms, record a video and upload it to YouTube, and have an online interview with National 4-H Council. I patiently waited for months to hear back, and when I did, I felt reassured that my pillar work is much bigger than me.

Being the YIA Citizenship Pillar winner reminds me that I am serving a duty to my community and my 4-H Program. 4-H has been so instrumental in my life and earning the highest honors proves that 4-H is not just a program, it is a part of who I am. I get to advocate for youth like myself and encourage them never to allow obstacles to deter them from where they want to go in life.

This opportunity has truly been a humbling experience thus far. Getting to attend the Legacy Awards was amazing. I was able to interact with alumni, fellow 4-H youth, 4-H luminaries, representatives from my award sponsor Nationwide Insurance Company, employees from Lockheed Martin, National 4-H Council President & CEO Jennifer Sirangelo, and so many other 4-H members and distinguished guests. Walking on the green carpet and embracing the other pillar winners seemed so surreal, but I could not be more proud to say that our time is now!

My message to you, 4-H Youth, is to stay committed to reaching your goals. When you are passionate about something, go for it. Going through this application process reminded me that 4-H has provided me with a platform to grow and because of 4-H, I can say that I too am a True Leader. It is an opportunity of a lifetime, and you will never know what the outcome will be unless you try. So I encourage you to persevere despite the doubt you may feel, remain persistent, stay confident, and always follow your heart because you are never too young to have a voice. I will forever cherish the memories that the 4-H Youth in Action Award has provided me.

After that day, my life has changed for the better. You can do it!

4-H Youth in Action: Using My Voice to Encourage and Advocate for Youth

As I look back on my 4‑H career, there are certain events that stand out as being particularly impactful, and National 4‑H Conference was one of them. In honor of the 2018 National 4‑H Conference happening this week, I would like to share about my own National Conference experience. I was selected for the 2012 Georgia delegation to attend National 4‑H Conference through a competitive interview process. I flew to Washington, D.C., that April with the rest of the Georgia delegation for a week filled with learning, fun and experiences that created lasting memories.

Part of the time at Conference was spent touring Washington, D.C., meeting with legislators at the Capitol, and hearing from keynote speakers such as former Second Lady Jill Biden and former United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the National 4‑H Conference Center. However, the majority of the time was spent working in roundtable groups that partnered with federal agencies about current topics that were affecting youth nationwide. The topics for that year included alcohol and drug use prevention, equal education for under-represented groups, youth suicide prevention, healthy eating and living, and integration of veteran and military families into local communities.

The roundtable that I was a part of focused on using science and technology to improve local communities. We spent our roundtable session time brainstorming solution ideas and working on our presentation that we gave at the U.S. Forest Service at the end of the week. It was such an exciting opportunity to be able to present our ideas to an actual government agency in D.C. because our proposal had the chance to make a real-world impact. We celebrated our work and the new friendships with a dinner cruise on the Potomac River to close out the week.

National 4‑H Conference was my second time visiting Washington, D.C., and the National 4‑H Center as I had attended Citizenship Washington Focus the summer before. Through these two experiences, I discovered my love for the D.C. area and decided that I someday wanted to call this place my home. Six years later, I have relocated and am working as a Digital Marketing Intern forNational 4‑H Council. I am thankful for my National 4‑H Conference and CWF experiences because they helped me discover my passions, and they played a role in getting me to where I am today.

Attending National 4‑H Conference allowed me to connect with other 4‑H’ers and leaders from across the country, explore our nation’s capital, and work with a team to develop solutions to a current issue. I have remained connected with many of the people I met that week through social media and am impressed by the things they are accomplishing in their lives today. I am excited to hear about the wonderful things that this year’s group of delegates will accomplish during their time here. I am proud to be 4‑H Grown!

4‑H Alumni Reflection: National 4‑H Conference

Every day, 4‑H’ers across the nation pledge their hands to larger service. And every day, 4‑H’ers are rolling up their sleeves and putting their pledge into action – leading positive change that empowers their peers and their communities.

This April, join 4‑H as we pledge our hands to larger service all month long!

Get ready for the second annual True Leaders in Service initiative, a way for all 4‑H members to say “thank you” to their communities, counties, and states for all the support they have provided to 4‑H for over 100 years. The month-long community service activation will officially kick-off the first day of April, and culminate with the National 4‑H Day of Service on Saturday, April 28.

We are encouraging youth and adults to venture out into the community to lend a helping hand through fundraising, neighborhood clean-up, beautification projects and much more.

Here are just a few True Leaders in Service that are giving back and making an impact in their communities:

  • True Leaders of Illinois 4‑H are pledging their hands to larger #service through the “4‑H Feeding and Growing Our Communities” program! Through this initiative, youth have prepared and distributed a total of over 500K meals to families in the last three years!
  • Under Georgia 4‑H’er and 2017 National 4‑H Youth in Action winner Amelia Day’s leadership, youth provide care packages and create ‘Thank You’ cards to military veterans through Operation: Veteran Smiles! Since it’s inception, the program has impacted more than 4,000 veterans and has engaged more than 6,500 volunteers.

You can also check out our True Leaders in Service photo album on Facebook!

To learn more, register your service project, or find a planned service event in your area, visit www.4-H.org/true-leaders-in-service.

Help us make a positive, lasting impression on our community and celebrate the True Leaders making a difference through service.

True Leaders In Service

“For my club, my community, my country, and my world.”

For every 4-H program or club, this final line of the 4-H Pledge is at the forefront of their learning and experiences. For the 4-H National Mentoring Program implemented by Texas A&M University Extension, there is an emphasis on “country,” particularly with regards to those who served it.

In partnership with the Hidden Heroes Military Caregiver Community (HHMCC), youth mentees had the opportunity to give back to those who fought tirelessly for our country. The HHMCC—managed by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Caring for our Hidden Heroes—is a network of military caregivers, from all eras, to connect with one another and provide resources and support. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s mission is to strengthen and empower American military caregivers and their families by raising public awareness, driving research, championing policy, and leading collaborations that make a significant impact on their lives.

Mentees participating in the program were tasked with making weighted lap blankets for seven wounded warriors. After researching the benefits of the weighted blankets for the service members’ ailments, and how to make the blankets, the youth teamed up to sew, design and mail the completed blankets, ensuring their arrival by the Christmas.

Disclaimer

The program described here is funded through grants from OJJPD, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this page (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).

4-H Mentoring: Texas 4-H

When families come together, communities can reap the benefits. That’s what happened when the Danville 4‑H Center in Virginia held a Family Night Out that doubled as a community service project. As a part of the Youth and Families with Purpose (YFP) program (part of the 4‑H National Mentoring Program), mentors joined youth mentees and their families to give back and serve their community.

Over the course of several days, the group spent time growing and harvesting produce at the local Promear Community Garden. The opportunity was a rewarding one for the youth as the garden helps contribute to meals for their families, many of which receive government assistance. Participants spent their time weeding and watering the garden, as well as learned the significance of the plants in the garden and how to make organic plant spray. Community garden owners Mr. and Mrs. Predgen also treated the families to a lesson in food preservation with a canning demonstration.

The event/project proved to be a success as YFP families came together to support one another and their community.

Disclaimer

The program described here is funded through grants from OJJPD, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this page (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).

4‑H Mentoring: Virginia 4‑H

At Citizenship Washington Focus this summer, one team each week was selected by program sponsor, Farm Credit, to receive $500 to implement a plan that addresses community challenges, and to put the plan into action. We’re excited to recognize and congratulate each of these outstanding delegations and the work they’re doing in their communities.

 

Week 1: Kentucky 4‑H

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The Kentucky delegation centered their project around addressing the low literacy rate among citizens in Louisville, Ky. They will partner with local school systems, clubs and organizations to provide programming designed to improve the literacy rates in adults.

 

Week 2: Alabama 4‑H

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The Alabama delegation developed a leadership program consisting of community service, leadership workshops, and fundraising to benefit local communities. The delegation will partner with extension, local high schools and colleges, recreation centers, and community members to develop this program.

 

Week 3: Oklahoma 4‑H

oklahoma, 4-h, government, service, youth, teens, cwf, citizenship washington focus, farm credit, grant, community

The delegation of the Northeast District of Oklahoma created a career planning program for youth, ages 15-18, who will soon age out of the foster care system. The group plans to work with a local shelter and local government services in Tulsa, Okla., to establish this program.

 

Week 4: Kansas 4‑H

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The Kansas delegation developed a program to teach community members how to grow their own food, select the right food from a food pantry, and cook healthy meals. The program will also focus on teaching about the agriculture industry. The Kansas delegation also received an additional $500 mini-grant for having the most outstanding overall community action plan.

 

Week 5: South Carolina 4‑H

south carolina, 4-h, government, service, youth, teens, cwf, citizenship washington focus, farm credit, grant, community

The South Carolina delegation will establish a program for elementary and middle school students from low-income families to receive school supplies. The delegation will work with other community partners to promote the program and gather needed supplies.

 

Week 6: Ohio 4‑H

ohio, 4-h, government, service, youth, teens, cwf, citizenship washington focus, farm credit, grant, community

The Southeast Ohio delegation will create a program to provide resources to the homeless. The delegation will hold a competition between 4‑H Clubs to bring in non-perishable items, clothing and personal hygiene products.

There were several things that I learned about the Legacy Awards after I was named the Citizenship Pillar winner, all of which have made the Legacy Awards an even more memorable event for me.

So, I am going to share with you about the Five Things I Learned about the National 4-H Council Legacy Awards:

  • I learned that there are a lot of well-known 4-H alumni who have gone on to use the skills they gained from 4-H to do great things and to help them have a successful future. It was important for me to find out about their 4-H experiences and the skills they have gained, and understanding how they can relate to my 4-H story.
  • No matter how much I thought I learned about Public Speaking throughout my 4-H career, I learned even more as a Pillar winner. I was grateful to have practiced my public speaking skills whenever I had a chance, as I used them when I attended the gala.
  • The event was designed to bring many influential 4-H Alumni together to help us 4-H’ers have an even brighter future. I took the time to meet them and learn about them. For those that I had the opportunity to meet, I followed by writing them ‘thank you’ cards. After all, they are investing in my future.
  • I was fortunate enough to become friends with the other Pillar winners. Like me, they have worked hard to make it this far. 4-H is about belonging, and because our different journeys led us to this one point, we all belong together. We spent time together in DC, taking lots of photos together, and we plan to keep in touch in the future. The Legacy Awards is an amazing experience, but there is nothing more amazing than the friendships I made with the other Pillar winners.
  • Another key part of attending Legacy: Learning proper table manners and etiquette. I educated myself on the proper use of tableware for each course. Also, I thought about questions or conversations I can have with Pillar sponsor (U.S. Cellular) and dinner mates. Because I was spending the evening with these individuals, I wanted to make it a fun and pleasant experience for all.

There is so much that I learned from the Legacy Awards, but I believe that everyone’s experience will be different. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I made the most of it and savored the moment.

4-H Youth in Action: Amelia Day

Our planet’s environment faces many challenges. With nearly half of the world’s population under the age of 25, we’ve reached a critical point where we must engage and activate young leaders to work together to address these issues and help ensure a sustainable future for our planet. My time as a member of the Florida 4‑H program allowed me to learn first-hand about natural resources in my home state, and specifically gave me the unique opportunity to learn more about Florida’s marine ecosystems through a “Learning by Doing” approach.

Through programs like Florida 4‑H’s Marine Ecology Event, field trips with my local 4‑H club, and public presentations, I had the opportunity to learn at an early age how we’re all connected to the ocean no matter where we live. The 4‑H program provided me with a unique avenue to investigate the challenges facing our planet’s marine ecosystems, and in turn, work alongside my fellow 4‑H members and adult mentors to develop initiatives to engage my peers in playing an active role in protecting our blue planet. As a result, in 2008, I launched Stow It-Don’t Throw It Project to engage 4‑H’ers across the country in tackling the threats posed by marine debris and improperly disposed of fishing line. I later founded the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit, a nationwide network of events to train and activate young conservation leaders.

These initiatives demonstrated to me the power and importance of youth and adults coming together to work collaboratively to protect our planet.

Since my time in 4‑H, I’ve had the pleasure of applying the lessons I learned through the 4‑H program to my work developing initiatives to engage youth as leaders in the fields of environmental conservation, education, and research with zoos and aquariums, conservation non-profits, and government agencies.

earthecho international, youth, conservation, environment, planet, earth, service

Over the past year, I’ve teamed up with EarthEcho International to launch their inaugural Youth Leadership Council (YLC) – uniting an outstanding group of young conservation leaders to support EarthEcho’s work to inspire young people worldwide to act now for a sustainable future. EarthEcho International was established by siblings Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau in honor of their father Philippe Cousteau Sr., and grandfather legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, on the belief that youth have the power to change the world. Through the YLC, young leaders have the opportunity to develop international campaigns to engage their peers in taking an active role in protecting the environment, support EarthEcho and its partners as they work to inspire, cultivate, and activate young leaders, and learn about the workings of an international non-profit organization.

I’m excited to share that applications for EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council are now open as we plan to accept five new students from an international audience to join this program. As 4‑H members, I know you understand the important role that young people play in our communities, especially when it comes to environmental conservation. If this is an area of interest to you, I strongly encourage to apply to serve on the YLC by completing the online application by April 22, 2017. Click here to access the complete program details and application.

Together we have the power to positively impact our planet and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. I hope you’ll consider applying for the YLC! Thank you for your commitment to Making the Best Better in your communities and for our planet.