Winners and

Finalists

Home Programs Youth in Action Program Winners and Finalists

4‑H is proud to share the diverse stories and unique perspectives of 4‑H’ers who are leaders in their communities. 4‑H Youth in Action Award winners comes from every corner of America and are impacting their local communities in astounding ways. Check out 4‑H Youth in Action Award finalists below!

2023

winners

Matias Habib

Agriculture

Matias Habib never aimed to be a leader of sustainable agriculture. However, when the invasive species Japanese Beetle devastated his family’s orchard, Matias spent his summer applying his 4‑H Entomology knowledge to study natural methods to combat the beetle. He presented his research at the...

Sruthi Sudarsan

Civic Engagement

As a child, Sruthi struggled to speak due to her social anxiety, but she found her voice and confidence through her 4‑H club’s puppetry and public speaking projects. Empowered by her 4‑H community and impassioned to civic engagement, Sruthi has in turn taken her rightful...

Norah Carter

Healthy Living

Growing up with a disability saw Norah Carter consistently underestimated. When she discovered competitive therapeutic horseback riding through her local 4‑H club, Norah seized her spark and derived a world of new opportunities. She quickly developed confidence, leadership skills and a dedication to community service...

Nicole Cash

STEM

Like many LGBTQ youth across the country, Nicole experienced rejection and personal loss after coming out. Through 4‑H, she found refuge – a place to belong, helping her discover her passion for nature while cultivating her exceptional leadership skills. These skills proved essential when a...

2023

finalists

Elaan Bader

Agriculture

Elaan attributes the spark she has for agriculture and the global health of pollinators to 4‑H. Armed with a can-do attitude and a belief the one person can make a difference, 4‑H has provided her opportunities and experiences that have honed her public speaking, creative...

Evelyn Day

Agriculture

In 2017, with Hurricane Irma barreling towards the Florida coast, Evelyn wanted to help. She reached out to Florida 4‑H and offered space at her farm for animals who needed refuge during evacuations. After a 4‑H’er took her up on the offer, Evelyn learned that...

Amiyah Elam

Civic Engagement

Amiya Elam would not be who she is today without 4‑H. She remembers being a little girl with a big voice and not knowing how to centralize it. From the start, she enthusiastically dove into every 4‑H opportunity offered, but the most pivotal and influential...

Reed Marcum

Civic Engagement

4‑H helped Reed Marcum gain the self-confidence, public speaking and leadership skills to organize service initiatives, supporting needs in his community. In 7 years, his 4‑H book bag giveaway has collected more than 27,000 book bags and school supplies to give to students in need....

Jayden Ingalls

Healthy Living

Jayden has always loved how food fosters community, culture, fellowship and joy. Growing up he struggled to find opportunities to expand his culinary education. Through 4‑H, he found the support of an entire community and was provided the experiences that allow him to explore his...

Avani Rai

Healthy Living

Avani’s passion for public speaking didn’t come easily, but it opened up a whole new world to her. On a small stage in Illinois, Avani found her voice and dove into all 4‑H has to offer. As her passion for public speaking and leadership grew,...

Michael Trees

STEM

Living in a rural area, Michael didn’t always have the same resources or opportunities as other kids. Being homeschooled meant no formal computer class or laboratory access for STEM learning. What they did have, however, was a spark to ignite a partnership between their local...

Ronak Suchindra

STEM

With a passion for volunteering and teaching, Ronak believes 4‑H has shown him the value of giving back to his community. Developing a neighborhood program of successful coding workshops during Covid led him to establish Kids Connect—a non-profit aimed at empowering youth with the skills...

2022 Winners

2021 Winners

2020 Winners

2019 Winners

2018 Winners

2017 Winners

2016 Winners

2010-2015 Winners