PRINGFIELD, Mo. — For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers, and alumni across the country will be celebrating National 4-H Week during the first full week of October.
Greene County 4-H will leverage National 4-H Week this year by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people, and will highlight the remarkable 4-H youth in the community who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.
IMPACT OF 4-H
In Greene County, over 225 4-H youth and 100 volunteers are involved in 4H. According to the “4-H Study of Positive Youth Development,” 4-H members report better grades, higher levels of academic competence, and are two times more likely to plan to go to college than those who are not in 4-H.
Members of 4-H are also more likely to pursue future courses or a career in science, engineering, or computer technology. The study also finds that girls in 4-H are more than twice as likely to participate in science, engineering, or computer technology programs.
“Youth who earn their bachelor’s degree earn about $2.4 million more over their lifetime than those who do not have a degree,” said Karla Deaver, 4-H youth development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. “If half of our 4-H members obtain a four-year college degree, 4-H will have helped those young people earn $270 million more in lifetime earnings.”
Members of 4-H are two times more likely to have been on a college campus than their non 4-H peers, and 4-H is the second most reported reason to be on the University of Missouri campus.
“Studies indicate that being on a college campus is a predictor of youth going on to higher education. Greene County has an active program, and many youth travel to campus to participate in state events,” said Deaver.
SCIENCE DAY EVENTS
One of the most anticipated events of National 4-H Week is National Youth Science Day. This is when hundreds of thousands of youth across the nation take part in the world’s largest youth-led science challenge.
The theme for this year’s challenge is “Incredible Wearables.” On Oct. 4, youth will use the engineering design process to build a prototype wearable technology that will gather data to help solve a real-world problem.
Greene County 4-H members will participate in National Youth Science Day on Tuesday, Oct. 3, beginning at 3:30 pm at the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield.
All 4-H members and friends are invited to come and participate in the “Incredible Wearables” activity. To learn more about National Youth Science Day, visit 4-h.org/nysd.
MORE INFORMATION
Missouri 4-H is a community of more than 100,000 youth from across the state learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Members learn by doing under the guidance of adult volunteers who teach projects ranging from aerospace and arts to veterinary science and sports fishing. Clubs also involve children and teens in community service, camping, and educational trips. Research has shown that young people in 4-H are almost four times as likely to contribute to their communities, and are twice as likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in their free time. For more information, visit 4h.missouri.edu.
For information about local 4-H clubs and activities, contact Karla Deaver, 4-H youth development specialist, at 417-466-3102 or deaverk@missouri.edu.
— Karla Deaver, University of Missouri Extension
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