WASHINGTON — Every year, National 4-H Week sees millions of youth, parents, volunteers, and alumni come together to celebrate the many positive youth development opportunities offered by 4-H. The theme for this year’s National 4-H Week, Opportunity4All, is a campaign that was created by National 4-H Council to rally support for Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program and identify solutions to eliminate the opportunity gap that affects 55 million kids across America.
With so many children struggling to reach their full potential, 4-H believes that young people, in partnership with adults, can play a key role in creating a more promising and equitable future for youth, families, and communities across the country. In 4-H, we believe every child should have an equal opportunity to succeed. We believe every child should have the skills needed to make a difference in the world.
Monroe County 4-H will observe National 4-H Week this year by highlighting some of the inspirational 4-H youth in our community who are working tirelessly to support each other and their communities.
“We believe youth perspectives are so important and a solution to eliminating the opportunity gap because young people come with new ideas and new ways of seeing the world,” explains Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO of National 4-H Council. By encouraging diverse voices and innovative actions, 4-H believes that solutions can be found to address the educational, economic, and health issues that have created the opportunity gap.
The Monroe County 4-H Program staff is excited to share the planned activities and events for 4-H Week here in Monroe County, which kicks-off Sunday, October 4. Throughout the week, youth will be encouraged to participate in activities, which reflect the 4-H mission and goals. The celebration culminates with a scavenger hunt in Monroe County Parks. Families can follow along on the Monroe County 4-H Facebook page.
On Tuesday, October 6, Monroe County 4-H will be hosting two virtual Open House sessions so that county residents interested in 4-H may learn more. These Zoom sessions will offer the same information and activities, but there will be a morning session at 10:30 a.m. and an evening session at 6 p.m. There is more information regarding the open house, including registration links for each session, here. All are welcome.
Join the 4-H participants in Monroe County to perform random acts of kindness on Thursday, October 8. Recognize and appreciate the essential workers in your life by writing a kindly-worded letter! One example could be to write your mail carrier a letter thanking them for their hard work and dedication to getting the mail delivered.
On Saturday, October 10, youth and families are encouraged to get outdoors and explore Monroe County’s vast and beautiful network of county parks. There are instructions for completing a family-friendly, family-fun scavenger hunt on the Monroe County National 4-H Week event page. Complete the hunt, share your findings, and receive an honorary Park Ranger award!
About 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 110 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, a non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System, and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Monroe County