FARGO, N.D. — Teams from Cass County took first place in both age divisions of the 2021 North Dakota 4-H consumer decision making contest.

The Cass County team of Elsa Axtman, Linnea Axtman, Nolan Severance and Aubrey Delaney placed first in the senior division. The team will represent North Dakota 4-H in the national consumer decision making contest in 2022.

Cass County’s junior team of McKenna Mohs, Nora Severance, Grace Burchill and Ethan Richard took first place in the junior division.

These teams were among 74 youth who participated in the contest, which was held during the North Dakota State Fair in Minot. Forty-two competed in the junior division and 32 competed in the senior division.

The contest is designed to educate youth about making better consumer decisions. This year, the youth judged classes of boots, portable speakers and yogurts, and gave oral reasons for why they placed the items in a certain order in some of the classes.

In addition to judging the classes, the junior and senior teams participated in a group think component. Each team was given the same scenario, and each team’s members had 10 minutes to work collaboratively to evaluate the situation and make a final decision based on given standards. Teams were scored on how well they worked together and presented their solution.

“Decision making, communication and teamwork are important life skills that youth gain from participating in the consumer decision making contest,” says Meagan Hoffman, a youth development specialist in North Dakota State University Extension’s Center for 4-H Youth Development.

Nine teams competed in the senior division and 11 teams competed in the junior division.

Other teams placing in the senior division were:

• Second – Stark-Billings/Dunn counties, with team members Faith Norby, Kacee Wasem, Michaela Mitchell and Desmond Cain
• Third – Barnes County, with team members Allison Bryn, Kaidence Harstad and Alyssa Thomsen

Other teams placing in the junior division were:

• Second – Dunn County, with team members Tessa Dvorak, Clover Norby, Audrey Dvorak and Landry Dvorak
• Third – Grand Forks County, with team members Amy Draxton, Michael Komprood, Rachel Draxton and Caroline Dudden

Elsa Axtman from the Cass County team was the top scoring senior individual, and Aubrianna Staloch from Williams County was the top scoring junior individual.

The North Dakota 4-H Foundation sponsors this contest.

— NDSU Extension