— from D. N. Kinsey for Orcas 4-H —
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More than 6 million young people across the United States will be celebrating National 4-H Week, which takes place annually during the first full week of October. San Juan County 4-H leverages National 4-H Week to celebrate the great things that the 4-H youth development program offers young people and highlights the incredible young people who each day work to a make a positive impact on their community.
2014 has been exciting for Orcas Island 4-H members. Orcas Island Community Foundation provided a grant in May of 2014 to purchase curriculum materials for Poultry, Sheep, Dog, Rabbit and Horse 4-H projects. Our 4-H members were able to utilize and study the comprehensive materials before competition at the San Juan County Fair this year – the learning kits have helped everyone learn more about their projects plus win awards in showing and judging contests. Orcas Island 4-H Club Fur & Feathers has added an Alpaca club with the help of Orcas Moon Alpacas. A new Alpaca exhibit plus showmanship and obstacle classes were added to the SJC Fair this year. Read more in an article written by 4-H member Lael Watson in the San Juan Journal Fair insert.
The Orcas Island Trailblazers Horse 4-H club won a special award from the SJC Fair Board for their exhibit and they have one rider this year participating at the Washington State Fair from Sept. 15-18. Look for regular community service projects sponsored by our 4-H clubs including Senior Dinners at the Senior Center in Eastsound (next one is September 17th) and Christmas stockings will be provided for all those with families with kids that participate at the food bank
Research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. Recent findings from a Tufts University 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are:
• Nearly four (4) times more likely to contribute to their communities,
• Two (2) times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors, and
• Two (2) times more likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs outside of school
In San Juan County, a high percentage of island youth are 4-H members and numerous adult and teen volunteers are involved and the clubs always welcome more participants.
About 4-H:
4-H, the largest youth development organization in the world, is a community of seven million young people across the globe learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. In the US, 4-H programs are implemented by the 109 land grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Overseas, 4-H programs operate throughout more than 50 countries.
Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org or local clubs at www.orcas4h.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.
