FOR ANTIGO TIMES

Antigo, WI — The anticipation is building for National 4-H Week, during which millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will be celebrating everything 4-H. Langlade County4-H will observe 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 our community who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.

The theme of this year’s National 4-H Week is Inspire Kids to Do, which highlights how
4-H encourages kids to take part in hands-on learning experiences in areas such as health, science, agriculture and civic engagement. The positive environment provided by 4-H mentors ensures that kids in every county and parish in the country  ̶  from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities  ̶  are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles and are empowered with the skills to lead in life and career.

“4-H had taught my children the good feeling that comes from giving back to the community. Our family has made so many amazing relationships with in the community which sparked us to start a new 4-H community club in 2018.” – Carrie Wincentsen, organizational leader for the newly form Aniwa Rockets 4-H Club.

Langlade County 4-H’s program is more than cows and cookies. One of the county’s most popular project is Shooting Sports.  Youth may choose to participate in the rifle and/or archery disciplines. Leaders attend a special training to provide a safe educational youth experience.  One of the benefits of these programs is that youth are not required to have their own equipment to participate. Both the rifle and archery programs have high quality equipment available for them to use. These programs have also partnered with the American Legion and Js Archery & Pro-Shop to provide positive experiences. Beyond these projects, youth will be able to find an activity that fits any interest.

Another strength to the Langlade County 4-H Program is youth empowerment.  Whether at a local 4-H club, a county committee, or a project workshop, youth are encourage to have a voice and part of the leadership platform. Youth are included in lesson planning, teaching strategies, mentoring, and shaping of the overall program. Youth, 6^th grade and older, are encourage to take a leadership role as a club officer, project committee member, camp counselor, activity planning committee member and more.

“As a youth growing up in the 4-H program, I valued my leadership opportunities with the 4-H Rabbit Committee.  As part of this committee, youth were encouraged to be part of the leadership team as we planned project meeting lessons, a organized local rabbit show, and more.”  – Abigail Luerssen, Langlade County 4-H alumnus.

In Langlade County more than 251 4-H youth and 161 volunteers from the community are involved in 4‑H. Youth and adult partnerships are shown to be one of the most effective ways to engage both youth and adults in meaningful activities which contribute to positive youth development. Youth enrolled in 4-H have been shown to improve skills and understandings while decreasing in risky behaviors. When partnering with youth, adults also build skills and strengthen the organization to which they belong.

Most importantly, this family friendly program can be tailored to all individuals. Youth and adults may choose their level of involvement that fits their life styles or abilities.

To learn more about how you can get involved, contact the Langlade County 4-H Program Coordinator Holly Luerssen at 715-627-6236 or [email protected]. Registration for the 2019-2020 4-H year is now open, so it is a prime time to join.  More information on the 4-H program maybe found at http://www.4-h.org/.

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, 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.