4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, with more than six million members and over 90,000 clubs. At its heart, 4-H is very similar to the organization from 108 years ago, the basis was experiential learning then and it is just that today.
Brenda Scheider, Executive Director of the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation shares more about how 4-H has evolved from when it first started in the early 1900s to now and the impact that it has on people throughout the state.
4-H provides youth the opportunity to explore different projects in arts, communications, animal science, technology, and so much more. 4-H is not just one thing, but many things, all based on learning and developing both hard and soft skills such as confidence and leadership, that will help its members be the leaders of the future.
“The pandemic really impacted how 4-H clubs worked, but they pushed through”, said Scheider. “The one thing that is true for all of our 4-H members is that they are resilient.”
During the pandemic, 4-H leaders had to pivot to video learning rather than face to face and get creative with ways to still provide members with hands-on learning. While the pandemic was hard, it was also a learning opportunity for the 4-H organization to learn how to utilize virtual programming moving forward and to refocus their efforts on what the members want to learn.
“I was a 4-H member growing up and felt valued even as a nine year old member in a room of much older kids,” adds Scheider. “What stuck with me from my experience is that my voice was heard. My vote counted, and when I gave a demonstration, everyone paid attention and made me feel important as a young nine year old. It truly gave me confidence and a sense of community which launched me into feeling like I could accomplish anything if I set my mind to it.”
That experience that Scheider had is very similar to what many 4-H alumni and current members have. 4-H allows members to have a voice, explore and succeed but also to fail in a safe environment. It helps youth to learn what types of opportunities are out there, their strengths, how to overcome challenges, and life lessons that will help them throughout their life.
4-H is important for those not just in the rural areas but in urban areas as well. It has a relevance that surpasses geographic areas and has great benefits for youth from across the state from all types of backgrounds and demographics.
Scheider adds, “Some of those benefits are learning how to be the best person that you can be, learning to be capable and confident, and how to be resilient. All of these things and more are what make 4-H members great additions to the workforce when they get older and have positive impacts in their communities.”
There’s something for everyone in 4-H and it is open to all youth regardless of where they may live. You can learn more about 4-H or joining a club by going to their website here.
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