4-H student membership took a dip during the pandemic, and the hope is that those numbers will come back up and grow. But students aren’t the only members 4-H wants to see — they’re looking for more adult project and chapter leaders.
This is the word from Carlea Liermann, an educator for Calumet County 4-H and the co-advisor for the Wisconsin 4-H Leadership Council.
“Some people reevaluated what they had going on on their plates,” Liermann said for why adult leader numbers are down. “But I also think they may not know as much about the opportunities that are out there and what role they can play as a volunteer in the program.”
And the opportunities are endless. The first option is to become a project volunteer. Adults can choose from more than 100 different project areas — whether it be woodworking, computers, foods, showing animals, etc. — and share that passion and knowledge with youth. 4-H helps volunteers learn how to work with students. The time commitment varies and can be as little as a few hours a month.
You can get involved by contacting your local county educator: https://4h.extension.wisc.edu/
Meanwhile, student membership is approaching pre-pandemic levels, but the numbers are still low. Liermann says it’s because when in-person events were on hold, it limited outreach. Now that national and international travel opportunities are back on through 4-H, Liermann encourages students to get involved and take advantage of travel scholarships.
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