(MADISON) — To commemorate 103 years of Wisconsin 4-H's service to the state's youth and families, Governor Scott Walker has proclaimed Oct. 1-7 as 4-H Week, coinciding with a nationwide celebration of the research-based positive youth development program.
For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will be celebrating National 4-H Week during the first full week of October. Counties across Wisconsin will showcase 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. In Wisconsin, more nearly 130,000 youth, 5,000 youth volunteers and 15,000 adult volunteers from the community are involved in 4-H clubs, camps and in-school and after-school programs.
4-H alumni around the country are always the first to acknowledge the significant positive impact 4-H had on them as young people; the opportunities and experiences that 4-H provides youth empowers them to become true leaders. In fact, research has shown that young people in 4-H are almost four times as likely to contribute to their communities, and are twice as likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in their free time.
One of the most anticipated events of National 4-H Week every year is 4-H National Youth Science Day, which sees hundreds of thousands of youth across the nation taking part in the world's largest youth-led science challenge. The exciting theme for this year's challenge is Incredible Wearables. On Wednesday, Oct. 4, youth will use the engineering design process to build a prototype wearable technology that will gather data to help solve a real-world problem. Wearable technologies are now used in industries around the globe, from education and sport, to health, fashion, entertainment, transportation and communication. To learn more about National Youth Science Day, please visit http://www.4-h.org/nysd/.
Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development is part of the nation's largest youth development and empowerment organization, with more than 150,000 youth in urban, suburban and rural settings involved with 4-H and other UW-Extension youth programs in the state's 72 counties. Youth, from five-year kindergarten to one year past high school, learn leadership, teamwork, critical thinking and communication to help prepare them for success, while engaging in fun, hands-on 4-H activities, from livestock care to art, drama and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Wisconsin 4-H's 16,000 adult volunteers serve as mentors and role models who provide a safe, interactive place for youth to take risks, practice their independence and master new skills. Adults who volunteer for 4-H learn and strengthen skills that help them in the workplace and to become better connected to their communities. Find out more about Wisconsin 4-H at http://4h.uwex.edu/.
UW-Extension offers timely access to University of Wisconsin research and knowledge through educational colleagues in 72 county offices, on five 4-year campuses and within three tribal nations, offering educational programs that address the important issues of individuals, families, businesses and communities. Find your county extension office at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/.