Centre County 4-H Teens Lead the Way into Summer

Several teens took the 2011-2012 4-H theme very seriously as they participated in a variety of events this spring.  They were certainly “taking the lead” when they chose to participate in these activities that would enhance their leadership skills, improve their knowledge of advocacy and create relationships that would last a lifetime.  

Michelle Carbonara, Rachel Eirmann, Samuel Eirmann, Meg Egan, Sarah Elder, Victoria Maras, Taylor Schoch, Amber Sible, and Jake Steffen began the spring season by attending the 4-H Regional Teen Retreat in March.  This year, the retreat focused greatly on advocacy and telling your 4-H story.    The teens participated in a variety of workshops ranging from advocacy to resume writing to public speaking.  A performance from the Pennharmonics  and a community service project to support the efforts in Japan were among the highlights of the weekend.  They also had the opportunity to spend the weekend with Sam Sikes, a world renowned author and facilitator of leadership and teambuilding activities.  

Camp Counselor Training weekend was the next stop for 4-H teens this spring.  In April, Lauren Horning, Samantha McKinney, Selena Richards, and Amber Sible joined potential camp counselors from across the region to prepare for 4-H camp in June.  While getting acquainted with one another, potential counselors learned the ins and outs of being a good camp counselor.  They learned a variety of skills for dealing with homesickness and other difficult camping situations.  They shared songs and games and they had the opportunity to plan some of the activities that will take place during camp.  All who attended left the weekend feeling confident to care for the younger 4-H members who will join them at the end of June!

4-H Capital Days was held May 1-3 in Harrisburg.  Blake Peese and Hannah Rock joined 4-H members from across the state to learn about legislation and advocacy.  This three day event was packed full of workshops and sessions that helped members understand the process of law making and prepared them to be effective advocates for the things they believed in.  The teens had the opportunity to explore and pass mock bills to experience the legislative process first hand.  They went through a series of workshops dealing with advocacy.  They improved their Parliamentary Procedure skills and even had the opportunity to meet with their legislators at the end of the event. 

As you can see, the 4-H program has already been very busy this spring.  However, this is only a taste of what is to come this summer and in the years to come.  These teens have worked very hard so that they could bring leadership skills and knowledge back to the county to share with their clubs and younger 4-H members.  They have grown as individuals so that they can be instrumental in the growth of the county 4-H program and their communities.