Posted: April 30, 2026
As part of an ongoing effort to bring a youth perspective to high-level government discussions, five Pennsylvania 4-H members attended the National 4-H Conference, April 10-15, at Hyatt Regency Crystal City near Washington, D.C.
From left to right - Riley Fink, Madison Cousins, Sophia Leiden, Victoria Miller, and Sarah Bupp
The 4-H'ers representing Penn State Extension were Madison Cousins, of Armstrong County; Victoria Miller, of Westmoreland County; Riley Fink, of Indiana County; Sarah Bupp, of Butler County; and Sophia Leiden, of Clearfield County.
"Being able to meet with such important people and make an everlasting impact on our nation was such an honor," Fink said. "My biggest takeaway was learning to work effectively with and communicate with all the other strong leaders present, as not everyone agreed or even had the same thought process."
During the event, 4-H members aged 15-19 participated in roundtable discussions on pressing national topics. After brainstorming and preparing presentations, the youth presented their ideas to multiple federal agencies.
- Bupp, Fink, and Miller's group proposed to the National Park Service ways to effectively use technology within parks maintained by the service to support operations and engage teenagers.
- Leiden focused on finding ways to cultivate interest in agriculture in rural America, discussing a potential three-year, stair-stepped grant and a youth advocacy team specializing in social media development.
- Cousins' group addressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service on methods the service could use for preserving forest recreation access for teens, including improving social media, infrastructure, and teen programs.
Leiden called the National 4-H Conference an experience that impacted her greatly, crediting it with teaching her valuable skills that she intends to use back in her local 4-H program to support their work.
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring, and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Pennsylvania 4-H website.
