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4-H Program Celebrates 100th Birthday
"So many teens my age just hang out at the mall or local donut shop. My friends in 4-H are so much more interesting and fun to be with," said a 16-year-old 4-H member.
"4-H has been the most positive and rewarding experience I have ever encountered," said a 15-year-old member.
This year marks the 100th birthday of the 4-H Program nationally. The first boy's corn club was formed in 1902 in Springfield, Ohio. 4-H is a citizenship and leadership development effort on behalf of the land grant university system and is found today in every county in the United States. The network of volunteer leaders and research-based information is unique to 4-H. The focus of citizenship and leadership development is then applied over a wide array of project areas—rockets, computers, gardening, sheep, or a host of other options—while teaching youth good citizenship and leadership skills.
The Connecticut Centennial celebration is a year-long opportunity to showcase what 4-H is and allow the program to reconnect with 4-H alumni. A publication celebrating the national centennial anniversary while documenting Connecticut's rich 4-H history is also in the works. This new publication will pick up where Forty Years of 4-H Club Work in Connecticut, published in 1952, leaves off.
If you currently are or were a 4-H member or volunteer in any state, the 4-H Program would like to hear from you. 4-H memories and photographs are being collected for inclusion in the history publication and for placement on the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 4-H youth development website. If you have a memory you'd like to share, please call Nancy Wilhelm at 888-FOUR-H-CT.
Two birthday celebrations are also being planned for September and October of this year. All 4-H alumni and current participants are invited to attend these events. The first celebration will be held on Sunday, September 29 during the Cornucopia Fest at the University of Connecticut, Storrs campus. The second celebration will happen in Bloomfield at the 4-H Center at Auer Farm Fall Festival on Sunday, October 20. This is a special year for 4-H, so hold the dates and plan to reconnect with old friends, sharing memories and visiting the UConn campus and the 4-H Center at Auer Farm. For more info on the birthday celebrations, call 888-FOUR-H-CT.
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