Many times in Extension, we are planting seeds and waiting for harvest. These seeds come in all sizes and shapes.  They could be highly specialized to give maximum profits to the farmers or they could be educational “seeds” of planting ideas, skills and knowledge.  In the 4-H program, we are planting many seeds.  The initial planting may be joining 4-H, attending club meetings, doing 4-H projects.  While the plant is growing, we are providing “nutrients”, increasing leadership skills by providing trainings and conferences for volunteer development.These nutrients include club leader and officer training, Teen Conference, Teen Summit, teen ambassadors, certification trainings, KY Volunteer Forum and National Volunteer Conference. Finally the harvest.  This year’s harvest has produced some outstanding yields.  I am highlighting 5 teens and two adults who have made a powerful impact in Warren County 4-H.  

Isaac Hosay—6^th year in 4-H and has attended Teen Summit, Teen Conference and Kentucky Volunteer Forum.  While attending Teen Conference Isaac was inspired by keynote speaker HK Derryberry, a disabled adult who wished he could have joined 4-H but could not because there was not a club for people like him.  Isaac came home and started the 4-H club, “Better Together”, a 4-H club for all including youth and teens with disabilities.  Isaac, a freshman in high school, leads this club with his mom and his goal is that “by my senior year in high school there won’t be a need for a club like this because youth will feel welcome in all 4-H clubs”.  

Anna Sweets—9^th year in 4-H and has attended Teen Conference and KY Volunteer Forum.  “Seeds” planted for the past three years at Teen Conference inspired her to start and lead an Environmental Club this year.  She has partnered with several local environmental agencies including Waste Water Management to help support this club including securing grant monies. Unrelated to the Environmental club, she also partnered with Dream Riders, a therapeutic riding group for children with disabilities. She conducted a fundraiser raising over $1,200 to support Dream Riders in their quest to provide free services to their members.

Nathan Adkins, Ryan Brown and Chloe Carter—Shooting Sports Teen Ambassadors and Certified Teen Coaches.  Together they created a shooting sports safety presentation using Project ChildSafe resource materials, a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. These teens are available to teach adults and youth about the importance of locking firearms, proper storage and general firearm safety. The teens created their presentation for the KY Volunteer Forum in 2018.

Volunteers who attended the KY Volunteer Forum were able to learn researched based information to apply to their project clubs. Two Warren County project club leaders, rabbit and poultry respectively applied the new knowledge to their project clubs and were able to double participation at the county and state fairs.  The rabbit club had success of having a State Fair Showmanship Champion and the poultry club exhibited three teams at the State Fair Avian Bowl Contest with one team placing second and one teen advancing to the National Poultry Judging Contest.