Success Story4-H Rabbit Club Provides Agriculture and Leadership Opportunities



4-H Rabbit Club Provides Agriculture and Leadership Opportunities

Author: Alexandria Bryant

Planning Unit: Breckinridge County CES

Major Program: Agriculture 4-H Core Curriculum

Plan of Work: Building life skills through youth programming

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Kentucky 4-H believes that all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in our four guiding concepts:  mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity.  The 4-H Rabbit program fosters mastery by learning about raising, breeding, and marketing rabbits, belonging by interacting and connecting with adults and youth with similar interests, independence by demonstrating responsible rabbit ownership, and generosity by participating in community service and citizenship activities. In Breckinridge County, the 4-H Rabbit Project Club held monthly educational meetings led by two adult volunteers. Each meeting provided hands-on educational programs with topics such as breed identification, anatomy, feed and nutrition, showmanship, sportsmanship, marketing, career opportunities, diseases, first aid, breeding, etc. In 2018, 19 youth completed 4-H rabbit projects. All club members presented a speech or demonstration, as well as, participated in a canned food drive for the local Good Samaritan Center and participated in leadership training. In addition to hosting and competing in local rabbit shows (e.g. Spring Show, Fall Show, County Fair Shows) and area contests (e.g. Rabbit Shows in Meade, LaRue, Butler, etc.), nine of the club members competed in the culminating event – the KY State Fair 4-H Rabbit Show and received blue ribbons, with 6 class winners and a Grand Champion recipient. Post-surveys (KY 4-H Evaluations) indicated 69% of youth felt more confident speaking in public, 92% had a better understanding of how to raise rabbits, 92% had a better understanding of rabbit anatomy and their nutritional needs, 92% felt more confident judging and showing rabbits, 93% could identify specific rabbit breeds, 92% could explain the importance of agriculture to others, and 85% could name at least 5 careers related to rabbits. Families have shared that the 4-H rabbit project provides “good leadership opportunities and a project for those with both limited budget and space,” and “the club develops leadership and helps get kids involved in the community.” After participating in the 4-H Rabbit Club, youth have continued their leadership experiences within 4-H through Teen Leadership Academy, Teen Conference, Teen Summit, and other district and state level programs, as well as, beyond 4-H in church and school organizations.






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