4-H has a long history of exposing youth to leadership opportunities. For many youths, their first experience with leadership may be serving as a club officer in their school, community or project club. This classic example of leadership instills foundation skills within the youth like self-sufficiency, responsibility and problem-solving. As youth mature, there are opportunities for them to develop advanced leadership skills like sensitivity to multicultural views, effectively using interpersonal skills and demonstrating responsive, caring behaviors through team building. 4-H strives to provide leadership opportunities that challenge youth to view their world in ways in which they can contribute to today’s emerging issues. 

Across Kentucky, local youth are encouraged to view the world through our national and international relevance. A group of seventy-four youth and adults toured our nation’s capital as part of an advanced 4-H leadership workshop. During the journey, youth viewed our nation through a lens of leadership. The participants visited our nation’s memorials and museums honoring those who have contributed to our American fabric. One youth said, “I loved that I was literally standing in history. Just a few years ago Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. This week I stood in the exact spot that he did.” Not only did the youth reflect on historical moments, but they also found connections to their lives in ways like finding a relative’s name on the Vietnam Memorial wall. Understanding freedom and its price is more meaningful when it has a name. A family name.

In today’s society, communities are inundated with new thoughts, cultures, interpretations of morality and responsibilities. Youth who recognize the price of freedom as a sacrifice paid by others are more likely to stand up when injustices exist. As a result of visiting the United States Holocaust Museum, one participant remembered our discussion about standing up for the others and said, “I want to be more vocal when people are hateful and prejudiced.” The leadership program taught the value of diversity and encouraged the upcoming leaders to continue the path of freedom for all in their future. One participant of the program has taken this desire to stand up those who are oppressed and organized a community awareness program drawing attention that we are all mankind, "cut from the same clothe."  The one day program allowed his peers to identify what makes them unique through communication activities and then challenged them to find similar qualities in others.  "Seeing the good in others is one step in appreciating those who are different than us," one participant said.