Allen County 4-H strives to teach its youth Leadership through the many programs, clubs and developmental activities we provide to our 4-H youth.  Through leadership, youth can learn to become better equipped to lead and problem solve, in addition to skill development in communications, critical thinking, responsibility and contributing to group efforts. 

This February we hosted our first ever Leadership Lock-In, in which twelve youth and seven adult volunteers participated at the Allen County Extension Office.  The objective of the Leadership Lock-In was to provide specific training on leadership that youth can apply in their 4-H Clubs through their leadership positions.  Over the course of the thirteen hour Leadership Lock-In, youth engaged in activities designed to apply problem solving, conflict resolution, teamwork and leadership.  Fun leadership activities such as Magic Carpet, Mine Field, Bobsled and Capture the Flag helped youth to then apply those skills in teamwork situations.  Adult volunteers served a vitally important role as they helped youth to work through problems and engage critical thinking.  As a result of the Leadership Lock-In, thirteen youth indicated they gained numerous developmental skills in which they can apply to leadership positions both in 4-H and in their community.  Due to the success of their event, we hope to continue to host and grow this event geared towards developing our leaders for many more years to come.