Author: Anna Meador
Planning Unit: Allen County CES
Major Program: Leadership
Plan of Work: Building Strong Families through Life Skill Development
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down programming in March 2020 youth, families, and communities experienced long-term isolation and alteration of their typical lives related to in and out of school activities. Youth out-of-school time programs, such as 4-H, are essential ecological assets and their disruption during the pandemic may have a major impact on youth’s developmental pathways (Ettekal & Aganas, 2020). For many youth COVID-19 will be the defining issue of their lives and affect them in ways that will mark the course of their life-long development (Bartlett & Virette, 2020).
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that programs, communities, and families that are involved in the lives of youth make a diligent effort to restore and rebuild opportunities that provide experiences to develop interpersonal life-skills. The return of the State Teen Conference Program offered a special opportunity for Allen County Youth who met the senior-level and State Achievement requirements for attendance.
Of Kentucky’s 208 youth, Allen County took 5 senior 4-Her’s to the 2021 Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference. Allen County 4-H was very well represented for their state leadership and achievements. Three of these youth were recognized for receiving state level recognition for their Bronze (2) and Silver (1) Achievements. Another senior performed as part of their Performing Arts Troupe Leadership team responsibilities and received two state level 4-H scholarships. While another one of these participants competed for the opportunity to receive one of the four coveted Emerald 4-H Honors Award, in which the opportunity to be selected to compete is an honor in itself. All five youth indicated that because of their positive experience with Teen Conference this year, they eagerly wait to attend workshop tracks and leadership classes at Teen Conference next year. These youth reported that it was important to attend the conference this year because:
Youth reported how they benefited from Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference:
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