UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvania 4-H made an impact at the National 4-H Congress, held recently in Atlanta, Georgia, sending 29 4-H youth members and six adults. This five-day event hosted about 800 youth and adults representing 4-H programs from 43 states and Puerto Rico.
National 4-H Congress is aimed at immersing high school 4-H members in activities related to leadership, civic engagement, global awareness and inclusion. Participants engaged in educational workshops, heard from distinguished speakers and networked with peers from across the country. Delegates also contributed to service-learning projects in Atlanta.
“This was the most amazing experience for me,” said Reese Anderson, a 4-H member from Montgomery County. “I learned so much and got to travel the farthest I have ever been!”
Helping to coordinate the Pennsylvania 4-H’ers presence at the event was Amy Garges, Penn State Extension 4-H educator in Montgomery County, and Karen Hack, assistant 4-H program leader.
“The teens participated in a variety of workshops to improve their leadership skills, such as ‘Team Building,’ ‘Habits of Highly Charismatic Teens,’ ‘College 101,’ ‘Public Speaking’ and others,” Garges said. “I think some of the biggest skills they gain from this trip are life skills — for some, it’s their first time flying or being in another state away from their parents for five days.”
Giuseppe Schiano Di Cola, a 4-H member from Montgomery County, said the main highlight of the experience was meeting new people.
“Over the five days I was there, I got to speak to people from 43 states and the territory of Puerto Rico,” he said. “Meeting all these new people was so much fun because we have such different experiences. For example, I spoke to someone who has only one traffic light in their county!”
Anderson also enjoyed meeting people from around the country, adding, “I learned how to be more outgoing around new people.”
Sami Jo Hayman, a 4-H’er from Somerset County, said she loved visiting Atlanta and learning new icebreakers and team-building activities.
Di Cola said he participated in a wide variety of activities, from Pilates to service-learning projects.
Delegates engaged in various community service projects in the Atlanta metro area, including at the Piedmont Park Conservancy, Atlanta History Center, elementary schools, Camp Fortson and other locations.
Grace Ziegmont, a York County 4-H member, said the community service day was her favorite part of National 4-H Congress.
“While helping at Books for Africa, I learned about their sustainability practices and how they ship books to schools in Africa,” she said.
The conference featured prominent speakers, such as John Beede, who climbed Mount Everest.
The 4-H’ers also chose an educational tour to attend, with options including Zoo Atlanta, the College Football Hall of Fame, the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium. On the last night of the conference, participants dressed up for a formal dinner and dance.
“Gala dinner was such a fun and amazing experience,” Anderson said. “I loved eating fancy for the night.”
Hayman said she learned how to ballroom dance. She encouraged other 4-H members to attend next year — a sentiment shared by many participants.
“I would like to tell anyone contemplating whether to go, that they should go,” Di Cola said. “Congress has been one of the greatest 4-H experiences of my life, and I cannot wait to see all the Pennsylvania 4-H’ers go next year!”
Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth-development program of the United States Department of Agriculture that helps young people develop knowledge and skills to become capable, caring and contributing citizens. To find your local program, visit the Pennsylvania 4-H website at https://extension.psu.edu/
— Penn State Ag Sciences News
