Mental Health Day at the Georgia State Capitol will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 31, to raise awareness of mental health issues and allow mental health advocates to share their insights with lawmakers. The event is an opportunity to increase awareness about mental health and health services, especially for those in rural areas, according to University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent Jennifer Dunn.

Competitors at the Georgia 4-H State Horse Show reined in the awards at the Georgia National Fair Grounds in Perry. Held from June 7 to 11, the event welcomed 129 contestants who competed in five main disciplines including stock seat, ranch horse, hunt seat, saddle seat and contest events. The theme of the 2022 show was “Stirrup the Fun.”

The senior team from Burke County won first place at the Georgia 4-H State Dairy Quiz Bowl contest on May 20 at the UGA Animal Dairy Science Complex. Team members Emmaline Cunningham, Tony Gray, Abby Joyner, Susanna Murray and Holt Sapp were coached by Burke County 4-H Agent Meridith Meckel.

Seven Georgia 4-H'ers earned a shot at the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship after competing at the Georgia VEX IQ Challenge Robotics competition. The Walker County 4-H Robotics Team earned the final Georgia spot at the world championship event this May in Dallas, Texas.

What do a sixth-grader with a prize-winning cow, a home-schooled forestry enthusiast, a singer who aspires to a medical career and a teenager who enjoys dance and choreography have in common? They’re all members of the largest youth-leadership organization in the country: 4-H.

On Feb. 9, the Georgia Capitol turned shades of green as it welcomed more than 400 students. Outstanding 4-H’ers from counties across the state gathered at 4-H Day at the Capitol to engage with their legislators, observe leadership in action and learn about the civic process.

Ben Hill County 4-H’ers Liam Jay, Ashley Braddy, Lauren Wixson and Timothy Lord returned as national champions from the Consumer Decision Making Contest in Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 9. The Ben Hill County team won first place in the overall contest and Lauren Wixson earned the title of High Individual.

Four high school students from Cobb County took home top honors at the 4-H State Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging contest on Nov. 11, 2021, at Rock Eagle in Eatonton, Georgia. Sandhya Rajesh, Kshitij Badve, Haya Fatmi and Stefan Saboura earned the status of Master 4-H’er with their first-place win at the state level. Alyssa Haag from Oconee County also received Master 4-H’er status as the overall high individual in the contest.

The Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island — an important hub for environmental education and youth development in southeast Georgia — celebrated 75 years of operation on Nov. 1.