Georgia 4-H inspires kids to do — to do community service, go to new places and to learn new skills. Georgians across the state are celebrating everything 4-H’ers do during National 4-H Week on Oct. 7-13. What started as a club for farm kids has grown into the nation’s largest youth leadership organization — a place where school-aged children learn to become successful and confident adults.

Competing against their peers across the state, fifty Georgia 4-H members ultimately earned the coveted title of “Master 4-H’er” at the annual Georgia 4-H State Congress, held July 24-27 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta.

Students today spend more time online than anywhere else, so it’s not a surprise that some of the worst behavior adults remember from their own teenage years — gossiping and bullying — has followed students online and into their newly built social networks.

Georgia 4-H focuses on teaching kids about their heads, hearts, health and hands. When 4-H clubs started offering Yoga for Kids three years ago, the program was a perfect fit.

Sophia Rodriguez, a Hinesville, Georgia, 4-H member, has been awarded the national 2018 4-H Youth in Action Healthy Living Pillar Award. Rodriguez received the award for her effort to promote the emotional well-being of children in military families through her Tie Dye for Troops program. She will be recognized at the National 4-H Council Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C., this month.

Hand-washing is critical to protecting yourself and loved ones from catching the flu this season, according to Roxie Price, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agent for Tift County.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents in Telfair and Tattnall counties help children travel safely by teaching their parents how to properly install car seats.

Six million students across America participate in 4-H and, of those, more than 170,000 call Georgia home. To raise awareness of the state’s largest youth development organization, the week of Oct. 1-7 has been declared National 4-H Week.

Babysitters are no strangers to learning nap time, homework time and meal time quirks. As children gain more access to technology, parents should also share their screen time expectations with babysitters.