CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 08/01/20

Elements of State 4-H Congress continued online, new Master 4-H'ers announced

By Cristina Luisa deRevere

Georgia 4-H hosted a virtual series to announce and honor youth winners in replacement of its annual State 4-H Congress, normally a weeklong competition and celebration in Atlanta. The online series allowed Georgia 4-H to announce all the winners live, similar to the in-person festivities which have been held annually since 1942.

During the 2019 State Congress, more than 250 youth competed at the state level of Georgia 4-H’s Project Achievement contest. The event also honored state special event winners, scholarship winners and donors. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the Georgia 4-H youth for their project work, leadership and service.

“Our top priority for the culmination of this year’s Project Achievement program was to find a way for the youth to compete for the state title of ‘Master 4-H’er’ while observing safety precautions,” said Keri Hobbs, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension 4-H specialist. “Pivoting the statewide competition to a virtual format was necessary for youth to continue to sharpen their skills and for us to name state project winners. Key alterations were that presentations were recorded for judges to evaluate through videos and portfolio, and interview judges joined youth online for virtual interviews.”

This year, all the essential components from State 4-H Council and Congress were combined into the Georgia 4-H 2020 State Achievement Series. The five-day series included the campaigns and election of new state officers, state-level competitions and announcements of winners in Leadership in Action and Project Achievement.

The Leadership in Action program is designed to recognize the work of 4-H’ers as leaders in their communities. These 4-H’ers have identified issues or needs in their community and have developed and implemented ways to make a difference. Eight finalists were selected to compete on the state level. The 2020-21 4-H Leadership in Action winners who received Master 4-H’er status are Amelia Sale from Oconee County, for her project focused on connecting youth with special needs and 4-H, and Nicholas McKinley of Paulding County, for his project focused on STEM and its human connection.

Nearly 250 youth competing in the state-level Senior Project Achievement were permitted to submit 10- to 12-minute presentations in their various project areas online. Participants also conducted a video interview with judges to discuss their yearlong project. Overall, one winner in each of the 50 project categories was selected as the winner and received Master 4-H’er status during the announcement of winners on July 24.

The 2020-21 4-H Project Achievement winners are:

Arts and Crafts - Juliette McKinley, Paulding County
Beef - Tyler Hunter, Bulloch County
Communications - Andy Martin, Emanuel County
Companion and Specialty Animals - Savannah Hockenberry, Richmond County
Computer Information Technology - Kennedy Deveaux, Cobb County
Dairy - Morgan Patterson, Jasper County
Dog Care and Training - Sara Reed, Coweta County
Engineering and Mechanics - Elyce Wages, Spalding County
Entomology - Kelly Lachowsky, Liberty County
Environmental Science - Jordan Daniels, Tift County
Fashion Revue - Minnes Smith, Polk County
Financial Planning and Consumer Economics - Aquemini Trotter, Ben Hill County
Flowers, Shrubs, and Lawns - Annie Stephenson, Oconee County
Food for Fitness - Zoe Jane Powell, Stephens County
Food for Health and Sport - Shazia Alam, Sumter County
Foods Lab: Dairy Foods - Laura Harriss, Cobb County
Foods Lab: Festive Foods for Health - Delaney Millerick, Newton County
Foods Lab: Food Fare - Rebekah Ibbetson, Haralson County
Food Safety and Preservation - Brecklyn Brown, Chattooga County
Forest Resources and Wood Sciences - James Turpin, Hart County
Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts - Breana Manning, Gordon County
General Recreation - Dabirichi Chukwuezi, Cobb County
Health - Rachel Thigpen, Montgomery County
History - Samantha Kuhbander, Ware County
Horse - Alexa Hillebrand, Coweta County
Housing - Lora Coxwell, Worth County
Human Development - James Poppell, Toombs County
International - Jhaycee Barnes, Spalding County
Outdoor Recreation - Madison Clevenger, Paulding County
Performing Arts - Dance - Maggie DeMaria, Clarke County
Performing Arts - Drama - Lydia Norman, Wilkes County
Performing Arts - General - Parker Varnadoe, Madison County
Performing Arts - Other Instrumental - Chandler Stevenson, Cherokee County
Performing Arts - Piano - Journey Austinson, Decatur County
Performing Arts - Vocal - Tripp Carter, Burke County
Photography and Videography - Bell Scdoris, Crisp County
Physical, Biological and Earth Sciences - Quadriyah Williams, Cobb County
Plant and Soil Sciences - Jessie Holbrook, Union County
Poultry - Whitley Gatch, Bulloch County
Public Speaking - Madison Clemente, Paulding County
Robotics - Hannah Fletcher, Worth County
Safety - Paige Phillips, Stephens County
Sheep and Meat Goats - Gracie Grimes, Candler County
Sports - Emma Harris, Peach County
Swine - Hannah McElrath, Gordon County
Target Sports - Jennifer Brinton, Coweta County
Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors - Arham Shah, Emanuel County
Veterinary Science - Gabrielle Ralston, Gordon County
Wildlife and Marine Science - Neely McCommons, Oconee County
Workforce Preparation and Career Development - Emma Wurst, Columbia County

Annually, more than 77,000 youth participate in Georgia 4-H Project Achievement and develop skills in leadership, public speaking, record keeping, creativity and other life skills.

The success of these events is a result of efforts that have been invested and skills that have been sharpened in 4-H youth for years. The growth of these young people is the direct result of positive mentorships with local Extension faculty, staff and volunteers and the support of the local community, parents, teachers and mentors.

To view the full online series, visit youtube.com/Georgia4H.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the largest youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches more than 242,000 people annually through UGA Extension offices and 4-H facilities. For more information, visit georgia4h.org or contact your local Extension office.

Cristina deRevere is the public relations coordinator for Georgia 4-H.

Authors:
Cristina Luisa deRevere
Experts/Sources:
Keri Gandy Hobbs
Craven F Hudson
Jason Estep
Jeffrey Burke
Georgia 4-H announces new Master 4-H'ers through virtual achievement series.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Honorees at the 2024 State 4-H Congress included 4-H Green Jacket Award winner Jay Morgan, Master 4-H’er Vidhi Patel, Warnell Associate Dean for Outreach Nick Fuhrman for Warnell accepting the Friend of 4-H Award on behalf of the college, Georgia 4-H State President Kingston Ryals, William H. Booth Award winner Patrick Willis, and Ryles Rising Star Award Laura Mirarchi. CAES News
Outstanding youth, supportive adults celebrated at Georgia 4-H State Congress 08/14/24 Josie Smith
Accomplished 4-H youth and the adults who empower them gathered at the 81st Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 23-26. The weeklong event for top 4-H’ers features state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action competitions and recognizes youth development professionals and community supporters contributing to the success of 4-H in Georgia. More than 200 youth delegates competed in 50 Project Achievement areas and eight youth delegates competed in the Leadership in Action contest during annual event.
Local 4-H students helped install more than 500 plants in the 400-square-foot plot below the mural. (Photo by Sara Ingram) CAES News
Public art helping to revive rural communities 07/26/24 Margaret Blanchard
In Buena Vista, a vibrant mural at the corner of North Broad Street and Fifth Avenue catches the eyes of passers-by with its bright blue border. Funded by Flint Energies, the mural tells the story of the longleaf pine forests that once dominated Marion County and the turpentine industry, flora and fauna that the trees supported — from gopher tortoises to bobwhite quail.