CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/06/20

Georgia 4-H teens learn leadership and networking skills virtually

By Austin Clark

High school Georgia 4-H members participated in the Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference (SRTLC) in late September with youth from surrounding Southern states. The annual event gives attending youth and adults opportunities to develop leadership skills and practice networking skills with 4-H’ers in other states.     

This year’s leadership conference was held virtually to abide with COVID-19 restrictions, with workshops, networking events, virtual campfires and dances, leadership lessons, and informative roundtable discussions held over video conference. Along with the 98 Georgia 4-H’ers who participated, nearly 500 4-H’ers from other Southern states took part.

In addition to scheduled workshops and trainings, 4-H’ers donated school supplies to their local county schools as a part of the event-sponsored service project. Information about donated materials was captured through a survey that participants completed with pictures of donated school supplies. Georgia 4-H’ers contributed generously and, with the help of fellow 4-H’ers from across the region, thousands of items were donated to schools in need.

“The conference is an outstanding opportunity to help youth develop leadership and citizenship skills and to help them find opportunities to put those skills to use in their communities,” said Jason Estep, 4-H leadership and civic engagement specialist. “Plus, it is one of the best ways to meet 4-H’ers from other states and learn about their programs.”

Youth who attend SRTLC are empowered and inspired to make positive changes across the Southern region through leadership development, networking opportunities and collaborative partnerships. Youth and adult participants present educational workshops and roundtables on topics ranging from dancing for exercise to driver safety, from leadership styles to 3-D printing, and more.

Next year’s conference is scheduled for September 23-26, 2021, at the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in Crossville, Tennessee.

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 the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices and 4-H facilities. For more information, visit georgia4h.org or find your local UGA Extension office by visiting extension.uga.edu/county-offices.html.

Austin Clark is a Georgia 4-H public relations associate.

Authors:
Austin Clark
Experts/Sources:
Jason Estep
Nearly 600 4-H'ers from Georgia and surrounding states attended the Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference held virtually September 24-26.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Georgia Simmons at the office of U.S. Sen. Warnock CAES News
Georgia 4-H alum, CAES student spends semester serving at the nation's Capitol 12/03/24 Josie Smith, Cooper Hardy
Third-year University of Georgia student and Banks County 4-H alum Georgia Simmons has been in the center of the political action this fall with the Georgia 4-H Washington DC Intern Program. Simmons, an environmental resource science major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, works in the office of U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. As an intern on his staff, she interacts directly with policy experts and lawmakers, participating in the legislative process while earning a semester of credit hours.
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.