Dearborn Co. Youth To Celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 4-10

Dearborn County 4-H will observe National 4-H Week by highlighting 4-H window displays in Dearborn County local businesses throughout the month of October.

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(Dearborn County, Ind.) - Every year, National 4-H Week sees millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni come together to celebrate the many positive youth development opportunities offered by 4-H. The theme for this year's National 4-H Week, Opportunity4All, is a campaign that was created by National 4-H Council to rally support for Cooperative Extension's 4-H program and identify solutions to eliminate the opportunity gap that affects 55 million kids across America. 

With so many children struggling to reach their full potential, 4-H believes that young people, in partnership with adults, can play a key role in creating a more promising and equitable future for youth, families and communities across the country. In 4-H, we believe every child should have an equal opportunity to succeed. We believe every child should have the skills needed to make a difference in the world. 

Dearborn County 4-H will observe National 4-H Week by highlighting 4-H window displays in Dearborn County local businesses throughout the month of October. Proud 4-H Club members, who want to share their love of 4-H with others, create and place window displays with the hope of sharing the 4-H program with new families and gaining new members. 

"We believe youth perspectives are so important and a solution to eliminating the opportunity gap, because young people come with new ideas and new ways of seeing the world," explains Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO of National 4-H Council. "By encouraging diverse voices and innovation actions, 4-H believes that solutions can be found to address the educational, economic and health issues that have created the opportunity gap."

Liz Beiersdorfer, Dearborn County 4-H Youth Development Educator shares, "4-H programming positively impacts youth be developing independence, fosters belonging, builds mastery in performance and cultivates generosity and civic engagement." More than 300 4-H youth and 84 volunteers from the community are involved in 4-H. For example, Dearborn County 4-H collects and donates food and dry goods to local food pantries. 4-H Club members donate time working in food pantries and connecting with nursing home patrons, and Jr. Leader members donate approximately 300 one-gallon containers of vegetable and herb plants to food pantry patrons annually. 

4-H is the nation's largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 110 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. 

If you are interested in learning more about 4- or finding out how to become a volunteer, contact Liz Beiersdorfer, 4-H Youth Development Educator at ebeiers@purdue.edu or call 812-926-1189.