4-H Exploration Days in June lets Michigan youth explore possibilities for their future

Jodi Schulz, Michigan State University Extension -

Updated from an original article written by Judy Ratkos..

Make youth summer plans early – MSU pre-college programs like 4-H Exploration Days provides education, personal development and fun for ages 11 and up.

Teens participate in a hands-on activity at 4-H Exploration Days | Michigan State University Extension
Teens participate in a hands-on activity at 4-H Exploration Days | Michigan State University Extension

4-H Exploration Days is Michigan State University’s (MSU) largest pre-college annual event that is attended by 2,500 youth and adult chaperones from across Michigan. The 2018 conference will be held June 20-22 on the MSU campus. The theme is Discover. Learn. Grow! More than 190 hands-on classroom and field trip sessions are planned in wide variety of session content areas such as animal and veterinary science, business and entrepreneurship, careers, environmental education, food, nutrition and fitness, international language and culture, money management, performing and visual arts, and science, engineering and technology. There will also be a show at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts featuring Chris Kock, who uses humor and candor to speak about why you can, too, live your life to your greatest potential.

This MSU Extension 4-H Youth Development program gives youth ages 11 to 19 an authentic collegiate experience as they live in MSU residence halls and explore interest areas and career options, increase their awareness and readiness for college, and develop decision-making, independence and teamwork skills. They also have fun and make friends with people from different backgrounds and areas.

The fee to attend is $165; youth who are not enrolled in 4-H pay an additional $10 4-H participation fee. Registration and payment must be submitted through your county MSU Extension offices. Registration books are available from county MSU Extension offices and online at the 4-H Exploration Days website beginning in early March.

Following their involvement, participants are eligible for nomination to apply for a $2,000 MSU Pre-College Scholarship based on criteria such as attitude, behavior and active participation. The scholarship is applied toward each recipient’s first-year at MSU as a degree-seeking student.

For more information about 4-H Exploration Days, contact your county MSU Extension office.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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