Michigan youth to celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 1—7
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EmailDuring the week of Oct. 1–7, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will join together for the 75th consecutive National 4-H Week celebration.
During the week of Oct. 1–7, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will join together for the 75th consecutive National 4-H Week celebration. The annual event showcases the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people and highlights the remarkable 4-H youth in the country who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.
A program of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension, 4-H involves more than 200,000 young people aged 5 to 19 who participate each year across the Great Lakes State. Through fun, hands-on, educational opportunities, youth explore what interests and excites them through program areas that range from science and technology to clothing and textiles, and so much more. Supported by a network of 16,000 caring adult volunteers, 4-H empowers young people with skills to lead for a lifetime and provides a foundation for future success.
“Our programs have a profound impact on the youth we serve,” said Julie Chapin, director of MSU Extension Michigan 4-H programs. “Whether that’s helping them develop basic life skills like responsibility and teamwork, or helping them find their future careers – 4-H truly makes a lasting impression on the lives of young people.”
4-H alumni around the country are among the first to acknowledge the significant positive impact 4-H had on them as young people; the opportunities and experiences that 4-H provides youth empowers them to become true leaders. In fact, research has shown that young people in 4-H are almost four times as likely to contribute to their communities and are twice as likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in their free time.
The ongoing commitment to growing STEM professionals is one of the reasons that 4-H National Youth Science Day is celebrated each year as part of National 4-H Week. Through the event, hundreds of thousands of youth across the nation take part in the world’s largest youth-led science challenge. The exciting theme for this year’s challenge is Incredible Wearables. On Wednesday, Oct. 4, youth will use the engineering design process to build a prototype of wearable technology that will gather data to help solve a real-world problem. Michigan 4-H will host their own special National Youth Science Day event from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens on the campus of MSU. Featuring the Incredible Wearables and other fun science stations, this free event is open to youth of all ages, their parents and MSU students.
In addition to national and statewide events, local county 4-H programs will mark the National 4-H Week celebration with their own unique events and engagement opportunities. To learn more about Michigan 4-H at the local level, visit 4h.msue.msu.edu.
