Alcorn’s 4-H Program Participants Boost Leadership Skills and Civic Engagement at 4-H’s Citizenship Washington Focus
The Alcorn State University 4-H Program participants Zoe Kenney (Madison County), Jaelon Love (Hinds County), Asia Moore (Madison County), Terrel Roby (Claiborne County), Nydia Tillis (Hinds County) and Tybias Williams (Claiborne County) learned about government processes in the vibrant, living classroom of the nation’s capital as part of Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF), an intensive 4-H civic engagement program for high-school youth held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, July 6-12.
For more than 50 years, the National 4-H Youth Conference Center has invited 4-H members from across the country to travel to Washington, D.C. and participate in civic workshops, committees, and field trips before returning home to make positive changes in their own communities. CWF not only strengthens young people’s understanding of the government’s civic process, but it also boosts their leadership and communication skills, and overall confidence.
During CWF, youth got a behind-the-scenes look at the nation’s capital while meeting with members of Congress to learn more about how the government works. At the end of the program, youth drafted step-by-step action plans to address important issues in their communities. This year’s delegation action plan will focus on the providing awareness concerning teen pregnancy.
“CWF is a great opportunity for young people to come together, talk about the problems they see in their communities, and identify solutions to make their communities stronger,” said Donald T. Floyd Jr., National 4-H Council President and CEO. “The experiences these young people gain during CWF give them the proper tools and confidence to become successful, articulate leaders in the future.”
About 4-H:
4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of 4-H National Headquarters at the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within USDA. The 4-H programs are implemented by the 111 land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Learn more about 4-H at www.4-h.org.
For more information about 4-H Program, contact Manola C. Erby, youth specialist, at [email protected] or the National 4-H Conference Center at (301) 961-2812 or [email protected] .
