News Release Distributed 09/11/14

BATON ROUGE, La. – 4-H, the nation’s largest youth organization, will celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 5-11 by sponsoring a variety of activities focusing on science, community enhancement and a healthy lifestyle.

In Louisiana, the LSU AgCenter administers the youth organization that has nearly a quarter million participants. According to the National 4-H Council, clubs can be found in all 50 states and in 80 countries with more than six million young people engaged in 4-H Club activities.

Janet Fox, 4-H associate department head, said the week-long celebration is an opportunity to highlight what the organization has to offer to both students and their communities. “4-H allows young people to develop life skills that not only enhance the well-being of the participants, but through service learning projects, their communities benefit as well. These types of activities are a cornerstone of 4-H week,” she said.

Fox said while it is a national celebration, activities are organized at the local level. “A National 4-H Week kit is available to all the clubs, but the local clubs have the freedom to adapt the activities to fit their needs.”

One of the features of the kit is an experiment that is part of the 4-H National Youth Science Day, which will be held on Oct. 8. This year’s activity is “Rockets to the Rescue.” The purpose of the exercise is for students to build an aerodynamic device that can deliver food to individuals who have encountered a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake.

Each year a day during National 4-H Week has been designated toward science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. The organization has made a concerted effort in STEM education because of the growth in occupations related to these fields.

According to the National 4-H Council, since 2008 more than five million youth have participated in science day experiments involving robotics, wind power and alternative energy.

Other activities suggested to be held during National 4-H Week include holding charitable events to raise money to benefit a community-based program, informing other young people of the benefits of 4-H and volunteering for local beautification projects or another needy cause.

To become a 4-H member, students must be at least 9 years old but no older than 19 by January 2015. Students can join their school-affiliated 4-H clubs, a parish 4-H Club or be a 4-H member at large. For more information, contact your local AgCenter office or visit lsuagcenter.com/en/4h/.