4-H members, volunteers and alumni to participate in two-day statewide community service project
MANHATTAN, Kan. – When members recite the 4-H pledge, they vow to use their hands for larger service to better their club, their community, their country and their world.
This year, Kansas 4-H members, volunteers and alumni are uniting to prove their commitment to the pledge by participating in 48 Hours of 4-H, a statewide community service project showcasing the positive impact 4-Hers can make in just one weekend.
On Oct. 11 and 12, the weekend immediately following National 4-H Week, an estimated 3,000 people from at least 58 counties are expected to participate in more than 130 different community service projects.
These numbers shouldn’t be too surprising, considering a recent study on positive youth development showing that 4-H members, grades 7-12, are four times more likely to make contributions to their communities than their peers. They are also estimated to be twice as civically active.
Blake Foraker, Kansas 4-H youth leadership council president, said that when the state council met last spring, community service was something they felt they needed to emphasize more as a way to connect back with those founders of the organization who wrote things such as the 4-H motto, “To Make the Best Better.”
“We were looking for a way to unite 4-H across the state at the local level,” Foraker said. “We pledge our hands to larger service, and that’s a big part of what 4-H was centered around when it was created more than 100 years ago. As we move forward, we see 48 Hours of 4-H becoming a unique challenge and something we can watch grow over the next few years.”
For more information about how you can get involved, contact your local extension office or check out the details for 48 Hours of 4-H at www.Kansas4-H.org/484H.
Story By: Kaitlin Morgan
