that’s

the way itgrows4-H and Youth Developmen

t Annual Report

2010

Introduction What a great year the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program has seen. Enrollment in 4-H increased, new opportunities and experiences have increased, and the energy of 4-H members, volunteers, and Extension Agents is greater than ever. Texas 4-H is pleased to present the 2010 Annual Report featuring our enrollment figures for the 2009-2010 years, as well as some feature stories and updates about our new and innovative programs such as Food Challenge and one day 4-H. Also, updates about our tried and true events like 4-H Roundup and Texas 4-H Congress are also included. In addition to the stories provided, we are pleased to continue to be one of the largest youth organizations in Texas, and of course the largest 4-H Program in the United States. Our success continues because of the great donors that continue to provide millions of dollars in support through program assistance, scholarships, and alliances with the Texas 4-H Program and the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Foundation. As we look forward to 2011, we are excited about the new opportunities being developed in the area of volunteer development and many new Science, Engineering, and Technology experiences. Texas 4-H is moving forward and making a difference because “that’s the way it grows!” Thank you for being part of the success of 4-H and the more than 637,691 youth of Texas 4-H.

Sincerely,

Chris Boleman, Ph.D. CVA

What’s Inside...

FOOD Challenge...Not Your Everyday Cooking Competition

How One D

ay can

mak

e a

difference

4-H Takes

a stand

Continuing to Share, Sharing to Continue:

Collegiate 4-H

Teeing Off With the first ever4-H Golf Challenge

and more!Misson Possible

Camp

Texas 4-H : That’s the way it grows ! The Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program has been providing educational opportunities and experience to youth from the ages

of five to eighteen for more than 102 years. Today, more than half a million youth are involved in Texas 4-H annually. Texas AgriLife Extension

Service, the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M, and the Texas A&M System conducts the 4-H program. 4-H is one of the

largest youth organizations in Texas with 33,747 youth and adult volunteers and more than 637,691 participants. To learn more about the 4-H

program in Texas, or how to get involved, visit texas4-h.org.

How does Texas youth participate in 4-H?Agriculture in the Classroom 100,756

Animals 424,549

Civic Engagement 1,945

Consumer & Family Science 24,782

Communication & Arts 11,530

Environmental Education 139,040

Foods & Nutrition 149,841

Health 114,808

Leadership & Development 56,158

Plant Science 175,715

Technology & Engineering 10,815

* many youth participate in multiple project areas

The Diversity of Texas 4-H African American 73,082

American Indian/Alaskan 2,025

Asian 20,590

Caucasian 524,600

Hispanic/Latino 273,566

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 672

* some members indicated multi-ethnicity backgrounds

Volunteer Participation in Texas 4-HAdult Volunteers 24,676

Youth Volunteers 9,071

Total 33,747

Who participates in 4-H?Community Clubs 57,037

In-School Clubs 573

Military Youth Clubs 2,947

After-School Clubs 591

Special Interest Programs 270,158

Enrichment Programs 306,385

Total 637,691

where Do 4-Hers Live?

Farm

7%

Small Town

20%

Large Town

23%

Suburbs

10%

Urbran Areas

40%

Texas 4-H: Fast Facts! •4-H youth have higher educational achievement and motivation

for future education

•4-H youth are more civically active and make more

civic contributions to their communities

•56% of 4-H youth are more likely to spend more hours

exercising or being physically active

•4-H youth have shown to have had

significantly lower drug, alcohol and cigarette use than their peers

•4-H youth report better grades, higher levels of

academic competence, and an elevated level of engagement at school

•4-H youth are nearly two times more likely

to plan to go to college

•4-H youth are more likely to pursue future courses or

a career in science, engineering, or computer technology Reference: Learner, R. and Lerner J. (2008). Report of Findings from the First Six Years of the 4-H Study ofPositive Youth Development.

Report available online at: http://www.4-h.org/about/youth-development-research/

The disabled campers’ disabilities range from ADD, ADHD, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy. Also, 82 4-H members have served as Mentors along with 26 adult volunteers. “For the campers, Mission Possible gives them the chance to be part of regular teenage life,” Locke said. “They share, they laugh, they try, and they overcome.” Current 4-H members are chosen to be camp mentors

through an application process. Each individual mentor is assigned to an individual camper. Those chosen to be mentors, arrive prior to the camp’s start date in order to receive training on Inclusion and Disability Awareness, medical definitions of disabilities, and Behavior Management. The mentors also participate in team building and communication activities under observance of the

highly educated, helpful staff. “The mentors learn that it’s not about them, but about the campers,” Locke said. “This is where the real growth begins. Mentors work extremely hard as individuals and as a team to make the camp successful for everyone.” Mission Possible is designed to provide an experiential learning opportunity for 4-H members so that they can take their experiences back to their local program for implementation

n Brownwood, Texas, it is no surprise that the 4-H faculty and staff are changing lives of young people

each and every day. One event the 4-H program is especially proud of is the Mission Possible Camp. This event was enacted in 2004 as part of the National 4-H Council’s Building Community Inclusion initiative. This camp is an inclusive camp for youth with and without disabilities. Funded by grant money, the camp strives to provide a service learning opportunity for 4-H members by serving as mentors, similar to camp counselors, while providing a fun-filled camp experience for youth with disabilities. “Mission Possible provides 4-H members serving as Mentors a true service learning experience,” Darlene Locke, State 4-H Center Director, said. “They participate in training and hands-on activities that allows them to ‘walk in the shoes’ of the campers with medical disabilities. Mentors throughout the years have come away learning so much about themselves and how to adapt what they are doing in order to reach those that might learn a little differently than themselves.” To date, Mission Possible has been held six consecutive years and has served 108 campers, 93 of whom have a medically diagnosed disability.

I

and increase diversity. And it seems to be working as one camp mentor notes, “I want our county to put on a Special Needs Day for kids and their families as our OneDay 4-H project. I want other 4-Hers to get the same under-standing as I did at Mission Possible -- that we’re all the same on the inside we just have different ways of showing it.”

Misson Possible: We’re All the Same on the Inside

Photos provided by: Maria De Keratry Hey

4-H Alumni and Volunteer, Bexar County

Information provided by: Darlene Locke

Story by: Amy Dromgoole

ealth. One of the four platforms 4-H rests upon. Health. A program 4-H has with over 120,000 participants

improving physical, intellectual, emotional and social health. Health. The component that makes the 4-H Food Challenge what it is today. This contest is mirrored off of the Food Network’s Iron Chef America and although there’s no Alton Brown at our 4-H contests,

this competition really heats up. The idea of the 4-H Food Challenge began in 2005 by Sarah Womble, FCS agent in Victoria County. The contest was first piloted at District 11 4-H Leadership Lab and the District 11 4-H Food Show in 2006. Trainings were then

provided in each district by Womble and Jodi McManus, 4-H specialist in District11.

In 2007, the Food

Challenge was offered at the State Fair of Texas with a partnership with the Texas

Department of Agriculture. A workshop was also offered in 2008 at State 4-H Roundup and during the District 8 Food Show. Food Challenge was announced as a statewide contest in 2009 at State 4-H Roundup and the first official state contest began at roundup in 2010 with over 1,000 participants. The goal of this contest is to provide youth with a new, highly charged food experience. It is also a way for students to exhibit the knowledge and skills learned through Food Show project experiences. This educational, interactive contest allows 4-H

H

Food ChallengeNot your

everyday

cooking compet it ion.

. .

members to demonstrate their culinary knowledge and skills in a competitive setting. “It gives youth the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills while being creative,” Courtney Dodd, Extension Program Specialist for 4-H, said.

From a set of predetermined ingredients provided, teams of 3 to 5 4-H members must develop a recipe and prepare the dish within 40 minutes. Teams then make a presentation to a judging panel, explaining the preparation steps, serving size, food safety concerns, nutrition value, and cost of the dish. In 2010 during the first official contest, participants had to make a dish for the

finals out of Asian ingredients and tofu. This is a great example of the uniqueness of Food Challenge because only one out of the four finalist teams had used tofu in a dish prior to this contest. “Youth participating in the Food Challenge utilize important life skills in the areas of food preparation, food safety, nutrition, and cultural diversity,” Womble said. “Each challenge gives them the opportunity to improve and enhance their current skills. It also helps them to develop new skills while having fun!”

Photos provided by: Laura Huebinger

Information provided by: Courtney Dodd & Sarah Womble

Story by: Amy Dromgoole

“The Parker County 4-H Ambassadors provided educational presentations several months proceeding one day 4-H in order to educate the public about Type 1 Diabetes and Parker County 4-H’s efforts to find a cure. After their presentation at the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce, a gentleman stood and addressed the efforts of Parker County 4-H. He shared with the group that his son, who is now 23, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a very young age. In a tearful expression of appreciation, he talked about the hardships that his son had overcome, and was very grateful for the awareness Parker County 4-H was raising. This really hit home with the kids providing the presentation, not only are they helping their fellow 4-H’ers diagnosed with this disease, but they are helping families world-wide.” This is One Day 4-H. Ho

w O

ne D

ay C

an M

ake

A Di

ffer

ence

Information and Story by:Toby Lepley

Initiated in 2009, one day 4-H,

provides an opportunity for the members of

the Texas 4-H Program to go out into their

community and give thanks for more than

102 years of support to 4-H. This “one day” of

community service was modeled after the Big

Event held each Spring at Texas A&M University

as a day to say thank you for making Texas 4-H

the largest youth organization in Texas.

Members of 4-H participate in

community service projects each year through

their 4-H club or county program. But, one day

4-H allows members to be part of a community

service on a grand scale, Dr. Chris Boleman,

4-H and Youth Development Program

Director, said. This event allows each county

to determine the need of their community,

develop a solution, and solve the problem. Not

only does it involve youth in the performing of

community service, it also helps them to identify

problematic issues, and why those issues are

present to begin with.

On October 9, 2010 the second one

day 4-H event continued to prove that even

one day can make a difference in the life of

an individual, a community, and a state.

In 2010, one day 4-H partnered

with more than 235 other organizations,

introduced 1,393,090 people to 4-H, raised

$78,697 for other organizations, and

received $74,942 as in-kind donations.

Each participating 4-H club selected

a project based on local community needs.

These projects varied from community to

community and included working with the

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation,

Meals on Wheels, the USO, City Councils,

Lions Clubs, and Master Gardeners. Other

clubs planted gardens and help clean and

restore historic sites.

So successful was this event that of

the 226 reported one day 4-H projects,

at least 14 are now ongoing in their

communities. And because of this one day

event, 421 new members joined Texas 4-H.

“This was the second year for the

one day 4-H activity,” Toby Lepley, 4-H and

Youth Development Specialist said. “It has

truly shown the motivation, commitment,

and dedication that 4-H members all

across this state have to improving the

lives of others and strengthening their

communities.”

2010 Results•11,610 4-H members, adults, and non-4-H youth contributed more than 133,261 hours or $2,778,492 in volunteer time.

• More than 226 state-wide projects reached 228,885 people through such efforts as:

• Collecting 62,682 pounds of food

• Making 2,923 care packets and delivering them to seniors and members of the military

• Cleaning 71.5 miles of roads and beaches

• Teaching 4,915 people through educational events

4-H

Tak

es A

Sta

nd ith the onset of new technology

being used by youth, bullying--

a serious issue that affects students

today, has become a problem that the

Texas Legislature feels is important to

address in schools. As of 2001, nearly 1/3

of students reported to experience bullying

either as a target or a perpetrator.

Bullying is classified as an action

that takes place when someone

hurts or scares another person on

purpose and the victim has a hard

time defending oneself. This includes,

violence, spreading rumors, excluding

others from a certain group, teasing,

and ganging up on an individual.

Cyberbullying is also a new challenge

youth educators face. This includes

texting, posting mean or untrue

information or photographs on social

networking sites, blogs, or personal

web pages.

“The issue of bullying has drawn

national attention since the 1999 Columbine

shootings and continues to rise,” Cheryl

Newberry 4-H Specialist in District 10 and

program coordinator said. “It is important

w

to equip youth of all ages with the life skills they need to deal with

rough situations, including bullying.”

Conflict management is recognized by the Texas

Legislature to be an important entity to address in schools

due to the fact that this issue has become so prevalent in

past years. Schools are now required to have a discipline

management program that includes prevention of and

education relating to unwanted physical and verbal

aggression, sexual harassment, and other forms of bullying in

schools, during extracurricular activities, on school grounds,

and in school vehicles such as school buses. Dating violence

education, as well as education related to internet safety, and

social networking is also mandated by the legislature.

In order to assist the reported 16% of children who said

they had been bullied during the 2008-2009 school year, 4-H

and Youth Development is “Taking A Stand” and implementing

a curriculum enrichment program entitled, Take A Stand.

Take A Stand is comprised of lessons covering five

topics: conflict resolution, bullying, communication, etiquette,

teamwork, and cultural awareness. The lessons are also

broken up into age appropriate curricula for 3rd-5th graders,

6th-8th graders, and 9-12th graders.

The pilot for this program began in 2008 with 12

counties participating for each grade level category. Sixty

counties were trained over the course of 8 hours in November

2008 and the response greatly outweighed the original goals

set for the program.

“Youth who have gone through the program are better

equipped to stop and think about their actions and whether or

not their response is appropriate,” Newberry said. “They are also

better equipped to help others who are being bullied.”

1,249 3rd-5th grade participants from 26 counties and

eleven districts, 872 6th-8th graders from sixteen counties and

eleven districts, and 291 9th-12th graders from seven counties,

twelve districts and one statewide event represented the

students who participated in the pilot study.

The growth of this program has proven to be very

successful since final curriculum was released in November

2009 and agent trainings and teacher in-service trainings were

conducted by agents and Regional Program Directors.

“The ultimate goal of the program is to empower

youth to take a stand for what is right and spread that

confidence to others,” Newberry said. “Every child is

unique and just because they are different doesn’t mean

that they deserve to be treated badly by others. It is time

that kids learn to accept and appreciate the differences

of each other and value human life, instead of tear each

other down. If bullying were reduced, or do I dare say,

eliminated, then climates in schools and other places

where youth assemble, would be safe and students would

be able to focus on the actual purpose for being there,

not on whether or not they are going to be a target or

who their next victim is going to be.”

Photos and I nformation provided by:Cheryl Newberry

Story by: Amy Dromgoole

ith increased competition for youth involvement from

youth development organizations in schools and independent organizations across the state, Texas 4-H is always looking for new and exciting ways to reach current and future 4-H members. In 2010, the Texas 4-H Golf Challenge was successful in doing just that. On June 16, 2010 in Lubbock, Texas, 30 participants ages 11-18 competed in this multifaceted event. “4-H is about having fun and learning,” Galen Chandler, Texas AgriLife north region program director, said. “The 4-H Golf Challenge combines both of these for the 4-Her who likes golf, plus it creates a learning environment to study about sports nutrition, turf grass management, and golf rules, and etiquette.” This event was founded by county extension agents and 4-H specialists in order to battle some shocking statistics regarding today’s youth. Firstly, 16.3% of youth ages 2-19 are obese. Secondly, the United States is losing two acres of farmland

every minute to development. The fact that Texas is experiencing serious obesity problems in youth, coupled with the fact many are unaware of the effects of urban development, an event that aims to promote athleticism as well as environmentalism, makes Golf Challenge an effective tool in reaching our state’s youth. This event is believed to be a strong up-and-coming program in 4-H and Youth Development because it combines three, diverse program areas. The golf rules and etiquette curriculum helps mirror 4-Hers and their six pillars of character while teaching honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, and respect. Turf grass management allows the program to foster interest in one of the largest agricultural sectors in the country. Due to the fact that land that was once used for farming is now being converted into subdivisions and golf courses.

Therefore, young agriculturists must hold a strong understanding of environmental conservation and learn to properly care for turf grass and golf courses. The turf grass management section also provides opportunities to youth who may consider turf grass management as a future career. Finally, the winning with nutrition curriculum applies to all youth

who participate in any athletic activity. This program has been developed to teach seventh, eighth, and ninth graders the importance of nutrients, maintaining hydration, eating to maximize athletic performance, calculating needs based on physical activity, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, the importance of milk, and the facts about athletic supplements. The event held in Lubbock consisted of three fun and educational

w

“4-H is about having fun and learning.”

Galen Chandler

components. Teams of three (mixed ages) played an 18-hole golf scramble, participated in nine on-course scenarios and took a fifty question test and over the three program areas. Teams were awarded for lowest golf score, highest score on scenarios, individual test score, team test score, overall score (first, second and third place), longest drive, closest to the pin, and straightest drive. “The Texas 4-H Golf Challenge teach youth the basic of golf, an understanding of golf course management, and the importance of proper sports nutrition while participating in an exciting fun-filled event,” Kyle Merten, Texas AgriLife Extension associate, said. “Getting local buy-ins was crucial in the success of the 2010 Texas 4-H Golf Challenge and without the support of county extension agents, 4-H specialists, district extension administrators, and regional program directors the event would not have been a great success.” Upon completion of this event, 22 participants completed an evaluation.

The results indicated great satisfaction from youth and also provided strong feedback to continue and make this event available state-wide. Currently, another successful, educational 4-H Golf Challenge is planned for June 2011 at the Texas A&M University Golf Course.

Information provided by: Kyle Merten

Story by: Amy Dromgoole

Counting Qualityin the Lone Star State

Story by: Amy Dromgoole

Buckets, feed

troughs, halters, and ribbons aren’t the only things one sees when attending a livestock show in the Lone Star State. After taking a closer look, one will see 4-H and FFA members

demonstrate trustworthiness, fairness, citizenship, caring actions, responsibility, and respect—the six Quality Counts Pillars of Character. Young people participate in livestock projects at the county, district, regional and state level and the tremendous support and dedication of livestock show officials help make this great learning opportunity possible for the youth of Texas. Due to the fact that

Texas is the home of the largest number of youth livestock show participants in the country, it is imperative that these youth learn the responsibilities that coincide with these projects—which is exactly what Quality Counts does. In 2010, over 83,000 Quality Counts teaching hours were logged to 7,386 4-H members in 425 separate sessions. Whi le Qua l i t y Counts he lps youth learn the impor tance o f us ing proper l i ves tock

management prac t ices so that food qua l i t y and sa fe ty a re preserved , the program i s a l so des igned to teach young peop le the impor tance o f d i sp lay ing good character whi le car ry ing out the i r var ious l i ves tock pro jec t s , and how to incorporate these mora l s and va lues in every aspect o f the i r da i l y l i ves—which i s what 4 -H i s REALLY about !

“I think Collegiate 4-H is important because of all of our community activity and involvement on the Texas Tech campus,” Drew Cashman, Texas Tech Collegiate 4-H President, said. “It’s fun to give back the help those who need it. Collegiate 4-H embodies the idea of helping others.” Texas Tech has had an active club for many years, attending National Collegiate 4-H Conference and helping with the national initiative, Operation Military Kids. In 2010, club representatives promoted 4-H and Texas Tech at 2010 State 4-H Roundup, represented the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University at an annual Homecoming Breakfast and sent seven members to Washington D.C for National Collegiate 4-H Conference. “Representing Texas Tech and 4-H at various events helped us get the word out about what 4-H can provide after high

lthough the state of Texas develops programs to enhance youth character development, many are not aware of the fact that Texas is home to two Collegiate

4-H clubs. Texas A&M and Texas Tech University currently have active Collegiate 4-H clubs. Both of these organizations take the Collegiate 4-H motto, Continuing to Share, Sharing to Continue, seriously with their overall goal to give back to the community and the organization that allowed them to thrive as community members and people. Deanna Bosse, Texas A&M Collegiate 4-H President, feels passionate about giving back to youth 4-H. “All of our members have memories from their 4-H career that they hold close to their hearts and they wanted to give back,” she said. “The 4-H family helps young people learn valuable skills

that will better them in the future, and we just had to continue to be a part of that.” “We strive to make the best better and promote 4-H to the younger generations so they too, can grow up and be well-rounded individuals. It is very important to us that children are aware of what all 4-H can offer them.” The Texas Tech Collegiate 4-H Club has been heavily involved in promoting 4-H and giving back to the community in Lubbock, Texas.

C o n t i n u i n g t o Share ,

S h a r i n g t o C ont inue :

C o l l e g i a t e 4 - H

A

school,” Sara Schwertner, 2008-2009 Texas Tech Collegiate 4-H officer said. “We should continue to give back the organization that got many of us where we are today.” Texas Tech also enacted a new program called “The Great 8: Texas Tech Style.” This program was based around the youth 4-H program Leaders for Life, taught approximately 50 4-H’ers life skills based on the book, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” Participants attended 7 short lessons, taught by collegiate members, in order to learn each habit. The eighth component consisted of participants meeting the Masked Rider and learning about Texas Tech traditions. “Regardless of whether you were involved with 4-H as a kid, joining a chapter of Collegiate 4-H at your university is a great way to meet people, make friends, and get plugged into the best that college life has to offer,” Sara Dodd, Texas Tech Collegiate 4-H advisor, said. “Collegiate 4-H provides students with rich opportunities to serve and grow as leaders in their departments, across their campus, and in the wider local community. As students progress toward graduating and searching for a job, Collegiate 4-H also offers valuable networking and professional development experiences. “ Texas Tech Collegiate 4-H continues to strive to promote this great organization and encourage character and community development during post-secondary education. In addition to the work Texas Tech has done, Texas A&M University has also established a strong commitment to promote 4-H and give back to the community. However, this club wasn’t always a well-recognized organization at Texas A&M. Nonetheless, in 2010 this formerly inactive club received a facelift from several hardworking individuals who were committed to receiving university

recognition and making Texas A&M Collegiate 4-H a successful leadership organization at Texas A&M University. “Collegiate 4-H would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of its original members,” Bosse said. “We started out with about 20 interested students. The commitment that these students put forth was amazing and I’m confident to say that we have built a strong foundation for the Texas A&M Collegiate 4-H club to grow on.” After the reestablishment, the club which currently has 50 members hit the ground running in 2010. Members judged 2010 Texas 4-H Roundup events, educated parents about safe car restraint installation at the Brazos Valley Seat Check, assisted with the Brazos Valley Food Show, and sent representatives to Washington D.C for the National Collegiate 4-H Conference. The future of both of these highly successful clubs is looking bright and Texas State 4-H and Youth Development has no doubts that these clubs with continue to share and share to continue throughout the future.

Information Provided by: Sara Dodd, Deanne Bosse, Drew Cashman, and Sara Schwertner

Story by : Amy Dromgoole

Up and Growing Texas 4-H and Youth Development hosted

the 2010 National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational

on June 28-July 3 in Kerrville, Texas. 2010 marked

the year with the largest group of participants

and attendees in event history, with over 500

youth participants representing 31 states and

over 1500 individuals in attendance. Texas 4-H

was represented by 36 participants who were

selected through a rigorous application process

the previous fall.

Senior level youth had the opportunity

to compete in one of the following disciplines: air

pistol, air rifle, compound archery, recurve archery,

hunting & wildlife, muzzleloading, smallbore rifle,

smallbore pistol, or shotgun. The 2011 National

4-H Shooting Sports Invitational will be held June

19-23, 2011 in San Antonio, Texas

In March 2010 the Texas 4-H and Youth

Development Program and the Texas 4-H Youth

Development Foundation moved into a new

state headquarters located on State Highway 6 in

College Station, Texas. The new facility was originally

a College Station Fire Station that was purchased in

March of 2009 by the Texas 4-H Youth Development

Foundation. With many renovations and a major

expansion the new state office has provided a great

new home for the 4-H and Youth Development

Program by way of training and office facilities.

Upon completion and dedication of the new state

headquarters the facilities were gifted to Texas AgriLife

Extension and the Texas A&MSystem.

During National 4-H Week, the Texas

4-H Program partnered with Lamar Outdoor

Advertising and placed seventy-four billboards

through the state promoting 4-H. The 2010

campaign was sponsored by 4-H Clubs, present

and retired Extension employees, corporate

sponsors, and District 4-H Agents Associations.

During the one month display of the billboards, an

estimated 52 million viewers passed the billboards,

making this the most visible marketing campaign

in the history of Texas 4-H. Due to the success and

partnership of the campaign, Lamar Outdoor has

offered their services again in 2011.

“I officially call this session of the 2010 Texas

4-H Congress to order” was once again heard

at the Texas State Capitol in July. More than 325

4-H members aged 14 to 19 participated in the

bi-annual event in Austin. For more than 25 years,

Texas 4-H Congress has been one of the premiere

citizenship and leadership opportunities for 4-H

members to experience the Texas legislative

process first hand. From serving as members

of the House of Representatives, the Senate,

Executive Branch, Lobbyists, or Press Corp the 4-H

members are required to research issues affecting

their communities and write bills for consideration

by the Texas 4-H Congress. Bills are presented,

debated and decided upon in both houses, as

well as committees, truly replicating the legislative

process. In 2010, for the first time, the open and

closing General Sessions were video streamed

over the internet by the Texas 4-H Tech Team,

allowing county offices, parents, and other 4-H

members to view the action at the Texas Capitol.

“We just wanted

to add some new events

and activities so more

young people could have

the opportunity to be a part

of our signature event –

Texas 4-H Roundup,” Chris

Boleman, Director of 4-H & Youth Development, said.

“Some” being an understatement when looking

at the impressive list of new events including, the Leaders

4 Life Skillathon, 4-H has Talent, Food Challenge, Discover

Scientific Method SET Competition, the Healthy Lifestyles

Invitational, the Invitational Livestock Judging Contest and

Workshop, the Invitational Poultry Judging Contest and

Workshop, the Wildlife Contest and Workshop, guest

motivational speakers, pep rallies that allowed 4-Hers to

show their 4-H spirit, a Trade Show for academic and retail

vendors, a silent auction ,and heavy involvement with 4-H’s

elected State Council Officers.

Also newly implemented was the logo and theme

contest which allowed 4-Hers from across the state to spark

their creative minds and enter a contest to pick the logo

and theme for Roundup to be founded upon for 2010. 4-H

State Council Officers also implemented a Press Corp that

produced a daily newsletter with updates about Roundup’s

activities during the entire week.

This is all in addition to the 10 percent increase in

participation due to the fact that intermediates were

included in Roundup events for the first time.

Serving youth through outreach programs

has been a large component of the 4-H and Youth

Development Program for many years. In recent

years, through a partnership with the United States

Department of Agriculture, the Children, Youth and

Families at Risk (CYFAR) Grant has been providing

resources to counties to expand outreach to youth-at-

risk through special programs. Currently Texas 4-H has

two sites providing programming through the CYFAR

grant, Harris and Cameron Counties.

The Harris County CYFAR projects takes

youth through the realm of Science, Engineering,

and Technology. Working with the Harris County

Precint 2 Commissioner, Urban Extension Agent Sheryl

Nolen, has developed an after-school program that

allows youth to see science in a different way, while

explore the numerous careers and education required

to become a scientist or engineering. Marco Ponce,

4-H Agent in Cameron County carries the CYFAR

project into the schools of the county by providing

in school educational

experiences in the areas

of science, engineering,

and technology as well

as foods, nutrition, and

health. Both of these

projects continue the

4-H mission of reaching

out and serving all the

youth of Texas.

who we are...Dr. Bonnie McGee Associate Director for 4-H, Youth Development and

Human Sciences

Dr. Chris Boleman 4-H and Youth Development Program Director

Charla Bading Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 7

Jana Barrett Development Relations Coordinator, Texas

4-H Foundation

Derrick Bruton Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 4

Dr. Angela Burkham 4-H and Youth Development Program Specialist, District 1

Kevin Chilek Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 9

Courtney Dodd Extension Program Specialist

Andy Hart Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 2

Larry Hysmith Extension Program Specialist- Natural Resources

Laura Huebinger Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 8

Kelli Lehman Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 3

Dr. Toby Lepley 4-H and Youth Development Program Specialist

Dr. Darlene Locke Director, Texas 4-H Conference Center

Jodi McManus Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 11

Kyle Merten Extension Associate

Cheryl Newberry Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 10

Jim Reeves Executive Director, 4-H Foundation

Luis Saldana Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 12

Matt Tarpley Extension Program Specialist- 4-H, District 6

Dr. Montza Williiams 4-H and Youth Development Program Specialist, District 5

David Wright Military 4-H Program Specialist

where we are...

Texas AgriLife Extension ServiceTexas 4-H and Youth Development

texas4h@ag.tamu.edu

4180 State Highway 6

College Station, Texas 77845

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating