Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
More than 6 million young people across the country celebrate National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October (Oct. 5-10 this year).
The Lincoln County 4-H Leaders' Council takes this opportunity to announce the recipient of this year's Lincoln County 4-H Leader of the year: Joy Wilken of Sprague.
Joy Wilken
She has been a 4-H volunteer for 21 years. Many teens who were part of the countywide Teen Time 4-H club that Wilken led for several years are now giving back to their communities in leadership and volunteer roles. In recent years, she has served as a project leader in the Sprague-Lamont 4-H Club and as president of the Lincoln County 4-H Leaders' Council. Over the years, she has also served on state 4-H boards and committees.
Wilken was surprised recently by the nomination for 4-H Outstanding Leader of the Year approved by other members of the Leaders' Council. The submission to the Washington State 4-H Forum, where she will be recognized with volunteers from other counties on October 17, reads: "Joy Wilken works tirelessly and loves 4-H. She handles so many tasks behind the scenes that often times her work goes unnoticed. This year, she and her family members have experienced major health issues and she has tried to maintczsain her involvement with 4-H while balancing a full-time job and spending much of her time at medical facilities and/or caregiving. Her heart and focus for 4-H has always been to make the Lincoln County 4-H program relevant and accessible to all youth."
Wilken is one of 69 certified 4-H volunteers who were involved in the Lincoln County 4-H program last year. Jennifer Singer, group leader for the Odessa Jr. Livestock 4-H Club was also a strong candidate for Leader of the Year.
Research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. Recent findings from the Tufts University 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are:
Jennifer Singer
• Nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities
• Two times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors and
• Two times more likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.
More than 192 youth were involved in 4-H in Lincoln County last year. Youth participated in 4-H through six chartered 4-H clubs and 11 family 4-H groups. One of the largest of the chartered clubs, the Odessa Jr. Livestock 4-H Club, had 30 members last year. The 4-H program also included Na-Bor-Lee 4-H Youth Camp, Know Your Government short-term program for 9th to 12th grade youth culminating in a conference in Olympia, Food $ense nutrition programs in schools and Summer Reading Programs in Harrington and Edwall.
4-H, the nation's largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and cooperative extension programs in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries.
The 4-H program relies on volunteers to organize and deliver program to all youth without discrimination. And youth in Kindergarten through 12th grade can be involved in much more than just "cows and cooking." Projects range from pets to rockets, with curriculum available that incorporates STEM and life-skill development.
For information on 4-H in the Lincoln-Adams County area, contact WSU Extension Educator Bridget Rohner at 509-725-4171, brohner@wsu.edu or Karen Robertson, WSU Extension Program Assistant, at 509-659-3209 or robertk@wsu.edu or visit Facebook or the web at http://ext100.wsu.edu/lincoln-adams.
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