By Paula Davis
Originally published in the Lynn Haven Ledger.

Make 2020 the year you learn something new or share your talents with a young person in your community. 4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident youth who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities. It allows youth to learn by doing. 4-H relies on screened, dedicated volunteers to promote its mission to help youth gain the knowledge and life skills they need to be productive, responsible citizens.

Locally we have 4-H programs in many afterschool settings where we provide curricula and training to enhance our youth experiences while being active in 4-H. We also have school enrichment programs offering youth experiences while in school. However, we only have a few community clubs and special interest groups that are active currently. 4-H covers over 70 different project areas from money and finances, gardening to computer science and rocketry. If you like working with youth, sharing your knowledge and skills, and learning by doing, please contact your local extension office or check out our website at http://florida4h.org/ .

If you only have time for a short-term event and like to sew, grill, gardening or love bugs and outdoor education, consider volunteering. We will have day workshops with youth on these topics this summer.

To volunteer, even for the summer workshops, you will need to be screened and trained, so contact us now. Please consider volunteering in your community. Your time as a volunteer will provide our youth the safe place to pursue whatever interests, causes, and leadership roles most important to them. It also allows you to learn from the youth about current trends, fashions and technology. It really is a two-way learning opportunity where all involved learn by doing. Please consider helping us live up to our motto of “making the best better” with 4-H and volunteer today.

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