iLEAD – Where Leadership and 4-H Collide - UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County

During my internship with UF/IFAS Extension 4-H, I had the privilege to volunteer at the youth 4-H iLEAD: Intermediate Leadership Conference.

This conference focuses on developing key leadership skills such as communication and teamwork. There are opportunities for both intermediate and senior level youth, with the intermediates having a participant role and the seniors having a leadership role. Seniors can apply to join Florida’s 4-H Executive Board. If accepted, they can request to be a part of the 4-H iLEAD Youth-Adult Planning Committee.

DAY ONE – Sunday, June 8

Participants and Sarasota County staff stand in front of the Sarasota County Extension sign, before leaving for iLEAD. — Erin Nadel (left), Sarah Davis, three youth participants, and Ashley Worsham prepare to leave for iLEAD.

We arrived at the Sarasota County Extension office, ready to load up the van and begin our journey to sweet, sweet Gainesville (Go Gators!). Upon our arrival, I led our members on a tour of the University of Florida Field and Fork Garden.

This student-led garden helps to provide food for the Alfred Hitchcock Food Pantry. We discussed the use of nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich bat guano as fertilizer… and smelled it, too! The 4-H youth were able to point out vegetables like melons, peppers, herbs, grapes, and tomatoes. We strolled past Lake Alice where the kids were excited to see a great blue heron, American alligator, and Florida softshell turtle! I am often surprised at the identification skills of these exceptional children.

After a quick field trip, we drove to the Straughn Center for Welcome and Orientation. Music blasted and youth leaders danced as it torrentially poured outside. A little rain does not stop 4-Hers from having fun! We ate a wonderful dinner and separated into our teams, with me as blue team’s adult leader. The youth leaders led activities, introducing the youth to each other. The activities perfectly allowed the youth to explore the complicated feelings that surround meeting new people and explore how to go about kindly interacting with new friends.

We reviewed the rules for that evening with the students, and, soon enough, it was “lights out” at Beaty Towers!

DAY TWO – Monday, June 9

As we arrived at the Straughn Center once more, I asked the kids what they were most excited about. Some said the dance and some listed workshops they had signed up for.

Sarah Davis, Samantha Lowe (a graduate student of interdisciplinary ecology), and I led a workshop on iNaturalist, a popular app for recording evidence of organisms on a public database. Our workshop explained how kids could use the app or website, and discussed the importance of a large database such as this. We taught how scientists use observations to their benefit. For example, iNaturalist can help scientists track population numbers of endangered species and ensure their numbers are not worsening. We led the kids outside on a nature path and observed many different species. Below is a link to our project page and some of the best pictures taken.

iNaturalist Workshop

www.inaturalist.org/projects/4-h-workshop-at-uf?tab=observations

Brown anole lizard sits on a branch. — This brown anole is an invasive species.

A horned passalus beetle in the dirt. — We lifted a log to find this friend (a horned passalus beetle).

A marbled click beetle crawls on a tree. — This marbled click beetle uses camouflage to blend in.

Spanish moss hangs from the tree canopy. — Spanish moss is not invasive, despite what its name might suggest.

Tiny "tree cattle" insects swarm together on a tree trunk. — These scavengers, known as “tree cattle,’ are not harmful.

More workshops, lunch, and one leadership meeting later, we arrived at our skit-making session. The youth leaders had tasked each team with creating a skit on anything their hearts desired. My team chose to perform a skit about the scary noises you hear at night in your house.

After their performance at dinner, the kids joined a dance in the large meeting room full of many line dancing opportunities. At this point, not only was I exhausted but so were the kids. We watched a slideshow of the conference and danced to “Fishin’ in the Dark” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Eventually, it was lights out.

DAY THREE – Tuesday, June 10

We loaded up the van and started the trip back to Sarasota. While sitting in the passenger seat and writing this, with the silence of a couple of tired kids washing over me, I can’t help but reflect on how well 4-H does its programming. The event was fully staffed and detailed. Overall, you could tell the youth leaders and adults had put their all into an event, though it lasted but two, short days. I think that’s the difference between 4-H and other youth clubs: 4-H is constantly devoted to making the best better.

For more information on how to get involved with Sarasota’s 4-H, visit our website: sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasota/4-h-youth-development/4-h-youth-development/4-h-clubs/.