Source: Chuck Stamper, extension special projects coordinator

A desire to serve others is a concept Kentucky 4-H thrives to encourage its members to practice. Serving others teaches 4-H’ers about the challenges and issues their community faces and gives them a chance to make a positive impact. As a national organization, service is something we feel very strongly about. In fact, 4-H’ers commit their hands to larger service as part of the official 4-H pledge said at every club meeting.

Young people learn about two major types of service that allow them to make a positive impact in their community. The first one is service learning. Through service learning, 4-H’ers take ownership and responsibility for a community project of their choosing. This process requires them to identify a need or an issue, develop a plan for addressing it and then execute their plan. By performing this type of service project, 4-H members learn how to become leaders and to be active in their community. The second type of service is community service. This type is focused on a fulfilling a predetermined need in the community and is a great way for 4-H’ers learn about their community and the issues it faces.

Through these experiences, 4-H’ers are making a positive impact in their communities. A 10-year-long, nationwide study showed that 4-H’ers in grades seventh through 12th are nearly four times more likely than their peers to make contributions to their communities, and 4-H members in grades eighth through 12th are two times more likely to be civically active compared to their peers.

In the past year in Kentucky, service projects helped more than 21,000 young people learn how to take responsibility for their own actions and allowed more than 11,500 youth to become better leaders. Nearly 3,300 4-H members are taking service a step further and are mentoring younger youth.

To find out how your young person can get involved with 4-H, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Extension office.

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

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4-H