JACKSON, Wyo. — Have you considered Teton County 4H in your Old Bills contributions? 4H has, as its goal, the four-fold development of youth: Head, Heart, Hands and Health.
In Teton County, there are currently 217 enrolled 4H members and 21 active clubs with everything from cake decorating and sportfishing to citizenship and livestock.
“I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service and my health to better living.”
The 4H pledge
The goal of 4H is to help young people “find their spark” by acquiring knowledge, developing life skills and forming attitudes that will enable them to become productive members of society.
Members are able to attend national conventions, statewide clinics and competitions throughout the year.
Teton County 4H has a national trip every year called Citizen Washington Focus trip where members can go to Washington, D.C, and learn about government, meet state and national leaders, meet other 4Hers from around the country and tour the national monuments and museums. Most members who attend will say this trip was a highlight of their 4H career. In 2022 Teton County 4H paid for 14 members to travel to DC for this experience.
4H for the community
Since 1976 Teton County 4H has given out 434 scholarships to local high school seniors to further their college education. The total amount given so far is $2,096,575.00.
4H also has international exchange programs. In 2016 four members traveled to Ghana, Africa, for a month-long stay. They stayed with host families, and learned about food sustainability and leadership through various hands-on experiences.
Each year 30-50% of the animals that go through the Teton County Fair livestock sale are donated back to local non-profits like the Senior Center, Good Samaritan Mission, JH Food Cupboard, and others.
In addition to the “all 4-H” community service events like our annual food drive in February and Adopt A Highway cleanup in May, clubs do their own additional service projects each year. In terms of the food drive, we donated 327 lbs. of food to the Food Cupboard this past year.
4H members learn and practice leadership, public speaking, sportsmanship, record keeping and giving back throughout their time in 4H.
Leadership for a lifetime
4H empowers young people with skills to lead for a lifetime. It’s a research-based experience that includes a mentor, a hands-on project and a meaningful leadership opportunity.
The 4-H club structure is unique in that it naturally helps older youth members grow into leadership and mentorship roles that help younger members. The Teton County 4H currently has 35 enrolled leaders, not to mention the additional leaders who volunteer regularly.
In addition to learning about a particular project through their club, 4H members are also learning about the “Six Pillars of Character” throughout their time in 4H. These pillars are Trustworthiness, Respect, Caring, Citizenship, Fairness and Responsibility.
To learn more about Teton County 4H and the various clubs, visit the UW extension website.
