Julie Traxson
4-H Youth Development
Leadership
chool has started again for another year and that means I have been able to start the Let’s Play! Leadership series for a whole new group! I have 26 classes I am in each month (about 550 youth). This will run through April. I briefly explain at the beginning of the year about KSRE and that there is an Extension Office in each county to be able to assist our communities, as well as what each of the Extension Agents do. This month the focus is on teamwork and getting to know their classmates, because these contacts will be helpful later in life for each of them.
Kansas State Fair took place and there were some projects that went out for competition as well as the Crops and Photography teams. The teams did very well! Crops team took first place.
This is the time of year agents are completing files for job review and planning for the upcoming year. As we are focusing on more collaboration 4-H and FCS are lining out some Adulting 101 sessions to target Seniors in high school and Freshman in college. Some youth get the chance to learn these skills before leaving home but many of them do not. Our focus will be to offer basic adult skills youth will need such as laundry, cooking (stove & microwave), bank accounts, how to change a tire and more.
This is also the end of the 4-H year and record books are coming into the office. This is another skill that 4-H teaches that is so important. Learning how to keep basic records whether you will use the information in a business or for personal use is a lifetime skill. 4-H members who complete these records also have a much easier time of completing scholarship and job applications.
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