Enjoying the Clover Cruise with the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge in the background. (Left to right) Teen delegate Jodi Ubachs, Jan Klein, WSU Extension 4-H Adolescent Leadership Specialist, teen delegate Nick Gylling and chaperone Jon Gabelein.
PUYALLUP- Washington state high school students Nick Gylling and Jodi Ubachs joined over two hundred students at the 2012 National 4-H Conference in Washington D.C. for six days of leadership March 24-29.
Teens were given briefings in alcohol and drug use prevention; science and technology; youth suicide prevention; and integration of veterans and military family members into the local community. Students in small groups had nine hours to strategize, research and prepare solutions to share ideas with key decision makers.
Workshops included decision making, issue planning, advocacy, facilitating and marketing. They met with congressional representatives, toured the White House, and visited museums and memorials during the event.
“The most rewarding component for me was working with sixteen youth to write a presentation to share with the White House Department of Science and Technology,” said 16-year-old Jodi Ubachs from Clarkston. “Our goal was to create a solution where 4-H can help women and under-represented minorities involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). I now have a greater appreciation for the way that youth can come together from all over the nation to achieve a common goal.”
“The roundtable discussion on how technology can benefit my community was incredibly interesting,” said Nick Gylling, a high school junior from Ellensburg. “The trip to the United States Department of Agriculture to present our ideas was rewarding because we were able to talk with people who can make a difference.”
Gylling and Ubachs, both 4-H State Ambassadors, are also on the Washington state core leadership team for the national Engaging Youth Serving Communities grant which centers on developing leadership and life skills in partnership with adults to improve local communities.
National 4-H Conference is administered by 4-H National Headquarters of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is open to youth ages 15-19 who are actively participating in 4-H programs across the U.S. and its territories and is held at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Md.
For more information about the national conference, visit the website.