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The 4-H Youth Development program offers many opportunities for teens to participate in trips, awards, conferences and camps. Click the links below to find more information on the places you can go in 4-H!
If you are interested in any or all of these “Places you can go…”, contact your parish 4-H Agent.
A statewide 4-H event held the third week of June on the Louisiana State University campus. 4-H members 13 years of age and older compete in over 36 contests. Delegates are awarded trips and cash awards. Night programs include motivational speakers and social activities. A variety of educational programs is also offered through Clover College for all participants during 4-H University . These programs are offered while 4-H members are not participating in their contests. All of the programs are interactive ranging from exercises in Shaping Up to a tour of LSU Athletic Facilities. Community service programs are also offered as part of the educational programs including a visit to a local hospital, local nursing home and pets.
For more information on Clover College, visit our Clover College Web site.
Check out highlights, contests and photos from past 4-H University events.
A three-day conference held each April at Camp Grant Walker. The purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity to study and learn the cooperative way of doing business in a free-enterprise society and to provide leadership development opportunities. Each parish can send two boys and two girls to the conference. Top three delegates of the conference receive the 4-H Educational Trip, and the next seven delegates each receive a cash award of $50.
This wetlands educational camping program is for high school members to experience hands-on environmental activities. The four-day/three-night program includes such topics as wetland restoration, coastal erosion, trawling, cast netting, crabbing, water quality testing, seafood handling and processing, proper cooking techniques of seafood, wildlife viewing and fish identification. The sessions are held at Rockefeller Wildlife Refugee, Cameron Parish. Four students from each camp are selected to participate in an advanced camp at the LUMCON facility in Terrebonne Parish.
Marsh Maneuvers 2008 Photo Gallery
Marsh Maneuvers 2008 Article
This statewide conference is held at Camp Grant Walker in Pollock. About 200 delegates 13 years of age and older from throughout the state develop skills to enable them to become leaders in their local communities and at the parish and state levels. Delegates attend workshops and meet with other teens throughout the state to exchange 4-H programming ideas among parishes.
Junior Leadership Conference Web site
The destination of this trip is on a three-year rotation to Dallas, New York and New Orleans. The trip participants include members of the Fashion Board, along with other fashion award winners. Teens interested in fashion and design meet with fashion designers, tour the market center and are introduced to current fashion trends and colors.
Citizenship Washington Focus is a leadership program for all high school youth from across the country. Every summer thousands of young people stay at the National 4-H Center, near Washington, D.C., to participate in this week-long program. The trip is funded in part by the State 4-H Foundation, local parishes and individual sources. Applications for this trip are submitted to the State 4-H Office on April 1sof the current year.
Citizenship Washington Focus Web site
This conference is one of the most important opportunities 4-H’ers can experience. They will be part of a team formed to plan and implement changes in the 4-H program across the nation. Louisiana 4-H’ers complete an application and are chosen to be interviewed during 4-H University to determine the four participants that will accept this challenge. 4-H’ers travel to Washington, D.C., to represent Louisiana 4-H members. While in Washington, you will tour the city, meet with legislators and meet new and interesting teens from across the nation. Applicants must be sophomores in high school.
National 4-H Conference Web site
With the state’s capital as its classroom, the Citizenship Louisiana Focus Program offers 4-H’ers the opportunity to participate in the politics and processes of Louisiana’s government. In workshops and on field trips, 4-H’ers will go behind the scenes to discover how our government works and to discuss current issues with legislators and other 4-H’ers.
The top four individuals in the 4-H University Forestry Contest attend the national competition held in Jackson Mill, West Virginia. Tour stops en route include whitewater rafting and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
National 4-H Forestry Invitational Web site
Using the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge as the classroom, 4-H’ers attending Wildwoods Wanderings experience first hand the diverse dynamics of this forested wetland ecosystem. They are made aware of the cumulative impact on these forested wetland resources, flora, fauna, soil, water and wildlife. 4-H’ers selected to participate in Wildwoods are 4-H Club members who have taken at least one high school course and have exhibited a keen interest in environmental education. The week-long camp is designed for a limited number of 4-H’ers.
Twelve junior 4-H members (grades 4-8) will get to participate in this trip. To be selected, members must submit 4-H records on wildlife/environment/insect activities including Discovering 4-H, Learning More About You and the Environment, Creepy Crawlies, What’s Bugging You?, You and the Environment & Aquaculture. The trip is held in early August at LUMCON in Port Fourchon.
If you enjoy working with young people, be prepared for a fun and challenging week in the sun as a counselor at Camp Grant Walker, Pollock, La. You can teach classes and supervise sports, handicrafts and other activities. Summer camp participants are 4-H youth in grades 4-6.
Summer Camp 2008 Photo Gallery
Be a Camp Counselor!
If you are a 7th-grader interested in a weekend of fun and leadership development, this camp is for you. Participants take part in workshops, outdoor activities that provide hands-on training in self-esteem decision making and leadership development. Visit the Camp Grant Walker Web site for more information.
For 4-H’ers who loved going to camp, this is a chance for you to once again experience 4-H Summer Camp. The Louisiana Outdoor Science and Technology Camp is for 7th- & 8th-graders interested in outdoor skills, science and technology.
2008 LOST Camp Photo Gallery
State winners in the Egg, Turkey, Poultry and Beef Illustrated Talk contests compete on the national level for savings bonds and cash awards. The state Seafood Talk winner receives the educational trip. Egg, Turkey and Poultry winners compete in Louisville, Kentucky. The Beef Ambassador Illustrated Talk contest rotates around the nation.
State winners in the 4-H University Insect I.D. contest and the top three teams in the Entomology Demonstration contest spend a week on the Gulf Coast.
Top four individuals in Wildlife Habitat contest at 4-H University attend the national contest that rotates around the nation.
The Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (ALEC) sponsors a trip to Washington, D.C., for 2 students in 4-H to attend the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association meeting. 4-H’ers join other youth delegates from throughout the nation representing electric cooperatives. 4-H’ers must write an essay on a selected topic and submit the essay and application to the state 4-H Office by February 27, 2009. For more information, see the following Web sites:
Electric Cooperative Youth Tour Site and Video
Louisiana Youth Tour MySpace Page
Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives Youth Tour Information
Various award trips relate to the livestock program. These trips include competition in: North American International Livestock Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky; Mid-South State Fair, Memphis, Tennessee; National Dairy Conference, Madison, Wisconsin; and the Southern Regional Horse Championships; rotating among 13 states.
Winners from various statewide contests -- including 4-H University, Seafood Ambassador, Records Only and Co-Op Youth Conference -- participate in this trip. It is held in late July and is on a three-year rotation. Sites include: Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
This trip is reserved for winners of contests from 4-H University and records. Participants spend their Thanksgiving holiday taking part in workshops, tours and other educational activities. They have an opportunity to meet teens from across the nation and spend time together in a casual social setting. Also, participants have the opportunity to hear nationally known motivational speakers, meet Olympic athletes, corporate CEOs and Miss America.
2007 National 4-H Congress Trip article
National 4-H Congress Web site
Winners from various statewide contests -- including 4-H University, state records contest and the Good Provider contest -- spend three days in historic Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
4-H DAY IN TIGER STADIUM
Each year 4-H hosts a tailgating party and offers discounted tickets to an LSU Tigers game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. All 4-H members and their families are encouraged to attend. Event information will be posted online and in your local 4-H newsletter.
2008 4-H Day in Tiger Stadium Photo Gallery
Each year more than 1,500 4-H members from all 64 parishes participate in the annual 4-H Day at the Capitol. In 2008 4-H Day at the Capitol began with an assembly on the Capitol steps with legislators participating along with state 4-H Officers and LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson, Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil and Associate Vice Chancellor Dwight Landreneau.
2008 4-H Day at the Capitol Photo Gallery
4-H Day at the Capitol Video
More than 80 youth serve on one of four statewide youth leadership teams including the Executive Committee, Fashion Board, Food and Fitness Board and the SET Board. These leadership boards give youth the opportunity to work together on a common focus while developing leadership for statewide programs. Board members participate in two annual board meetings held in different parts of the state. Many board members are also given the opportunity to participate in leadership board trips. Visit the Leadership Opportunities section for more information.