Youth & Family News

This application is for WV 4-H youth ages 14-19 wanting to attend National 4-H Congress in Atlanta (November 2023) or National 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C. (March/April 2024). Once your application is submitted a follow-up interview will be scheduled in June 2023.

Deadline to submit your interview is midnight on Monday, May 15th, 2023. Youth accepted to attend Congress or Conference will be attending this event with pre-selected WVU Extension Chaperones. Youth will be attending on their own, family members and 4-H Volunteers will not be eligible to attend. There will be times during these National events when youth will be chaperoned by someone other than the WVU chaperones.

West Virginia 4-H is excited to announce the 2023 4-H State Camps Save The Dates. Be sure to mark your calendars as all of your favorite camps are returning with the addition of a brand new camp! Registration for Code Camp and Dance Weekend is currently open. Registration for the remaining camps will open approximately two months before the camp's start date.

These camps are open to all 4-H members. Please read each camp description to determine which age groups are invited to participate.

There are 4-H volunteer training opportunities scheduled around the state from late August through early October. A meal and 4-H club ideas (with supplies!) will be provided to each participant.

The public is encouraged to picture themselves in 4-H this year at the State Fair of West Virginia. The stage has been set for kids of all ages to step into a 4-H club meeting or head off to 4-H camp at the 4-H exhibit in the Cecil Underwood Youth building. Thank you to Gold Ribbon poster winner, Hannah Beckner from Gilmer County for inspiring the exhibit theme this year.

The West Virginia 4-H Youth in Action Program announces four young leader in 4-H pillar areas: agriculture, civic engagement, healthy living, and STEM.

Monday, July 25, 2022, 9 a.m.  

We’re kicking off week six with a read-aloud of “The Earth Gives More” by Sue Fleiss. Read by Lauren Seiler, Director of Development at WVU Extension, and her son Henry, this story details the beauty that Earth has to offer. Next, Meshea Poore gives some great advice on how to deal with new beginnings. Then, we head to the kitchen with Angela Lawrence, a WVU Extension family and community development agent, to get a few tips on how to pack a healthy, balanced lunch for school. Next, a group of West Virginia 4-H’ers talks about how to explore and pursue career pathways in areas related to climate change. To finish off today, Kerri Carte is back to teach us how to make homemade popcorn with flavors even better than the pre-made kind.  

West Virginia 4-H is proud to recognize 24 winners from 17 counties in the 2022 State 4-H Poster Contest

Monday, July 18, 2022, 9 a.m.  

Week five starts with a read-aloud of “Say Something” by Peter H. Reynolds. Tara Curtis, director of marketing and communications at WVU Extension, kicks off this sweet story read by the WVU Extension communications team! Then we pass it over to two 4-H’ers, Megan and Vivian, to talk about climate change. They discuss how to organize and participate in meaningful activism. West Virginia State Senate representative and Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin even makes an appearance to talk about how youth can get in contact with their legislators. Next, Joe Obidzinksi, program coordinator and historian at WVU Jackson’s Mill, leads us through the long history of how Jackson’s Mill became the hub for West Virginia 4-H camps. He also guides us on a tour of parts of the campus and explains how the buildings got their names.  

Monday, July 11, 2022, 9 a.m.  

We’re kicking off week four with Jorge Atiles, Dean of Extension and Engagement at WVU, doing a read aloud of “The One Day House” by Julia Durango. Next, our friends Arden and Maddi, WVU Extension Communications’ summer interns, take us on an adventure to learn about fun things to do at WVU. Then, we jump over to Meshea Poore to talk about respect. She teaches us that not only does everybody deserve respect, but everyone should show respect, too. To wrap up this Monday, Kanawha County Extension Agent Kerri Carte shows us how to make yummy BLT lettuce wraps. For this recipe, you will need a tomato, cucumber, green onions, a couple strips of bacon, light mayonnaise, and Bibb lettuce. 

Monday, July 4, 2022, 9 a.m.  

Week three kicks off with Adeola Ogunade, evaluation and communications specialist at WVU Extension, doing a read aloud of “Wish” by Chris Sanders. Next, we jump over to Meshea Poore to talk about belonging. She teaches us that belonging comes from respect for everyone’s interests and differences. Then, Nila Cobb, healthy lifestyle specialist at WVU Extension, talks about how to be a good friend and discusses bullying. She also leads an activity on how to make a friendship chain. For this activity, you will need strips of paper, a marker and a stapler. Speaking of friends, J.R. Davis, 4-H youth development agent, tells us a little bit about the 4-H pen pal program and teaches us how to address and write a letter.