The West Virginia 4-H Youth in Action Program announces two young leaders in 4-H pillar areas: civic engagement and healthy living.
Each of the winners will receive a $500 mini-grant to develop a significant project within their community, recognition at a formal award ceremony, a full scholarship to attend West Virginia 4-H Older Members Conference at Jackson's Mill in Summer 2026, as well as support to apply for the National 4-H Youth in Action Awards in Spring 2026.
This year, Elizabeth McDonald received the award for civic engagement and Ava Duckworth received the award for healthy living. Each will have opportunities to be featured as the West Virginia 4-H Youth Spokesperson for their individual pillar area.
Civic Engagement
Elizabeth McDonald, a dedicated nine-year 4-H member from Marshall County, was recently honored with the Youth in Action Civic Engagement award for her outstanding commitment to service. Through her involvement in 4-H, Elizabeth has grown into a confident leader and passionate advocate for her community, completing over 400 hours of service. Reflecting on her experience, Elizabeth shared, “Over my years in 4-H, I have learned many skills. These include public speaking, leadership, and a love for community service. With these gained attributes, I was able to come out of my shell and become an advocate for community service across the state while also competing in pageants.”
Elizabeth has shown exceptional leadership and heart through her civic engagement efforts in 4-H. Inspired by her own childhood experience with the Marshall County Caring Tree, she created the “Stuff the Stadium” toy drive, rallying her basketball team to collect stuffed animals for children in need. Her initiative provided over 100 kids with comforting gifts during the holidays, and she’s now expanding the project to include her cheer team.
Elizabeth also led a popsicle donation drive in memory of her best friend and fellow 4-H member, Hannah Woods. Through social media outreach, she collected over 10,000 popsicles for WVU Children’s Hospital, bringing smiles and hydration to young patients. Her ability to turn personal experiences into meaningful service projects is a true reflection of the values of 4-H and the power of youth leadership.
Healthy Living
Ava Duckworth, an eleven-year 4-H member from Mineral County, has been honored with the Youth in Action Healthy Living award for her dedication to promoting mental wellness and healthy habits among youth. Through her role as a Health Ambassador and Teen Leader, Ava has developed lessons to help children manage emotions and cope with stress, inspired by her own experiences and passion for teaching. Reflecting on her journey, Ava shared, “There are so many ways 4-H has impacted me. It has improved my self-confidence and helped me with my public speaking skills. 4-H has changed my life by helping me come out of my comfort zone and make new friends. I have learned I do have the ability to be a leader and make a change.”
Ava has made a powerful impact in Healthy Living through 4-H by combining leadership with compassion. As a trained Health Ambassador and active Teen Leader, Ava developed and taught a lesson to help young children understand and manage their emotions—an effort inspired by her experience student-teaching and recognizing the lasting effects of the pandemic on children's coping skills.
She partnered with a fellow 4-H member to bring this lesson into kindergarten classrooms and later adapted it to support campers dealing with homesickness and stress. Ava’s dedication to mental wellness led her to present her work at the 4-H Volunteer and All-Star Weekend, showing how youth leadership can truly make a difference in community health.