Prairie County 4-H provides members opportunities to learn leadership, citizenship, and life skills

Published: 2019
By Sharla Sackman

The Prairie County 4-H program strives to provide educational opportunities in a wide variety of 4-H project areas. 82% of 4-H members participated in at least one project workshop during the 4-H year. Projects highlighted were horsemanship, visual arts, cooking, coding, woodworking, range, Cloverbuds, and market livestock. 4-H members demonstrated competence and confidence in these project areas during the 4-H interview judging process at All Events Day and the Prairie County Fair. In 4-H we are intentional about providing youth opportunities to gain communication, leadership and teamwork skills to enable them to become contributing citizens. Volunteer leaders and 4-H teen leaders were engaged to lead the project workshops with the county agent. 89% percent of Prairie County 4-H members between the ages of 13 and 19 served in leadership roles during the 2018-2019 4-H year by coordinating county events and teaching at project workshops. Prairie County 4-H members participate in a number of regional and statewide activities such as Southeastern Montana 4-H Camp, Eastern Montana Regional Small Animal Judging Day, and Montana State 4-H Congress. These experiences provide an opportunity for 4-H members to travel, network with members from other areas, and gain valuable communication skills and take on leadership roles outside of the county.