BROOKINGS, S.D. - Nine South Dakota 4-H Youth and two SDSU Extension Youth Program advisers returned recently from the 2015 National 4-H Congress, in Atlanta.
"National 4-H Congress was my first time experiencing 4-H at a national level, and I was not disappointed," says Bridger Gordon, Lawrence County. "I had no idea there were actually that many people across the U.S. who were as involved in 4-H as I was. Getting to talk to all those kids was so cool, especially when their cultural heritage greatly differed from mine. Meeting all the other kids and learning about their perspectives on life was definitely my favorite part. The world is so much bigger than just South Dakota, and I know that now."
Gordon was among the youth selected to attend this five-day leadership development conference through an application process. The 4-H members selected to represent South Dakota at the National 4-H Conference include: Lawrence County 4-H members Bridger Gordon, Noah Pochop and Tessa Sleep; Luke Mairose, Brule County; Matthew Sperry, Brown County; Kadon Leddy, Grant County; Brandon Haber, Beadle; Molly Walker, Codington and Megan Andersen, Meade County.
During the conference, members participated in tours of Atlanta and had the opportunity to participate in volunteer activities throughout the city. Youth also had the opportunity to participate in workshops ranging from The Coolness of Science, Healthy Gourmet, GTL - Give Talk Learn: the Power of Service Learning, and Expanding Horizons through Group Involvement to Pilates, Zumba, Irish Dance and Fuel to Play 60 - Partnering with 4-H for You, Your Club and Your Community.
This year's closing speaker was Dan Clark. He is the primary contributing author to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
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"Attending 4-H National Congress gives youth an opportunity to expand their network of 4-H contacts throughout the United States. 4-H Congress is a mix of educational, service and recreational opportunities. It allows youth to interact with youth from other states to learn that there are many different approaches to the 4-H mission," says John Keimig, SDSU Extension 4-H associate.
