By Sydney Peterson, Madeleine Bretey-Smith
AMES, Iowa – Nineteen Iowa 4-H youth members joined 750 of the nation’s best and brightest young people in Atlanta, Georgia, Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 to attend the 2024 National 4-H Congress, hosted cooperatively with National 4-H Headquarters, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National 4-H Council and the State 4-H Programs.
Iowa delegates.Iowa’s delegates were Olivia Olson, Cass County; Lauren Greving and Pacey Bogue, Carroll County; Samantha Tilley, Hamilton County; Luci Kucera, Jasper County; Samantha Wunderlich and Saylee Gingerich, Johnson County; Wesley Meyer, Jones County; Kylee Kremer, Linn County; Riley Reid, Marion County; Aaron Lee, Plymouth County; Marli Vanlaningham, Polk County; Nora Pickhinke, Sac County; Elijah Westercamp, Van Buren County; Conner McCoy, Warren County; Grant Farnham, Webster County; and Kamryn Backhaus, Landen Nelson, and Weston Willand, Worth County.
These 19 delegates were selected by 4-H volunteers from around the state through an application and interview process as a part of State 4-H Recognition Day last March. The application process for this opportunity focuses on experience and proficiency in leadership and civic engagement activities.
“National 4-H Congress is a 4-H tradition that spans over 100 years,” said Madeleine Bretey-Smith, 4-H civic engagement and leadership specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Each year, hundreds of young people from around the country travel to Atlanta to participate in educational workshops, hear from world-renowned speakers and build their 4-H network.”
The conference focused on “Courage to Grow, Heart to Serve,” and 4-H delegates heard from speakers in plenary sessions with New York Times best selling author Dan Clark and youth motivational speakers Laymon Hicks, Shannon McKain and John Beede.
Building skills for a brighter future
Youth participated in workshops designed to develop and enhance their leadership skills. Workshop topics ranged from increasing productivity through team building, habits of highly successful teens, service learning, yoga, public speaking, dancing and virtual and augmented realities.
Earl McAlexander, retired ISU Extension and Outreach youth program specialist, and Darlene Locke, associate professor and extension specialist at Texas A&M University, led a hands-on workshop on Ricochet Level 1, showing teen delegates how they can implement Ricochet in a youth-teaching-youth environment in their home communities. The workshop emphasized how to debrief the activities to bring out the dimensions of leadership in a resonating way.
Several Iowa delegates attended a workshop led by keynote speaker John Beede, where they were introduced to a seven-step process for developing rapport with anyone they meet. They discovered techniques to effectively connect with others by understanding their psychological tendencies, which can help them build better relationships with friends and family, excel in college and job interviews and more. By mastering these skills, participants reported feeling equipped to engage with others more authentically and genuinely, enhancing their interpersonal connections for life.
Olivia Olson, Iowa 4-H delegate from Cass County, said, “The most important thing I learned was how to better communicate and listen to others. I also learned from one of our speakers the importance of staying in the moment.”
“I learned a lot about how to be a leader and a charismatic teen. I need to not back down and to stand tall and that I am the future of the world and 4-H,” said Luci Kucera, Iowa 4-H delegate from Jasper County. She said trips like these help young people learn about different things to bring back to their clubs, get engaged and meet like-minded youth.
Landen Nelson, a delegate from Worth County, also attended this workshop. He said the most important thing he learned was to “be the bigger and better leader. Meeting new people is OK, and I learned that creating relationships with people from other states can get you very close.”
Olivia Olson continued, “Trips like this are important for youth to experience because of the confidence that it can build in each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. After a trip like this, youth can bring back what they learned to apply back in their own county to try to make the best better.”
Iowa 4-H delegates enjoyed other activities, including a banquet, pin exchange, flag ceremony, gala and multiple dances, all designed to allow youth to connect with youth from different states and explore the various ways in which states conduct their 4-H programs to bring back fresh insights to Iowa’s program.
“National 4-H Congress taught me a lot about leadership and service,” said Wesley Meyer, Iowa 4-H delegate from Jones County. “It also gave me opportunities to network with people from all over the country, getting to learn about opportunities they have through 4-H. I was surprised when getting to talk to other delegates about the differences and similarities in their 4-H programs.”
Youth engage in community service
Community service.During the National 4-H Congress, participants engaged in activities highlighting their commitment to community service and leadership. Youth from across the nation collaborated on various projects, including environmental clean-ups and community garden enhancements.
“Community service is a special part of National 4-H Congress. On Monday morning, delegates engaged in activities that not only fostered a sense of teamwork and civic responsibility but also allowed participants to contribute positively to their host city,” said Bretey-Smith. “The day of service was a testament to the 4-H members’ dedication to making a positive difference in their communities.”
“What I am proud of accomplishing at National 4-H Congress wasn’t done just by me but by my whole community service group. To see how much landscaping we did at the historic Oakland Cemetery for their new visitor center in the short amount of time we were there was amazing,” said Grant Farnham, Webster County delegate. “Giving back to the community through service [was] one of my favorite parts of the trip.”
Youth also got to experience Atlanta by going on educational tours and recreational opportunities throughout the city, including the Atlanta Zoo, Hall of College Football Fame, World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium.
“These experiences are growing and leadership opportunities as well as great networking experiences,” said Saylee Gingerich of Johnson County. “The people I made friends with from Colorado, New Jersey and Connecticut are other leaders of the U.S. and befriending them will teach me about their leadership and I can learn from it.”
“The most important thing I learned was that you always have room to grow. This trip has shown me that in 4-H, you are always growing and striving, such as to make the best better,” said Samantha Tilley. “I have also learned that you can never make too many friends in one day. It is important for youth to be able to go [on trips like these] because they get to represent Iowa to the best of their abilities. They also get to meet many other amazing delegates with the same interests and passion for 4-H, pushing them to grow themselves.”
Nora Pickhinke, Iowa 4-H delegate from Sac County, reflected upon her whole National Congress experience: “I believe that it’s extremely important for youth to attend these kinds of trips, so they are inspired to do more within their own communities. This trip has helped me realize that we are capable of more things than we care to acknowledge. National trips provide fresh ideas for workshops, community service and inspires youth to become more involved within their 4-H journeys,” she said.
“National 4-H Congress is a transformational experience for young people,” said Katie Brandt, Hamilton County youth coordinator and Iowa 4-H congress chaperone. “Every Iowa delegate returned with fresh insights, a strengthened network of 4-H connections and a renewed passion to positively impact their local communities.”
Participation in the National 4-H Congress trip was made possible by Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Pork and individual donors to the Iowa 4-H Foundation.
For those interested in applying and attending the National 4-H Congress, the State 4-H Recognition Day application deadline is 11:59 p.m. every year on Feb. 1. For more information, please visit the Iowa 4-H website or email Madeleine Bretey-Smith at mbretey@iastate.edu.
