Gray County Youth to Celebrate National 4-H Week Oct. 3-9

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Millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will celebrate National 4-H Week from Oct. 3-9. This year’s theme, Find Your Spark, is a campaign that will encourage youth to find what interests them in 4-H, empowering them with the skills they need to succeed in life and career. 4-H offers opportunities for youth to find their passion and explore that passion through hands-on learning experiences.

4-H alumni around the country are always the first to acknowledge the significant positive impact that 4-H had on them as young people. In fact, research has shown that young people in 4-H are nearly four times as likely to contribute to their communities and are twice as likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math, STEM, programs during after-school time.

In Texas, the 4-H program is a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, with each county supporting the program as well. For National 4-H Week, Gray County 4-H Council members will visit with the Gray County Commissioners Court to have the Commissioners declare National 4-H Week in Gray County. You can also listen to their 4-H stories on the local radio station throughout the week. 4-H members also will be out promoting the program by wearing their 4-H gear on Spirit Day. Project leaders will be holding hands-on project meetings. In addition, 4-H members will be collecting donations for the One Day 4-H program.

In Texas, one of the most anticipated events of National 4-H Week every year is One Day 4-H. The goal of One Day 4-H is to encourage 4-H members in every Texas county to take one Saturday in October to make a big impact on a big state. One Day 4-H will be held on Oct. 9 in every county across Texas. 4-H members, adult volunteers and friends will help improve their communities by adopting a service project. 

This year, Gray County 4-H members are collecting pet food, bleach and paper towels to be donated to the Pampa Animal Shelter. If you would like to contribute to this event, items can be dropped off at the Gray County Annex through Oct. 8. Learn more about One Day 4-H at https://texas4-h.tamu.edu/events/oneday/.

The 4-H program is open to all youth in grades 3-12. There is also a program for grades K-2 called Clover Kids. Gray County 4-H offers 18 hand-on projects in five different subject areas:  Leadership and Citizenship, STEM, Natural Resources, Family and Community Health, and Agriculture and Livestock. 

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, developing confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities. In the U.S., 4-H programs empower 6 million young people through the 110 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the U.S., independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower 1 million young people in more than 50 countries.

Learn more about 4-H in Gray County by calling 806-669-8033 or find us on Facebook at Gray County Extension and 4-H.