Oct. 4 through 8, 2010, is National 4-H Week, and Freeborn County is celebrating with bulletin inserts at local area churches, national science day activities and project displays at the Northbridge Mall. Local youth will be talking about their 4-H experiences on KATE 1450 AM and KQAQ 970 AM.

Champion, reserve champion and junior champion projects will be on display near the center of Northbridge Mall. Radio interviews will be aired throughout the whole national 4-H week. National science day activities will be done at the Glenville-Emmons after school program.

“4-H has taught me many things. It has helped me to communicate better, be more professional and learn how to organize an activity,” said Jacob Reed, Freeborn County 4-H member of the Hartland 4-H Club.

In Freeborn County, more than 578 4-H members, 171 youth leaders and 135 adult volunteers are involved in 4-H. The fundamental 4-H ideal of practical, “learn by doing” experiences encourage youth to experiment, innovate and think independently. 4-H programs are offered through school-based, after-school and camp settings and within community clubs.

Minnesota 4-H is a youth development program available throughout Minnesota for youth grades kindergarten through one year after high school. 4-H’s learn-by-doing model guides youth in designing and participating in their own programs and activities, which results in hands-on learning. Through this unique process, youth obtain essential life skills such as problem solving, decision making, coping and communicating.

Today’s 4-H projects include the traditional and still popular animal science projects. But 4-H youth also work on cutting-edge technology projects, such as robotics, GPS, GIS, video production, environmental projects, such as maintaining local hiking trails and testing water in area streams for contaminants, and community service projects, such as the 4-H DTV initiative to educate and help Minnesotans prepare for the television switch to digital broadcasting next year.

To learn more go to www.4-H.umn.edu, or contact 4-H Program Coordinators Amy Wadding or Megan Thorson at 377-5660.