4-H Focus: National youth summits offer kids a chance to grow

Every year, Iowa sends youth delegations to Healthy Living, Photography, and Agri-Science 4-H summits. This year's summits are being held virtually but are still jammed pack with excellent speakers, open discussions, and more.

The next summit will be Healthy Living, held from Feb. 12-15, 2021. During this summit, youth will develop knowledge and skills in addressing today's health-related issues, including nutrition education, physical fitness, wellness, and emotional wellbeing through interactive workshops. Participants will attend workshops led by professionals in health and wellness fields and work together to create action plans they can implement in their local communities. Registration ends Jan. 29 for the Healthy Living Summit, but Agri-Science is open until Feb. 19.

During the Agri-Science summit, youth participants will meet youth from across the country to discuss current agriculture issues, learn about agri-science careers and listen to professionals in agri-science careers. Youth delegates from Iowa will work as a team to create solutions for agri-science issues locally in Iowa. This year's summit is in a virtual format open to any youth in grades 9-12 and will take place March 5-7. No travel is required. There is a cost to register.

The state 4-H office will support a youth-led team by Youth Extension Specialists, Maya Hayslett, and Lynne Campbell. The team of Iowa youth will work together before, during, and after the summit on an action project related to what they learn. The top candidates selected will receive a reduced registration fee. Registration ends Feb. 11. Contact your local Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office to get registered today, and keep an eye out for more county and statewide opportunities on your local Extension office websites.