National 4-H Conference

Develop Recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program Nationally

The National 4-H Conference is the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture's premier youth development opportunity to engage youth in developing recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

This event brings together youth, volunteer leaders, and state and county extension staff members from across the United States, the U.S. territories, and the Canadian provinces.

A working conference

Youth and adults develop recommendations to help guide 4-H Youth Development Programs nationally and in their communities.

National 4-H Conference experience

Providing the Youth Perspective on Physical Activity Messaging

Every spring, 4-H clubs send delegates to the National 4-H Conference to put their skills into practice by addressing a challenge posed by a federal agency. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) challenged a group of 4-H members to identify different adolescent ‘activity styles,’ or personas, and to provide the youth perspective for how to communicate the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to adolescents. Read more on the health.gov News Blog

Watch the videos below to learn more about different aspects of the National 4-H Conference

My favorite part of the conference

Roundtables

Meeting with legislators

National 4-H Conference 2019
April 6-11, 2019
National 4-H Conference Center, Chevy Chase, MD

Apply to be a California 4-H Delegate

Youth rally during the 2016 National 4-H Conference

The aim of the selection committee is to select a team that encompasses the diversity of California and California 4-H.

Expectations for Delegates

Prior to Conference

Attend the team meetings via webinar and in person
Gather facts, opinions, and data from the 4-H Youth Development Program at the local, county, area, and state levels.
Interview your county’s 4-H Advisor and submits a recap to the California 4-H Office about the variety of services and programs offered by the 4-H Program in your local county and throughout California.
As a team, develop a consistent message from California 4-H to deliver at the conference.

During Conference

Be an active participant while attending the National 4-H Conference.
Be flexible, adaptable, and able to get along well with many types of personalities

After Conference

Attend the team post-conference meeting.
Complete a team report about the conference.
Write a thank you note to the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation.
Complete the “Take it Home Project”

Summary of Information for California 4-H delegates to the 2019 National 4-H Conference

Eligibility requirements
Application requirements
Delegate expectations
Timeline of pre-conference orientation, meetings, and deadlines

Sponsorship of California 4-H's delegation

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation through the California 4-H Foundation, the following costs are covered for the California 4-H delegation:

Roundtrip travel to pre-conference orientation and meetings
Roundtrip travel to the National 4-H Conference
National 4-H Conference registration fees
Two additonal days in Washington D.C post conference.

Purpose of California’s Delegation to the National 4-H Conference

Provide opportunities for California youth and adults to participate in and contribute to 4-H on the national level.
Assist California 4-H Youth Development in strengthening youth-adult partnerships and involving youth, volunteers, and staff in 4-H decision-making.
Provide a system for an exchange of 4-H Youth Development programming ideas among states.
Visit Congress and make legislators aware of the tremendous impact of the 4-H program.

Past Delegations

Application

The 2019 National 4-H Conference application will be due in early November 5, 2018 11:59pm. Late Applications will not be reviewed.

Review the Conference details, application and team requirements.

Applications must include:

Online application
4-H Resume - Include as an attachment on your online application. For more information on how to build a 4-H Resume, visit the 4-H Resumes page under Resources for Youth Members.
References- 3 references are required. The people serving as your reference will have to complete the online survey before the deadline od November 5, 2018

Eligibility Requirements

Delegates:

Have not represented California 4-H Youth Development at the National 4-H Conference before;
Will be at least 16 years of age on December 31, 2018.

Questions

Staff Coordinator: Jenna Colburn, jcolburn@ucanr.edu