By MICHELLE BERAN
Cottonwood Extension District
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It is exciting that I get to share my thoughts with you this week from Washington, D.C.! I traveled with four of our Kansas 4-H Youth Council delegates to attend the 2025 National 4-H Conference.
National 4-H Conference is a 98-year-old tradition administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture with the intent to develop the next generation of leaders.
Youth participants had the opportunity to prioritize several challenge questions that they were interested in working on and presenting a youth perspective briefing. A key component of the National 4-H Conference is to amplify youth voice so a Youth Leadership team assists in conference planning and a Collegiate Facilitator Team host and facilitate youth roundtable groups.
The 21 challenge questions provide the foundation for the roundtable groups to research and develop a presentation to share youth perspective ranging from Financial Literacy to Youth Engagement, Preparedness, Resilience to Empowering Youth in Rural Communities to Future Food and Agriculture Workforce. The roundtable group will develop a 45-minute briefing presentation for a related federal partner. I am so excited to see the thought-provoking ideas that come out of this work.
In addition to many hours of research, discussion, and practice, the youth have time for great opportunities to expand their experiences and network. We have congressional office visits scheduled, time to take in at least one of the Smithsonian museums, an evening tour of the monuments, and to participate in the flag-raising at USDA!
I am very appreciative of the opportunity to chaperone these accomplished young women, as well as the support of the Kansas 4-H Foundation and the planning by the Kansas 4-H office.
Keep learning! Keep showing grace and kindness!
Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at [email protected] or call Cottonwood Extension District – Barton Office at 620-793-1910.