Dodge County 4-H Celebrates National 4-H Week

National 4-H Week took place from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10 and Dodge County was very involved. Over six million people celebrate 4-H nationwide. Of that, over 620 youth members and over 150 adult volunteers are in Dodge County.

The theme this year was “Beyond Ready” to showcase the programs that help develop the youth’s leadership and life-readiness skills. Throughout the week, local 4-H clubs hosted a variety of activities. Community members were encouraged to wear green and support the youth by volunteering or attending these events.

4-H celebrates unique interests, talents and passions held by the youth in the area along with helping them grow and find their place in the world.

Club members have been able to find passion in theater, photography, public speaking, gardening, camping, archery, sewing, livestock, sports, leadership, writing and more new skills.

“These interests reflect what local youth reported in a recent Dodge County 4-H Thriving Youth Survey, where 92% of youth said 4-H gives them opportunities to explore something they really care about, and 85% reported being passionate about the things they do in 4-H,” said a press release by Marie Witzel, 4-H and Positive Youth Development Educator for Dodge County Extension.

By applying what they learn in 4-H to new experiences, they are able to understand that change is constant and that applying what you know to unique situations is important.

Skills the youth learn in 4-H don’t just apply to the exact skill they learn, they are versatile and can be applied to all aspects of life. Witzel said, “4-H uses projects such as dog obedience, foods and nutrition and the creative arts to build academic and lifelong skills like decision-making, communication and time management.”

Additionally, within Dodge County, 147 community service projects and 797 volunteer hours were completed in the past year. Supporting veterans and active military personnel, helping local food pantries, nursing homes, schools and nonprofit organizations and more were all things that 4-H members did in support of their communities.

Assembling Valentine’s for Veterans, preparing troop care packages, donating food and school supplies, providing appreciation gifts for fire, police and EMS departments were all a part of their service. They also volunteered at National Night Outs, holiday parades, library events and community meals.

In 4-H, the youth also strived to improve the community’s shared spaces by doing roadside and trail clean ups, cemetery restoration projects, flower planting and more.

Their plans don’t stop at this year, they have much in store for 2027. Goals such as mentoring from older members, exploring opportunities and providing hands-on experiences have been made.

Having hands-on experiences is an important part of learning, especially in youth. For the past 100 years, 4-H has been dedicated to “learning by doing”. Today, they encourage reflection on what they do and how they learn in these new situations and activities.

Those interested in becoming involved in 4-H should contact the Extension Dodge County Office at 920-386-3790 or visit https://dodge.extension.wisc.edu/.