The Clover Connection For Douglas County 4-H Families and Volunteers

The weekend of November 18th -19th the State 4-H Office hosted the annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum (KYLF) at Rock Springs Ranch. Douglas County had four delegates attend; Rowin Morgan, Francesca Woolverton, Lydia Hartwick, and Lora Hartwick. KYLF is an event for youth around the state to come together and learn leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills. Throughout the day Saturday there were special classes for the delegates to choose from led by 4-H leaders, volunteers and professionals from around the state. Some classes were focused on civic engagement, others on goal setting and building community through communication, and most revolved around, of course, leadership. In addition to the classes, guest speaker Jason Wetzler spoke to the entire group during the opening ceremony on “Find Your WHY.” Dr. Sarah Maass, State 4-H Program Leader, and Amy Sollock, Youth Development specialist presented on the new Healthy Blue, Healthy You initiative. Each year, the elections for the Kansas Youth Council are held during KYLF. 4H members from across the state apply and go through an interview process. Attendees meet as a region and vote for nominees from their region.

There were many other opportunities for meeting new people and making new friends. We were split into small groups that met throughout the weekend, with the intent to help build connections in a more approachable setting. There was also an evening campfire and a dance (or board games) in Heritage Hall. A highlight of the event was the Call Hall ice cream that was distributed for an afternoon snack,

KYLF was an amazing experience that helped build a strong foundation of leadership in our youth. It is a vital event for state 4-H engagement and a great experience. If you are considering options to build your leadership skills both in and out of the 4-H program, consider attending KYLF next year.

The Kansas 4H Adult Volunteer Forum is help in conjunction with KYLF. Volunteer Leaders, Lee Ann Hartwick and Anja Woolverton attended the adult forum as well.

By Lora Hartwick, Meadowlark 4H Club