4-H! Most people think of 4-H as agriculture and animals, but it is so much more.

4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills through projects such as robotics, creative arts, sewing, environmental science, and animals (including domestic, reptiles, etc.)

These are just a few of the projects 4-H uses to help youth build life skills.

Walla Walla County youth (4-H and non-4-H) in 1st-12th grade spent Saturday, March 23, participating in our annual 4-H Super Saturday event. This program was provided in partnership by Walla Walla County 4-H Leaders Council and WSU Extension.

Over 100 youth participated in classes that included robotics, rockets, DIY calendars, submarines, chemistry into art, karate, fly fishing and much more.

4-H embraces learning life skills through hands-on activities. We take the interests of our youth and develop creative ways for them to learn skills like teamwork, problem solving, responsibility, leadership, cooperation and more.

This event is also a great opportunity for our 4-H teens to be involved. Several of the classes each year are taught by 4-H teens. This gives them an opportunity to be in charge and share their passion for a favorite topic.

Miriam Bennett, Allison Fenton, both college students, and Melia Loe (high school) have been teaching classes at 4-H Super Saturday and in their club meetings about small animals for several years. Garrett Green (high school) has also been teaching youth about aerospace, building rockets and foam core airplanes for several years.

This a great opportunity for the teens to improve their leadership skills and the younger youth in their clubs and classes respond greatly to them.

These young people are the future of our world, and 4-H provides an avenue for them to gain the skills they will need lead us into the future.