Youth committee adds new voices to 4-H
4-H Canada is committed to creating programming relevant for today’s youth and is seeking input from its young members to ensure that happens, said Shannon Benner, chief executive officer of 4-H Canada.
“We’re looking to amplify the voice of the Youth Advisory Committee so that we can really ensure we are a youth led and youth advocated organization,” she said during the rural youth group’s annual meeting here in June.
YAC members Kendra Elliott, 22, a member of the Pipestone 4-H Beef Club in Manitoba for 17 years, and Cameron Choquette, 18, a member of the Kelvington Beef 4-H Club in Saskatchewan for 12 years, were elected as observers on the board for 2015.
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“While I don’t have near the amount of knowledge about finance and governance, like some of our other board members, I do bring the perspective of a rural member,” Elliott said.
“I hope to use this to ensure that 4-H Canada continues to make decisions based on how they will affect our members, as we aren’t much of a youth organization without our youth,” she said.
Choquette wants the board to realize how every decision made affects members, leaders and parents.
“We, as a board, must always have those three groups in mind as we continue to provide direction for 4-H in Canada,” he said.
During the coming year, Choquette plans to get feedback from 4-H members.
“As a participant in five 4-H Canada programs, I bring a wealth of knowledge in regards to youth programming and how adolescents react to certain situations and environments,” h said.
After piloting its first YAC member, Alberta’s Breanne Durie, in 2013, the 4-H Canada board provided these members with the opportunity to hold two non-voting seats.
Valerie Stone of Ontario and Jacob Works of Nova Scotia filled the positions in 2014 with Stone now serving as a full voting board member.
YAC includes 12 youth from across Canada.
Scholarships awarded for 4-H leaders
4-H Canada’s leadership excellence awards of distinction winners will receive scholarships, mentoring and a trip to the national members conference in Regina in November.
The first-time awards will be doled out in $5,000 instalments over four years and given for each of 4-H Canada’s leadership development pillars: community engagement and communications, science and technology, the environment and healthy living and sustainable agriculture and food security.
Winners, chosen for their advocacy and community work, will be paired with industry mentors.
