The following 4-H Youth Development article printed in the 2019 Summer edition of the Oldham County Extension Newsletter.

4-H is a Good Place for Career Exploration

4-H provides youth numerous opportunities to learn, grow and develop into productive adults. As a result, 4-H is a perfect place for young people to start exploring potential careers.

From robotics to cooking, 4-H’s many programs, clubs, and activities really do have something to interest every young person. If youth have an interest, talent, or hobby, chances are they can learn more about it or do something productive with it in 4-H. As they learn more and do more in a particular interest area, a young person may develop a passion for a particular activity which could turn into a career choice. They may also decide a particular topic or field is not for them. A great thing about 4-H is that it provides a safe environment for exploration before young people have to choose a college major or commit to a particular career.

Another great thing about 4-H is members get to explore many of their interests under the guidance of a caring adult volunteer. Many times, these volunteers are also experts in the topics they are teaching. So not only do these volunteers help educate youth but they can also show youth the many career possibilities available in a particular field. Volunteers also provide valuable networking experiences as youth begin thinking about careers.

Many 4-H activities foster creativity and get youth thinking outside of the box. Their ideas may one day turn into a career for them. In entrepreneurship programs, young people get to learn more about the steps to take to start a business and about the risks involved. Many also progress further by actually opening their own businesses while still 4-H’ers.

For more information on becoming involved with 4-H, contact the Oldham Cooperative Extension Service via (502) 222-9453 or kwoods@uky.edu.

Written by Chuck Stamper, Cooperative Extension Service Special Projects Coordinator.