Coffee County Youth to Celebrate National 4-H Week: October 4-10

Manchester, TN (October 4, 2020) — Every year, National 4-H Week sees millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni come together to celebrate the many positive youth development opportunities offered by 4-H. The theme for this year’s National 4-H Week, Opportunity4All, and in Tennessee, we are focusing on opportunities for all youth to go outside and enjoy outdoor education!

4-H believes that young people, in partnership with adults, can play a key role in creating a more promising and equitable future for youth, families and communities across the country. In 4-H, we believe every child should have an equal opportunity to succeed. We believe every child should have the skills they need to make a difference in the world.

Coffee County 4-H is kicking off National 4-H Week with a Drive-in Trivia Event. Throughout the rest of the week, outdoor challenges will be shared on social media, and community members are invited to share their 4-H memories with others.

In Coffee County, more than 1600 4-H youth in grades 4-12 and 15 volunteers from the community are involved in 4H. Melanie McKelvey, a recent high school graduate, reflected on her 4-H experience and has this to say, “Being part of Tennessee 4-H has been one of the best experiences of my life. Through 4-H, I have learned so many crucial leadership and life skills that I can utilize to further myself in both an academic and professional setting. Through 4-H, I have had amazing opportunities to expand my horizons and make new friends from all over the country. I was able to bolster my confidence and discover that I can achieve anything so long as I roll up my sleeves and put my mind to it. To everyone at the Coffee County 4-H office and to all my fellow 4-Hers who I have shared these experiences with: thank you. I have become a more thoughtful and more driven person because of you.”

4-H members in Coffee County participate in educational programs and activities that are focused on topics such as Animal Science, gardening, nutrition, photography and more. While they participate in these programs and are learning the technical knowledge and skills that pertain to the program topics, they are also developing life skills such as public speaking, teamwork, etc. Many of these programs are hosted at “All in One” events that seek to “make the most of Mondays” by bringing together as many 4-H members and volunteers as possible under one roof and offer creative and engaging afterschool programming. Susan McKelvey, a parent volunteer, says this, “As a parent of three 4-H members, the All in One events are great! They allow them to be more involved with the programs they love, even with busy schedules. Furthermore, as a 4-H volunteer, the All in One program gives me and others the confidence to volunteer knowing exactly which days we will be needed.”

4-H truly has a place for everyone! Connect with us at facebook.com/coffeecoext and coffee.tennessee.edu.

About 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 110 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.