Every community I work with lists one of their greatest concerns for their future as the “brain drain” or the loss of their youth after they leave high school.

We need to let our youth know that they are valued in our community. Many youth are involved in all kinds of sports and activities that can demand so much of their time they do not have or take the time to give back to society or their community. As adults we are much the same way; we are too busy with our own jobs and lives to give time to our community.

There is a youth leadership and development organization that is celebrating 100 years of service in Oklahoma. The organization is 4-H. The mission of the 4-H program is to empower youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults and to build leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H envisions a world in which youth and adults learn, grow and work together as catalysts for positive change.

The motto all 4-H’ers know is “To Make the Best Better.” The 4-H organization has a pledge that has as its goal the four-fold development of youth: head, heart, hands and health. The 4-H pledge states: “I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world,”

This great organization started in 1909 in Tishomingo. It initially was created to educate boys about agricultural practices with an emphasis on increasing corn yields. From those humble beginnings with 50 boys in 1909, 4-H in Oklahoma has grown to include 141,038 youths and 4,368 adult volunteers involved in 2008. This is more than all other youth organizations combined. Nationally, there were more than 6.5 million youths and 540,000 volunteers in 4-H.

Today in Oklahoma 46 percent of those in 4-H are from urban and suburban areas, 56 percent are females and 32 percent of the members are minorities. Today their projects and programs are as diverse as rocketry, GPS mapping, animal science, biotechnology, public speaking, nutrition and environmental science. This program is available to all youth age 5-19.

Many famous Oklahomans list their 4-H experiences and life skills developed while in 4-H as a reason for their success. Some Oklahoma 4-H alumni include Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Miss Oklahoma 2004 Elizabeth Kinney, Miss America 1967 Jane Jayroe, former U.S. Rep. Mike Synar and many others. Nationally among the ranks of alumni are one vice president, 14 governors, 33 university presidents, 21 entertainers, 31 CEOs and six astronauts.

4-H is good for Oklahoma. More than 50 percent of Oklahoma 4-H alumni earn college degrees, compared to 20 percent of the general population. Eighty-eight percent of 4-H alumni continue to live, raise families and spend money in Oklahoma. Approximately 95 percent of Oklahoma 4-H alumni volunteer in their communities. In a recent one-year time period, Oklahoma 4-H’ers conducted 27,000 community activities, and they contributed more than 300,000 hours of community service valued at just under $2,000,000. So as you can see, 4-H in Oklahoma has had a huge impact on the lives of thousands of youths in the state as they have become upstanding civic-minded adults and their community service projects have impacted virtually every community in this state.

As I stated in the beginning, if a community wants to continue to be a vibrant community leaders must engage their youths in the plans and decisions for the future. The 4-H program has youths who are dedicated and pledge their head, heart, hands and health to their club, community, country and world.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the 4-H program for your kids or as an adult volunteer, you can contact your local county extension office. Phone number for the Garfield County Extension office is 237-1228. If you have any questions or comments about this column, you can contact me at stan.ralstin@okstate.edu or by calling 237-7677.



Ralstin is community development specialist for Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.