Eight 4-H youth representing Massachusetts, attended the 90th Annual National 4-H Congress, held November 25-29, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 900 delegates from across the United States and Puerto Rico, gathered to participate in this year’s “Become a Catalyst of Change” congress.
National 4-H Congress is one of the premiere experiences for 4-H members across the country to participate in. National 4-H Congress provides a life-changing experience for youth to meet other 4-H members from across America, as they participate in educational workshops focusing on diversity, cultural experiences, leadership, team development, and of course having fun!
Inspirational speakers contributed each day to the Congress theme of being a catalyst of change. Speakers included Dan Thurmon, Dr. Eugene Schoenfield, speaking on his experiences as a holocaust survivor, Teressa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, and concluded with Dan Clark.
Workshops ranged from healthy gourmet, pilates, global citizenship, dancing with the stars to robotics, photography, and agri-science. Tours included visits to CNN, Atlanta Aquarium, Atlanta Zoo, Coca Cola, and an evening at the Atlanta History Center.
On Monday morning, the entire Congress delegation performed community service throughout the Atlanta metro area. In addition, delegates continued the tradition of contributing towards donations to National 4-H Congress sponsored Habitat for Humanity homes. The celebration of welcoming the new family into the second Habitat home occurred at the Congress, and now donations are being collected to start building a 3rd home.
Elegant evening galas and semi-formal dances gave the delegates yet another important opportunity to gain a better appreciation of the diversity of delegates, to watch talented 4-Hers from throughout the country perform, and to develop networking skills to enable members to bring home new knowledge and awareness back to their home states.
To be selected, 4-H members had to submit a resume packet and support materials, including a cover letter, letters of recommendation, and an essay on their 4-H careers, including leadership experience, community service, public speaking, and project skill development. Packets were evaluated by a team of judges, and the top eight were selected.
