Alums celebrate 4-H’s centennial

Were you a Lafourche Parish 4-H club member in junior high or high school?

The parish is hosting a celebration April 19 at the Agricultural Buiding in Raceland from 5 to 7 p.m. for 4-H alumnus. All past members are invited to join in the fun.

“As we celebrate 100 years, we will reflect on our eventful past and look forward to an even more eventful future,” said Donna Ayo, an area Cooperative Extension agent. “This will be a year of recognition and celebrations, while staying true to our roots – focusing on the development of youth.”

Born in rural America, 4-H serves young people across the country. It teaches members leadership, citizenship and life skills.

Ayo said since 1908, Louisiana’s youth have been given opportunities to become positive, productive, capable and compassionate citizens in their communities via 4-H, the world’s largest youth organization.

“4-H seeks to provide individualism to our state’s youth, as well as to provide educational programs to teach life skills,” she said. “These programs focus on the areas of science, engineering, technology, healthy lifestyles and citizenship.”

Louisiana’s 4-H is an outreach of the LSU AgCenter and is part of the National 4-H organization. Today, Louisiana is one of only a few states where 4-H is a co-curricular activity in every parish school system.

Students in Kindergarten through 12th grade can participate through character education or after-school programs. Young people in grades four through 12 can also join a 4-H school club in most Louisiana public schools, Ayo said.

For more information or to register for the centennial celebration, call the 4-H extension office at (985) 446-1316.