Released: March 08, 2002

Kids’ Conference Puts ’Face’ on Issues

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If you haven’t experienced it, poverty, homelessness, and hunger can be difficult to understand. Three-hundred and fifty students traveling to the Kansas City area to attend the 2002 4-H Global Conference: "Reaching Out from the Heartland" are, however, likely to take home a greater understanding of issues facing the world today.

4-Hers ages 15 and up from seven states – Arkansas; Iowa; Nebraska; Missouri; Oklahoma; Texas; and Kansas – are expected to attend the March 13-16 conference at the Airport Hilton. The conference replaces the 4-H youth gathering that previously was held in conjunction with the American Royal, said Lindy Lindquist, Kansas State University Research and Extension associate 4-H youth development specialist.

"The newer version of the popular conference offers more than 80 different skill-building workshops on topics such as getting along with others; becoming a more responsible citizen; caring for the environment, understanding cultural diversity, and preparing for a career," said Lindquist, who serves on the conference planning team.

4-H conference delegates also will participate in service learning opportunities through such activities as helping to sort food at Harvesters, the largest food distribution bank in the Kansas City area. They’ll also visit the City Union Mission, one of the largest homeless shelters in Kansas City.

Delegates are invited to an ethnic enrichment night with representatives from fourteen countries who reside in the Kansas City area. The teens will have an opportunity to learn about arts, crafts, and customs from the different countries, and taste traditional ethnic foods.

"Ethnic enrichment night usually is one of the 4-Hers’ favorites. Most are adventuresome about trying new foods and making new friends," Lindquist said.

Conference field trips also help the teens learn more about careers. A tour of the Harley Davidson motorcycle assembly plant – dubbed "Careers in Gears"– includes information about career opportunities and the training that’s required for jobs in the assembly plant.

Personal growth is part of the conference program, too. Students who have attended previous sessions on improving scholarship and job applications have written the volunteer instructor thank you notes reporting educational awards and employment successes.

While 4-Hers who attend the conference are likely to benefit in many ways, Lindquist recalls the conversation she had with a delegate at a previous global conference: Prior to attending the conference, he said that he felt that his community didn’t have problems with hunger and homelessness. After attending, he realized that these and other problems also existed in his community, and that he had learned more about how he could help.

Raising the level of awareness is an important part of the program. So is helping students learn to make the most of their skills, abilities, and interests so that they can be contributing members of their communities, she said.

For more information on the 2002 Kansas City 4-H Global Conference, contact Lindquist at 785-532-5800.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Nancy Peterson, Communications Specialist
npeterso@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News