Released: February 21, 2006

Teen Leaders Turn Ideas into Opportunities

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – One group of Kansas’ teens is putting leadership skills to work to create opportunities for teenagers and define a youthful voice in the state, said Ashley Guenther, Franklin County 4-H member and newly elected president of the Kansas 4-H Youth Council.

The council typically plans conferences and interactive activities, such as 4-H’s Citizenship in Action Day at the Kansas Legislature, Feb. 19-20, Guenther said. The Kansas Youth Leadership Forum, a personal and professional development conference that attracts 200 or more teens each fall, and Bridging the Gap: Youth and Adult Partnership Workshops to build community are other examples.

“4-H members, ages 14-18 are eligible to run for the council, but those who express the most interest often are the members who have interests in leadership, citizenship and community service projects,” she said.

Youth Council members are elected at the Youth Leadership Forum held at Rock Springs 4-H Center in late fall. Elected to this year’s council are:

Callie Jo Fishburn, from Douglas County, and Aaron Kadavy, River Valley Extension District, representing the Northeast K-State Research and Extension area.

Jacob Hadley, Butler County; Shane Oram, Franklin County; Becky Sullivan, Miami County, and Jill Tatum, Cowley County, representing the Southeast Extension area.

Becky Benoit, Phillips-Rooks District; Lindsey Morrical, Post Rock District, representing the Northwest Extension area.

Josie Brenner, Pratt County; Jessica Fox, Hamilton County; Karissa Pankratz, Harper County, and Barrett Smith, Edwards County, representing the Southwest Extension area.

Returning council members, who will help guide newly elected members are: Chelsy Coen, Ashley Guenther and Tess Ludwick, from Franklin County; Creighton Olsen, Pawnee County; Whitney Madden and Melissa Yarrow, River Valley District; and Nathan Harms, Sedgwick County. Ludwick and Yarrow will serve as Youth Council Advisors and Harms as a Youth Council Intern.

2006 National 4-H Conference delegates -- Jessie Bullock, Johnson County; Wesley Callahan, Douglas County; Victoria Reilly, Montgomery County, and Emily Schneider, Central Kansas District – also serve as members of the 4-H Youth Council for two-year terms. 4-H Conference delegates are selected by an application and interview process and invited to the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Md., to exchange ideas with 4-H members from other states and plan national 4-H programs.

“Previous delegates brought home the idea of a youth council, which now is in its sixth year,” said Beth Hinshaw, K-State Research and Extension 4-H youth development specialist, who serves as advisor to the teen group. Hinshaw is based in the southeast Kansas Extension area and shares advising responsibilities with Justin Wiebers, 4-H event planner based in the state 4-H office on
K-State’s Manhattan campus, and Barbara Addison, 4-H youth development agent in Finney County.

Elected to join Guenther in leading the council are Chelsy Coen, vice president, and Creighton Olsen, secretary.

For more information on the Kansas 4-H Youth Leadership Council and educational opportunities for teens, contact the county or district K-State Research and Extension office or log on to 4-H’s Web site: www.kansas4h.org.

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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
nancyp@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News