October 15, 2014
48 Hours of 4-H launches a weekend of service, a lifetime of impact
This past weekend, more than 3,000 Kansas 4-H members, parents, volunteers and alumni demonstrated their commitment to civic engagement. A new statewide community service project, 48 Hours of 4-H, showcased the positive impact 4-Hers can make in just one weekend.
On Oct. 11-12, the weekend immediately following National 4-H Week, an estimated 3,000 people from 58 counties across Kansas registered to participate in more than 130 different community service projects.
These numbers shouldn't be too surprising, considering a recent study on positive youth development shows that 4-H members, grades 7-12, are 3.5 times more likely to make contributions to their communities than their peers. They also are estimated to be twice as civically active.
Service activities included community cleanup and beautification, collecting food for local food pantries, working at animal shelters, making kits or items for children's groups, nursing homes and domestic violence centers, helping with community projects and festivals, visiting nursing homes, and holding benefit events.
48 Hours of 4-H is the brainchild of the Kansas 4-H Youth Leadership Council in cooperation with K-State Research and Extension, the Department of 4-H Youth Development, with generous support from the Kansas 4-H Foundation.