One year ago, I wrote a series of editorials about the decline of traditional 4-H participation in many Indiana counties. The articles drew lots of response, with most people agreeing and offering their experiences to prove the point. However, there was a common thread. No one had a surefire solution.

Perhaps that’s because there is no silver bullet — no one way to reenergize 4-H programs across the state. Jason Henderson, Purdue University director of Extension, noted in a response that times have changed, and 4-H must change with them to serve youth growing up in a much different environment than you or your parents experienced.

Henderson certainly has a point. Most kids today are all about keeping a cellphone in front of their faces — not to talk but to work their fingers, either texting friends, relating to them through social media or playing games. Some would rather slap in ear buds or play video games than read tried-and-true 4-H manuals and complete posters based on project activities.

Bucking the trend

Imagine my surprise when I visited the Ripley County Fairgrounds for the first time in July and judged a variety of projects. My lineup included traditional projects — primarily poster projects — including soil conservation, geology, entomology, veterinary science, weather and beekeeping. Based on experiences judging at other fairs over the past few years and this year, I figured it would be a long Saturday morning. I might talk to 12 or 15 4-H’ers in live judging if I was lucky.

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As it turns out, there were nearly that many members in the vet science project alone. I talked to nearly 40 kids and judged over 40 projects. Considering many of these projects draw from one to a handful of entries in most counties, that’s a lot! I was busy the entire time.

Better yet, most 4-H members I met were talkative and knowledgeable about their projects. And while I was judging, judging lines were even longer for other projects. The parking lot at one time was nearly full of cars.

Adult support

So why is 4-H participation in county fair projects still strong in Ripley County? Undoubtedly it goes back to supportive parents and club leaders. The two volunteers who helped me that day also provided clues.

Nikki Allen, one of my assistants, is project leader for the geology project in Ripley County. “Most of our projects have program leaders just for that project,” she explained. “We don’t typically have organized meetings, but kids in the project know I’m more than willing to answer questions if they contact me.”

Kelli Cobler, my other assistant, told a similar story. Cobler is a veterinarian. “We don’t have organized meetings either, but if someone contacts me about the project, I help as much as I can,” she said. “Usually one or more members in the project will contact me with a question.”

Hats off to these two moms and all the other adult volunteers in Ripley County and around the state who still believe in 4-H, and who donate their time and talents to making it successful.

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