The Kansas 4-H Youth Development Program has recognized more than two dozen youth as state project award winners for the project year 2022-23.

Sarah Maass, state leader for the Kansas 4-H program, says, “Being a state project winner indicates prior excellence and points to [youth’s] future potential.

“Youth must display leadership skills and hearts for service by organizing events like community service projects [and] project meetings to share their expertise with younger 4-H members, and other unique efforts,” she says.

One state winner is selected yearly from the senior division (ages 14 to 18) in 27 project categories. Kansas 4-H youth submit a project report form, a summary of their work in a certain project.

Maass notes that not only will they learn new project skills, but these youth must also demonstrate growth and strength in leadership, organization, civic engagement — and above all, communication within the project.

This year’s projects and their winners are:

Award winners were recognized during the Emerald Circle Banquet in June, hosted at Kansas State University in Manhattan, by the Kansas 4-H Foundation. Officials say project report forms progress through county, regional and statewide evaluations before the state winner in each project area is named.

A video of the annual banquet is available online at bit.ly/2022kansas4hbanquetvideo.

State 4-H project award winners are also eligible to attend the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta in November.

More information about opportunities with the Kansas 4-H Youth Development program is available at kansas4-h.org.

Source: Kansas State Research and Extension News Service