About Us
County Impact Statements - Searcy County
Building Tomorrow's Leaders
The County Extension Council recognizes the need for developing our youth to
be our future leaders of tomorrow. In community development, successful leaders
are usually individuals who have learned to give of their time through extensive
volunteer programs. Through these programs these leaders developed their skills
to help people in their own communities to improve their lives.
Searcy County 4-H members of the Oxley Achievers 4-H Club are learning to be
community volunteers and leaders early in life. In working a 4-H project, one
area of importance that stands out is community service. Members of this 4-H
club develop and participate in many community service projects each year. They
donate their time to projects such as the Oxley EH Easter Egg Hunt, making
Easter Bunnies for Leslie kindergarten, adopting 3 miles of highway cleanup,
placing flags on veteran graves, fairground cleanup, aluminum recycling, nursing
home visits at Christmas, Christmas Bags for the local community children, and a
petting zoo at the Searcy County fair.
With all of this hard work, the club started a new community service project
in 2001. The new project was to have the Searcy County Special Services out to a
local farm to get the students out to interact with the farm animals and have a
fun day learning about nutrition through a cookout. The 4-H members learned the
importance of collaborating with other agencies to put together this program.
They collaborated with Searcy County Special Services and the Extension Office.
Many life skills are learned through community service projects, but one that
stands out the most is building leaders for tomorrow. These members are working
in the trenches today learning to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Oxley Achievers 4-H Club members showing farm animals to the
Special Services students.
|
Impacts
- 68 youth and 32 adult volunteers were trained in leadership.
- 142 youth were enrolled in 4-H leadership projects.
- 51 new youth participants in leadership/volunteer programs.
- 240 youth completed one or two educational projects.
- 225 youth were involved in educational programs reported they have
adopted at least one new leadership skill.
|
