Every year, National 4-H Week sees millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni come together to celebrate the many positive youth development opportunities offered by 4-H.

The theme for this year’s National 4-H Week, “Opportunity 4 All,” is a campaign that was created by National 4-H Council to rally support for Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program and identify solutions to eliminate the opportunity gap that affects 55 million kids across America.

With so many children struggling to reach their full potential, 4-H believes that young people, in partnership with adults, can play a key role in creating a more promising and equitable future for youth, families and communities across the country. 4-H believes every child should have an equal opportunity to succeed, and every child should have the skills they need to make a difference in the world.

Warren County 4-H will observe National 4-H Week this year by highlighting some of the inspirational 4-H youth in our community who are working tirelessly to support each other and their communities.

“We believe youth perspectives are so important and a solution to eliminating the opportunity gap, because young people come with new ideas and new ways of seeing the world,” explains Jennifer Sirangelo, President and CEO of National 4-H Council. By encouraging diverse voices and innovative actions, 4-H believes that solutions can be found to address the educational, economic and health issues that have created the opportunity gap.

Warren County 4-H will celebrate 4-H week through many different activities. The Teen Leader group hosted a “First Responders Appreciation” collection through Tuesday, Oct. 6. The community was also invited to participate in the third annual 4-H Week Blood Drive on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Look for 4-H window displays around the county and celebrate 4-H by wearing your favorite 4-H gear.

“4-H provides leadership opportunities for youth of all ages,” said Carey Benne, Warren County 4-H Program Associate. “Our 4-H program is growing! In the last year, 4-H’ers were able to attend our Regional Energizer, state judging contests and participate in county livestock shows. The 4-H experience we all love includes traditional programming, but now incorporates virtual options as well.”

In Warren County, more than 272 4-H youth and 92 volunteers from the community are involved in 4‑H. Most recently, Warren County 4-H collaborated with Warrenton High School and Warrenton FFA to offer a “4-H Warriors: Find Your Future” spin club. High School students met to explore agriculturally based career options and to learn resume writing and interviewing skills.

“Our goal is to help prepare these students for future success by providing them the skills they need,” said Benne. “We plan to connect our group directly with businessmen and women in career areas of interest.”

One of the most anticipated events of National 4-H Week every year is the 4-H STEM Challenge, formerly known as National Youth Science Day. The theme of this year’s event, which is expected to see hundreds of thousands of youth across the nation taking part throughout October, is Mars Base Camp.

Developed by Google and Virginia Cooperative Extension, Mars Base Camp is a collection of activities that teaches kids ages 8-14 STEM skills, including mechanical engineering, physics, computer science and agriculture.

To learn more about how you can get involved, visit www.4-h.org.