Sarah Koester earns 2010 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Sarah Koester, a volunteer 4-H leader in Randolph County, was named a regional finalist for the "4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award" by the University of Illinois State 4-H Office. Koester, of Red Bud, Illinois, was selected to represent the southern area of Illinois, before being considered for the state award. The award honors 4-H volunteers with less than ten years of service.
According to Sheri Seibold, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, "The Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award allows 4-H to recognize important individuals who have succeeded in helping youth develop life skills through positive youth development experiences in 4-H."
Sarah Koester, an eight year leader of the Prairie Schooners 4-H Club, has also been instrumental in expanding opportunities for five to seven year olds through the 4-H Cloverbud program. According to Yvonne Eater, Randolph County 4-H Community Worker, "Sarah says it brings great joy to her heart to see a child set a goal and achieve it. She remembers how good it felt to be rewarded for achieving goals when she was a child in 4-H, but she finds it more rewarding when the children she works with in the club achieve their goals."
Sarah works to create a welcoming environment at club activities. She fosters a sense of camaraderie among members. Sarah enjoys seeing the fellowship among families at 4-H events and is grateful for the parental involvement in the club.
Sarah took the initiative to secure funds from Wal-Mart's Volunteer Always Pays program. Her efforts generated funds to help cover the 4-H program fees. She then challenged her members to think of ways to match those funds and to use the money to carry out their club activities.
The Prairie Schooners 4-H Club has attracted close to thirty new members over the last four years. The excitement of the 4-H members encourages Sarah. She is "so proud to work with great people in 4-H. She wants to see her children shine!
University of Illinois Extension 4-H Youth Development named the "Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award" winners. The five 4-H volunteers named Illinois regional nominees for the award, included Sarah Stewart of Kendall County, Jane Zeien of Boone County, Linda Faye White of McLean County, Dee Kirwan of McDonough County, and Sarah Koester of Randolph County. These five individuals will be honored at the 2010 Illinois State Fair as part of the 4-H Clover Celebration.
"4-H volunteers are vital. These caring adults work to instill the concepts of positive youth development in the 4-H program by providing BIG-M - a sense of belong, independence, generosity, and mastery into the 4-H program, events, and activities," said Sheri Seibold, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, University of Illinois Extension. We appreciate the time and knowledge invested in 4-H members, their families, and communities." Illinois 4-H salutes Sarah Koester on her contributions to the youth of Randolph County!
4-H is the largest out-of-school educational program youth in the United States. 4-H seeks to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, forming attitudes, and developing life skills that will enable them to become caring, competent, and contributing members of society. In Illinois 268,367 youth participate in 4-H and the other youth programs of the University of Illinois Extension. More than 23,658 adult volunteers assist in the programming. For more information about 4-H in Illinois, visit: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state4h/. To learn more about volunteer opportunities with 4-H, contact your local Extension office or go to http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state4h/ and look in the Volunteer section. For information about 4-H in Randolph County, contact the University of Illinois Extension Office at 443-4364.