National 4-H Week proclamation signing

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[October 2-8 is National 4-H Week, and Jackson County is celebrating the 4-H youth who have made an impact on the community, and are stepping up to the challenges of a complex and changing world. On October 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 at the Red Bud Regional Hospital Community Health Fair, 4-H youth and their families will connect with the community by kicking off their pledge to turn off the TV and get active as a family one night a week for the month of October.

Bring your family to join us for an evening of fun as we commit to strengthen our families and our community by getting active and healthy together.

Recent findings from Tufts University&#39;s 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H. Notably, the Tufts research discovered that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that 4-H&#39;ers receive play a vital role in helping them actively contribute to their communities. In [name of county] County, more than [number] 4-H members and [number] volunteers are involved in 4-H.

Also during National 4-H Week, hundreds of thousands of youth from all around the nation will complete a single, innovative experiment on 4-H National Youth Science Day, which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. The 2011 National Science Experiment, Wired for Wind, will introduce young people to the possibilities of using wind as a clean, widely available, and low-cost source of renewable energy.

4-H youth are a living breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live. Learn how you can Join the Revolution of Responsibility at 4-H.org/revolution, or contact Yvonne Eater, 4-H and Youth Development Program Coordinator, University of Illinois Extension, Randolph County at 618-443-4364 or yeater@illinois.edu.