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4-H, FFA join for first leadership conference
By
Katie
Pratt
 LEXINGTON,
Ky. (Dec. 12, 2007) – 4-H and FFA youths from across the state
joined forces to learn leadership skills from University of
Kentucky College of Agriculture students during the UK
LEADership Conference.
“Most of the youth are in grades 10 to 12, and this is their
first experience with leadership training,” said Jason Headrick,
UK director for student relations for agriculture. “The goal is
to get them on campus and show what College of Agriculture
students are doing.”
The conference was formerly the FFA LEAD Conference, but 4-H’ers
were invited to participate this year. Headrick said as far as
he knows, this was the first leadership conference in the
college, and possibly the nation, to ever join the two
organizations. He eventually hopes to invite students in Family,
Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) to participate.
“4-H and FFA have the same general goals,” said Jennifer
Hubbard, UK Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development agent in
Fayette County. She said the conference was a good networking
opportunity for youths in both organizations.
Bryan Hains, UK assistant professor of agriculture education,
was the conference’s guest speaker. He discussed the many career
and leadership opportunities available through the College of
Agriculture and encouraged those who do not have a traditional
farming background to explore the agriculture field. Growing up
in an urban area near Denver, Colo., Hains did not have a
traditional farming background. He developed his passion for
agriculture when he joined FFA after his family moved to rural,
eastern Colorado.
“Students need to be serious about their education and know
they’re going to leave UK receiving one of the highest qualities
of education that they can achieve,” Hains said. “And they have
a support network that won’t allow them to fail by
themselves—that includes faculty and staff.”
Youth attended workshops that focused on leadership, college
planning, goal setting and effective community service. Most of
the workshops were led by College of Agriculture students.
 “I
hope they take something from the workshops back to their
counties or their homes and teach other people what they’ve
learned here,” said Kelli Long, sophomore coordinator for the
conference and Collegiate 4-H member.
Long, an agricultural communications major from Monroe County,
said she learned many leadership skills in 4-H since she began
participating while in middle school.
“Being in 4-H definitely helped me to learn how to speak to
large groups of people,” she said.
Emily London, a sophomore public service and leadership major
from Barren County, said she hoped conference participants learn
something from the conference. A former state FFA officer, this
was London’s second year for attending the conference. She was
one of three students that gave a workshop on how to conduct a
meeting using parliamentary procedure.
“It’s about premier leadership and personal growth, and it
taught me those two keys things,” London said of her FFA
experience during high school.
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Contact: Jason Headrick, 257-3469
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
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