National Conversation On Youth Development In The 21st Century

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The most succinct explanation of this program appears in the 2001 Annual Report of National 4-H Council. It states:

"No program or project that Council has undertaken in 2001 better illustrates how Council is living its mission than its work on the "National Conversation on Youth Development in the 21st Century – 4-H's gift to the nation to commemorate its Centennial. This initiative consists of Conversations, hosted by 4-H, with youth and adults in every county in the nation, followed by State Conversations in each state, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five territories, and culminating with a National Conversation in Washington, D.C. Through these Conversations, 4-H will build an action plan for positive youth development at the national and community levels and present it to President Bush, his Cabinet, and Congress. Building upon these Conversations, 4-H intends to engage the nation in positive youth development programs, continuing to address youth challenges, build youth skills, generate civic involvement, and create better communities. A schedule of all Conversations, Power of YOUth Pledge campaign statistics, and all 4-H Centennial information are available at 4hcentennial.org

"As a trusted representative of the 4-H movement on the national level, Council has been a key force in efforts to secure Public Law 107-19, which authorizes $5 million dollars in Federal funding to support the 4-H Centennial Initiative. Council has taken the lead in raising funds to match those monies provided by the government. This effort has been well received by those on Capitol Hill.

"When it launched its work on this project, Council used its role of generating big 'out of the box' ideas to help create a unique model of working with a former congressman and a well-respected Agriculture lobbying firm to open many doors on Capitol Hill. This team was able to tap into an overwhelming groundswell of support for 4-H and its Centennial Initiative. As a result, Public Law 107-19 passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate and was signed by President George W. Bush. Acting as a facilitator for the 4-H System, National 4-H Council was also pivotal in securing support from former Senator Bob Dole, and former Speaker of the House and Ambassador to Japan, Tom Foley. Dole and Foley have agreed to Co-chair the 4-H Centennial Initiative."

Programmatically, no project National 4-H Council took on in 2001 in preparation for the 4-H centennial illustrated how Council was living its mission than its work on the "National Conversation on Youth Development in the 21st Century."

The National 4-H History Preservation team is attempting to document the history of the 4-H Centennial year, but undoubtedly, this part of the celebration – the "National Conversation" – generated much exposure and visibility and certainly belongs in the history of 4-H promotion.

[4hcentennial.org no longer exists; the URL automatically transfers visitors to the 4-H history preservation website.]