99th Tennessee 4-H Roundup Convenes at UT Martin
99th Tennessee 4-H Roundup Convenes at UT Martin
Hundreds of Youth Honored for Their Efforts
MARTIN, Tenn. – The 99th State 4-H Roundup and All Star Conference is returning to the University of Tennessee at Martin to celebrate the outstanding project work and leadership accomplishments of senior high 4-H members. The event takes place July 18-22.
Approximately 300 high school age 4-H’ers from across Tennessee will meet for several days on the UT Martin campus. The 4-H’ers have completed local projects in areas such as communication and public speaking, livestock, computers and technology and photography and will now compete for statewide awards that include college scholarships and trips to the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta. The theme for this meeting and for all 4-H programs in 2022 is “Shaping the Future Together.”
“It’s a privilege for UT Martin to host 4-H Roundup and the excitement that Roundup brings to our university and the region,” said Keith Carver, UT Martin chancellor. “The project competition, networking and service-learning opportunities are among the many 4-H Roundup traditions that will build lasting memories for delegates. We could not be prouder when this premier event brings these outstanding young people and future leaders to our campus.”
“We are excited to partner once again with UT Martin to host this amazing group of 4-H youth,” said Carrie Castille senior vice chancellor and senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture. “The energy and enthusiasm they bring to their projects is infectious. As a 4-Her myself, I know this is one of the most impactful events to take place in their young lives.”
In addition to project competitions, delegates will participate in a number of activities, including the 4-H All Star Conference, Vol State Ceremony, the election of the 2022 State Council officers and a service-learning project.
Ashley Stokes, dean of UT Extension, is looking forward to attending her second 4-H Roundup in Tennessee and to meeting the project participants. “I am always impressed by the efforts and talents of our youth, and I look forward to learning more about their meaningful work and seeing all they have accomplished,” she said.
Service-learning opportunities are essential to the 4-H program, and delegates to the Tennessee 4-H Roundup and All Star Conference will work to benefit the Carl Perkins Center this year. The Carl Perkins Center works to support families in preventing and dealing with child abuse in West Tennessee. 4-H members from each region are asked to bring specific items to support the organization, including canned goods, diapers and wipes, paper towels and toilet paper.
Each year, 4-H’ers statewide, along with the adults who volunteer to support the program, perform thousands of hours of service to their communities and in 2021 that service is estimated to have had an economic impact of approximately $15 million. Through the service-learning projects, 4-H’ers learn that they can really make a difference in their communities.
The Division of Youth and 4-H is housed in the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and is conducted through the land-grant university extension 4-H offices. Additional support is provided to 4-H by National 4-H Council (a private, non-profit organization). In Tennessee, University of Tennessee Extension manages the program with cooperation from Tennessee State University. 4-H teaches leadership, citizenship and service learning to more than 100,000 Tennessee youth in the fourth through 12th grades. 4-H also has more than 5,000 adult volunteers in the state and numerous alumni, among them Governor Bill Lee. Many Tennessee 4-H alumni generously support the organization and Tennessee youth through the Tennessee 4-H Foundation.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.