Monmouth County 4-H member Hannah Dresher of Freehold recently attended the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Ga.
Hannah served as the Monmouth County teen representative as part of New Jersey’s delegation, which consisted of 16 teen 4-H members who represent nine counties in the state, including Monmouth County, according to a press release.
“Hannah has accomplished exceptional achievements throughout her 4-H career and was the perfectly natural fit to be the Monmouth County 4-H representative at the annual 4-H Congress,” said Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Monmouth County 4-H.
“Not only did Hannah get to represent the Monmouth County 4-H, she also had the opportunity to partake in a once-in-a-lifetime experience while networking with peers from around the country,” Burry said.
For nearly 100 years, the National 4-H Congress has been the premier nationwide opportunity for 4-H members who are in high school, according to the press release.
During the five-day event, the teen 4-H members engage in leadership, citizenship, global awareness and inclusion activities. The National 4-H Congress gives these teens the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art educational workshops and to network with other 4-H members from across the United States, according to the press release.
The conference focused on the Cooperative Extension System’s belief that young people can be significant partners in addressing the issues that face the nation, especially those affecting youth, according to the press release.
The educational programs were developed for the National Congress by a design team of youths and adults from around the country. Recreational and networking opportunities for the teens included a cultural evening where they engaged in a variety of forms of the arts at the Atlanta History Center.
Hannah is a member of Monmouth County’s 4-H Teen Council. The club is open to teens in grades eight through 13 (first year out of high school) and meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the Monmouth County Agricultural Building in Freehold Township.
The focus of the club is leadership and community service along with making friends and having fun. There is no fee to join and membership is open to Monmouth County residents, according to the press release.
The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
4-H educational programs are offered to all youths, grades K-13 (one year out of high school), on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, domestic partnership status, military service, veteran status and any other category protected by law.
For more information about the Monmouth County 4-H Program, visit http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/
