(Editor’s Note – This is the second excerpt from the Cameron Parish Cooperative Extension Service Annual Report FY July 1-2022-June 30, 2023. More excerpts will be printed in the Pilot as space allows.)

By Brittany Zaunbrecher, Associate Extension Agent – 4-H

Fifteen 4-Hers in 8th-12th grade attended 4-H University this past summer. Jolie Dupuie and Harleigh Trahan were 1st place in the new Civic Engagement/Leadership Demonstration Contest. Julie Boenig was 2nd place in STEM Illustrated Talk Contest. Rylee Faulk and Kayleigh Hayden were 3rd place team in Healthy Living Method Demonstration. Palynn Fontenot and Madison Trahan were 7th place in Sports Broadcasting. Noah Gorman was 7th place in Photography, which was held virtually the week before 4-H University. Cameron parish was well represented at 4-H University and plans to continue this in 2024.
Cameron Parish has six in-school clubs that meet each month. Youth are taught and given an opportunity to carry out the business portion of a meeting and plan local service-learning projects.

Every business meeting is followed by an educational program delivered by 4-H Agents. Lessons last year were focused on Teamwork, where 4-H members learned about different types of communication, collaboration, teamwork, and public speaking.

There were 5 project clubs developed by Cameron Parish 4-H that our youth can participate in to learn more about a specific project area and developspecific skills and knowledge. These clubs meet outside of school, most meet multiple times within a month, and are a major part of the work agents do to guide our youth in reaching mastery. We have the Shooting Sports Program, Livestock Program, Junior Leader Club, Food and Fitness Club, and Fashion/Sewing Club.