The Florida 4-H Youth Development Program offers a variety of school enrichment programs. 4-H is a non-formal, educational Positive Youth Development (PYD) program offered to youth ages 5 to 18. All 4-H programs such as community clubs, residential camping and school enrichment focus on active involvement and quality educational experiences, which are provided by 4-H staff and volunteers. School enrichment is an important program area that has served over 5,000 students during the 2020-21 school year.
One of the largest and longest standing school enrichment programs offered by the county 4-H program is the Lake County 4-H Public Speaking Contest. Since its inception in 1969, this program has been offered to over a million fourth through sixth-grade students. This year, 25 schools partook in this event, with each school sending a winner to compete at the county-wide contest. Over 3,400 students participated; while this number is lower than previous years, it is impressive consi
Healthy living is an essential aspect of youth development. In Lake County, 4-H is focusing efforts on increasing healthy living opportunities and strengthening the presence of healthy lifestyle programs. Due to 4-H concentrating on overall health, Lake County concentrated its efforts on the “Roots Up – Kids” program.
“Roots Up – Kids” is a food systems series that teaches youth participants to focus on their entire wellbeing. Each session incorporates multiple wellness indicators for youth to use in everyday life. Indicators include emotional, environmental, financial, physical, social, and spiritual wellness, with each indicator affecting the overall quality of life.
Each class within the series teaches youth about overall wellness teaching the participants about food access, cooking, community service, budgeting, nutrition, physical activity, and local farms. This program was a cooperative effort by the 4-H Agent, Family and Consumer Science Agent, and the Residenti