COLUMBIA, Mo. –  For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will celebrate National 4-H Week during the first week of October.

Missouri 4-H clubs will leverage National 4-H Week this year by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people, and will highlight the remarkable 4-H youth in our community who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them, said Alison Copeland, interim program leader for University of Missouri Extension’s 4-H Center for Youth Development.

Missouri 4-H is a community of more than 100,000 youth from across the state learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Members learn by doing under the guidance of adult volunteers who teach projects ranging from aerospace and arts to veterinary science and sport fishing. Clubs also involve children and teens in community service, camping and educational trips.

One of the most anticipated events of National 4-H Week is National Youth Science Day, in which hundreds of thousands of youth across the nation take part in the world’s largest youth-led science challenge. The theme for this year’s challenge is “Incredible Wearables.” On Oct. 4, youth will use the engineering design process to build a prototype wearable technology that will gather data to help solve a real-world problem. To learn more about National Youth Science Day, visit 4-h.org/nysd.

One in five Missouri youths ages 5-18 participate in programs administered by Missouri 4-H. Research has shown that young people in 4-H are almost four times as likely to contribute to their communities, and are twice as likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in their free time. Local 4-H clubs boast a robust corps of adults who volunteer their time and effort. In 2015, the combined efforts of all Missouri 4-H clubs added up to more than 95,000 hours of volunteer service time valued at $39 million. For more information, visit 4h.missouri.edu. For information about 4-H clubs and activities in your community, contact your county MU Extension center.