Civic engagement

Ready to go on a public adventure? Learn what city and county government officials do. Investigate a community issue, explore jobs of governing officials, see how local decisions get made and problems are solved. Plan and take action on an issue or topic you care about in your community.

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    Projects

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      Resources for all levels

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      CI200 Civic Engagement

      Target audience: Intermediate (ages 11–13) and Senior (ages 14–18) levels; adaptable for Junior (ages 8–10).

      • Learn what citizenship is and why it's important to be involved in your community
      • Learn flag etiquette, parliamentary procedure, and how to write to your legislator.
      • Learn about Missouri's symbols and government
      • Identify community assets and opportunities.

      Curriculum

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      LO211 Public Adventures

      Designed for clubs and groups of young people, this activity guides you through discovering public issues that are important to you and many others. Plan a project that creates, changes, or improves something valuable to your community. Learn how to be an active citizen in a democracy through exploring possibilities and taking action!

      Curriculum

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    Opportunities

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      Citizenship Washington Focus

      Missouri 4-H youths go to Washington, D.C. to learn skills to be better citizens and civic leaders through service learning.

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      Extension Council Youth Leadership

      County Extension Councils across Missouri are expanding the role of youth and young adults in decision-making.

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      Global Education

      Do you ever wonder what kids from other cultures do for fun? What do they eat? What language do they speak? In this project you will have the opportunity to learn about other cultures, similarities and differences among families around the world.

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      Global Experiences

      Just as 4-H goes beyond our doorstep and your county line, it also goes beyond our nation's border.

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      Legislative Academy

      Legislative Academy is a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity for promising 4-H youth leaders. The goal is to strengthen relationships between Missouri 4-H and key lawmakers and donors, and for youth participants to learn skills in legislative advocacy. The Academy was founded by Lowell Mohler and the Missouri 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees.

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      National 4-H Conference

      The National 4-H Conference delegates participate in developing recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

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      National 4-H Congress

      National 4-H Congress is a premier 4-H event held in late November in Atlanta, Georgia. Participant experiences include leadership, service and cultural opportunities.

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      Service-Learning

      4-H members strengthen their communities through service-learning.

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      Show Me Character

      Show Me Character is a framework that teaches young people to make sound moral judgments. It also encourages all adults to become more involved in helping youth develop positive character traits. Our communities benefit when youths and adults understand the importance of being involved and caring citizens and "doing the right thing" by incorporating the Six Pillars of Character in their daily lives.

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      State 4-H Congress

      Congress is designed for Missouri 4-Her's ages 14-19. The Missouri State 4-H Council plans and implements the event that is held on the University of Missouri campus.

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      State 4-H Public Speaking Contest

      Youth compete in a communication category of their choice, alongside other Juniors (ages 8-10), Intermediates (ages 11-13) or Seniors (ages 14-18) in their age division.

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      State 4-H Teen Conference

      TEEN CONFERENCE is a fun-filled, two-day event for ages 11-13, planned by your State 4-H Council teens, to promote Belonging, Independence, Generosity and Mastery by: Creating opportunities to make 300 new friends from across Missouri, Building leadership skills through quality learning experiences, Connecting youth with older peer leaders on the State 4-H Council, Taking a look at the exciting opportunities that await as a 4-H teenager!

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      State Fair

      4-H exhibits and competitions are part of the fun of the Missouri State Fair. You won't want to miss this special event; visit the 4-H building to see the projects of our 4-H youth or catch the judging competitions. Whatever your niche, there is something for everyone. Bring the family! The Missouri State Fair is located at the intersection of Highways 50 and 65, and less than 20 miles south of I-70, Sedalia is roughly an hour from Kansas City, Columbia and Jefferson City.

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      MyPI Missouri

      The MyPI Missouri program is for teens ages 13–19 to better prepare their communities, their families, and themselves for responding to emergencies. MyPI participants team up with teens and adult instructors to learn hands-on disaster preparedness, fire safety and suppression, treatment of injuries, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and more!

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