Thirty-six
Custer County 4-H members will learn about government processes in
the vibrant, living classroom of the nations capital as part of
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF), an intensive 4-H civic engagement
program for high-school youth held at the National 4-H Youth
Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD.
For
more than 50 years, the National 4-H Youth Conference Center has
invited 4-H members from across the country to travel to Washington,
DC and participate in civic workshops, committees, and field trips
before returning home to make positive changes in their own
communities. CWF not only strengthens young peoples understanding
of the governments civic process, but it also boosts their
leadership skills, communication skills, and overall confidence.
During CWF, youth get a
behind-the-scenes look at the nations capital while meeting with
members of Congress to learn more about how their government works.
At the end of the program, youth will draft a step-by-step action
plan to address an important issue in their community.
CWF
is a great opportunity for young people to come together, talk about
the problems they see in their communities, and identify solutions to
make their communities stronger, according to Maria McNeeley,
National 4-H Conference Center CWF Coordinator. The experiences
these young people gain during CWF gives them the proper tools and
confidence to become successful, articulate leaders in the future.
The
Custer County CWF delegation departed from Broken Bow on the evening
of June 6 and will return the evening of June 20. They will travel
by motor coach to the East Coast, stopping to tour sites in Chicago,
Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, and New York. After spending a week at
the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD, and touring historic
Washington, D.C., the delegation will tour an Amish Farm in Indiana
and the John Deere Pavilion in Iowa, on their trip back to Nebraska.
The Custer County CWF delegation has been planning for this trip for
the past two years, participating in fund raising activities, and
learning about local, state, and federal government.
Adult
chaperones for the CWF Trip include Kelli Walz, Callaway; Brenda
Dittmar, Oconto; JD Furrow, Merna; and Matt Furrow; Lincoln.
For
more information regarding the Custer County 4-H Citizenship
Washington Focus (CWF) program, contact Colleen Peterson, 4-H Aide at
the Nebraska Extension – Custer County Office at (308) 872-6831.
