North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives recently joined with the North Carolina 4-H Program to support Citizenship North Carolina Focus, an annual three-day event that brings teenagers from across the state together to learn about civic engagement, youth advocacy and how to make a difference in their communities. The event was open to all North Carolina 4-H’ers and held virtually June 15-17.
The theme for this year’s conference was Focus on YOUR Future and it centered on storytelling and advocacy, local and state government, and action planning. After attending the event, participants will develop and implement an action plan utilizing the skills they learned during the conference.
“North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives have a long-standing partnership with our state’s 4-H program, and we’re pleased to contribute to events like this that emphasize the importance of civic involvement and provide our youth with valuable leadership training,” said Jennifer Heiss, community programs coordinator for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives who delivered welcoming remarks at the event.
In years past, Citizenship North Carolina Focus has also provided participants the opportunity to meet with elected officials in downtown Raleigh and take part in an off-site service experience. While this year’s conference was held in a virtual environment, students were still able to interact with officials from state and local government, including State Treasurer Dale Folwell.
4-H is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina and the nation, and N.C. State Extension and Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T State University conduct 4-H programs, such as Citizenship North Carolina Focus, that allow youth to “learn by doing.” The four H’s on the 4-H emblem stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health.
Citizenship North Carolina Focus is just one of the community and education programs supported by North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. Visit the In the Community section of our website to learn more about how co-ops are working to strengthen co-op communities and develop young leaders throughout the state.