My Perspective Today

4-H Center

After working with 4-H Extension for the past three months my views on the organization have changed a lot. I remember stating that I originally thought 4-H was for farm kids, but I was beginning to realize all of the opportunities available to youth. However, I had no idea what I was about to learn and the experiences I was about to get. As you can see from my previous blogs I have met with and gotten to know many of the staff members. My interviews with them have been wonderful and they have really helped me understand each aspect of the programs and how much really goes into the success of Iowa 4-H. It has been incredible to see how hard people work and the amount of determination they have to better the organization and give youth the best opportunities possible.

While all of my experiences this semester have been great I really enjoyed visiting the 4-H center. The center made me feel energetic and happy and it got me excited that there are still camps like this for kids. I also really enjoyed volunteering with the Clover Kids program. I helped out in Gilbert and Boone, and I loved the activities we did with the younger children. Even though 4-H has a target age group, there are opportunities for people of all ages which is what I like the most. Everyone works together, plays together and believes in each other in 4-H. I am so glad that I get to keep exploring different areas of Iowa 4-H next semester and so far this experience has been one of the best times of my life!

Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Brenda Allen

Name: Brenda Allen

Current Position: Extension Program Specialist/4-H Youth Development

Hometown: Montezuma, Iowa

Education: Undergraduate degree in Social Studies Secondary Education. Master’s degree in School Counseling from Iowa State University.

Past Work Experiences: Iowa 4-H Center, National 4-H Center, Teacher for 2 years in Albia, Iowa.

Hobbies: Volleyball, biking and Ragbrai, reading, church, going to basketball games.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To help make stronger young people and stronger communities!

Brenda Allen has been working with 4-H for 11 years now but has been involved in 4-H her entire life! She says that 4-H had an impact on her development and leadership skills and she is so thankful she got such significant experiences growing up. She even went to Norway with the International 4-H Youth Exchange for 6 months! She lived with five different families and got to experience a different culture and a different way of living.

Brenda works with the 4-H Council which is a group of 40 high school students that are chosen to be a part of this leadership group. They have four retreats and they work together to plan the State Conference that is held in the summer. Brenda oversees planning and helps with decision making and preparation. The Conference in the summer lasts three days and usually consists of motivational speakers, educational workshops, community service, dances, and a banquet! There are usually around 1,000 high school students that come and it is a great opportunity to build leadership skills and character in general. Brenda really enjoys getting to see young people own what they are doing and empower themselves and other young people to be great!

What does 4-H mean to Brenda? It means developing the potential of youth and giving them opportunities to show how fantastic they are!

Colorado 4-H Visit!

I spent Thanksgiving Break with my dad in Colorado Springs, Colorado a couple of weeks ago and it was an excellent trip! Not only did I get to eat great food, see family and go hiking in the mountains, but I got to go visit with faculty in the El Paso County 4-H office! I have had such a wonderful semester with Iowa 4-H and have learned a lot so I thought it would be interesting to see what the 4-H program is like in Colorado. While there I spent most of my time with Jonathan Vrabec, the CSU Extension Agent. There are tons of projects and clubs to join their as well, and it is very similar to Iowa. However, wilderness and hunting are two of the popular areas they are involved with. They do not have big state fair like we do so most of their showcasing happens at their Youth Conference in the summer. One thing I noticed was that just like here in Iowa the adults and volunteers are so passionate and truly care about the youth. It is amazing to see how much work people put in to the development of kids around the nation!

Erika Pletcher

The Faces of Iowa 4-H: Marisue Hartung

Name: Marisue Hartung

Current Position: Youth Program Specialist

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Education: Undergraduate Degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Master’s degree in Social work from the University of Iowa.

Past Work Experiences: Worked as a VISTA volunteer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, The Boys and Girls Club, and the public radio station WOI.

Hobbies/Interests: Walking, visiting friends, reading and listening to books while traveling, gardening, and going to sporting events.

Ultimate Goal in 4-H: To continue learning about 4-H and to help the counties have the best opportunities so that youth can continue to learn and grow!

Marisue Hartung has been working as the Youth Program specialist for Jasper, Mahaska, Marion and Poweshiek counties for almost 5 years. She has a long background in youth development and strongly believes in helping kids become leaders. While talking she mentioned that after working with other programs she liked that 4-H offered opportunities to kids in the rural and urban areas because everyone should have the chance to get involved. Marisue represents the State 4-H office and helps counties with knowledge of the policies, practices and procedures. She offers information and training, and brings back questions and concerns to the state office.

During our conversation I realized that she basically helps make sure everything is running smoothly and promotes new ideas and plans. What she enjoys most is going to the club meetings and getting to see the 4-H members doing a presentation. “The planning between the leaders, parents and the youth is great to see and it makes everything worth it”, she says. She also discussed how it is really cool to see counties working together and sharing ideas to have the best possible programs for the members.

What does 4-H mean to Marisue?

It means a unique opportunity for youth that allows them to gain skills and challenge themselves.