4-H IMPACT FROM COAST-TO-COAST

With the return of in-person meetings and activities at the start of 2022, the 4-H movement in Canada saw a tremendous rebound from the pandemic restrictions.

4-H provincial organizations continued to achieve milestones, launch innovative programming, and provide a wide range of activities, resources, and support to 4-H youth from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Keep reading to learn about some of the highlights from each province.

4-H British Columbia Food For Thought 2022

4-H British Columbia’s 2022 Food For Thought event was a huge success. Delegates and staff got to taste and experience BC products, and learn more about BC’s agriculture industry through exploring issues related to limited land and water resources, sustainable development, and the rural urban interface.

Provincial Clubs Week Turned Senior Member’s Weekend

When the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted 4-H British Columbia’s Provincial Clubs Week, 4-H BC staff pivoted, and planned a condensed event that members could still take part in – Senior Members Weekend! This weekend was a huge success thanks to 4-H BC’s quick thinking.

Urban Online Cooking

4-H BC’s Urban Online Cooking was another great success for the province as clubs grew their numbers and reached out to non-4-H members, some who even registered to be a part of 4-H!

Fast Facts

• 4-H BC grew by three clubs in 2022, bringing their total number of clubs up to 108

• The Kamloops-Okanagan region saw the greatest number of members with 419 in total

• Beef projects saw the most registrations with 452 members

On the Horizon in British Columbia

• 4-H BC staff and delegates are looking forward to their two big provincial programs: Agri-Career Quest, and Youth Action.

4-H Alberta

4-H Alberta Reference Guide

4-H club operations were strengthened through the development of the 4-H Alberta Reference guide to provide consistent information and lead contacts for nearly all aspects of 4-H in the province. This guide is being heavily used by volunteers and staff alike, and significantly reducing communications and conflicts across the province.

4-H Alberta Programing

4-H Alberta had a very successful summer, offering 23 programs in July and August of 2022 for 4-H members of all ages, as well as an additional 29 provincial level learning opportunities offered through virtual and inperson formats throughout the year. New programming included Ultimate Bullfighting and The Youth Water Council. (https://youthwatercouncil.com/)

Senior Member Engagement

Senior 4-H Member engagement increased through 4-H Alberta’s provincial programs and travel opportunities. In May of 2022, 67 senior 4-H members received travel awards within Alberta, The Northwest Territories, and British Columbia.

Fast Facts

• 4-H Alberta’s Club Year began October 1, 2022, and the province was pleased to see their membership numbers begin to match and exceed pre-COVID participation numbers, the first-time membership has increased significantly since the late 1990’s!

• 4-H Club Achievement Days welcomed back the community to support youth to an in-person setting in the spring and early summer of 2022.

On the Horizon in Alberta

• 4-H Alberta has partnered with Staples to create an e-print site to simplify the process of ordering 4-H club supply resource materials, the site will launch in the Fall of 2023.

• 4-H Alberta is planning to try new ways to offer 4-H programming to new communities in different formats.

• 4-H Alberta will be completing a volunteer assessment with all 3,000 volunteers to identify and improve ways to further reduce volunteer burden.

4-H Manitoba Virtual Programming

4-H Manitoba’s Virtual Programming became a favourite for their members during the pandemic, and had another successful run over the year. Members from Manitoba and Alberta came together to learn about best practices in poultry production, foods, babysitting, ice fishing, cultural crafts, as well as their newest topic: Cloverbud/Junior. The program has held its popularity due to its ability to reach members across the province from the convenience of their own homes during the winter months. 4-H Manitoba was pleased to have champions from the Metis, Ukrainian, Japanese and Arabic cultures share their crafts.

Agri-Career Quest

4-H Manitoba introduced a new annual event: AgriCareer Quest, a 4-day event where members and leaders alike learn about post-secondary opportunities, potato production, cricket farming, bison, dairy, beef, apiaries, vegetable production, equipment manufacturing, and culinary arts, providing a platform where future career plans are made, and dreams are ignited.

The outcomes for this event exceeded the initial expectations for participating members, sponsor partners, committee members, tour hosts, and staff. The event consisted of a 4-day bus tour learning about career opportunities available in Manitoba, combined with the résumé writing workshops and mock interviews.

Fast Facts

• 4-H Manitoba saw an increase in membership post COVID-19 pandemic, from 1000 members to 1400, just shy of the province’s 1500-member goal. With this increase in numbers, 4-H Manitoba saw new clubs form, and dormant clubs reactivated.

• In October 2022, 4-H Manitoba welcomed a new staff member, Kellie McCallum, to their team as Fund Development and Marketing Coordinator to help increase club funding and increase the presence of 4-H in the province of Manitoba.

On the Horizon in Manitoba

• Manitob–a 4-H Rally - celebration where members from all clubs participate in experiential workshops and clinics.

• 4-H Manitoba’s Provincial Intermediate Camp will transition from a weekend to a weeklong camp.

• 4-H Manitoba is creating a streamlined process of experiential learning online, giving members and leaders across the province the option to utilize a more efficient and accessible series of projects.

4-H Saskatchewan

The Return of Weeklong Summer Camps

4-H Saskatchewan was excited to bring back two, weeklong summer camps in 2022. Combined, the two camps saw an attendance of over 100 members!

Scholarships

4-H Saskatchewan is pleased to have awarded over $50,000 dollars in Scholarships to 4-H members across the province.

2023 Annual General Meeting

Over 140 members and leaders attended 4-H Saskatchewan’s 2023 Annual General Meeting, held March 18-19 in Saskatoon.

Fast Facts

• The Discover 4-H Program has been running in Regina for two years. This program is designed to introduce 4-H members to new communities.

• 4-H Saskatchewan welcomed a new Executive Director, Aubrey Eaton, in July 2022.

4-H Ontario New Project Library

4-H Ontario’s new Project Library quickly became their website’s most popular page. The library allows potential members to search for available club projects geographically or by topic.

4-H 4-All Committee

4-H Ontario created it’s 4-H 4-All Committee, where youth and volunteers can provide insight on how to make 4-H Ontario’s programming more accessible.

Automated Reference Check System

4-H Ontario implemented an automated reference check system for volunteers, and combined their consolidated volunteer training and screening requirements into one common date every three years.

Fast Facts

• 4-H Ontario is thrilled to see an increase in membership by more than a third from 2021 to 2022, resulting in a total of 3,733 youth participants.

• New volunteer registrations saw a 65% increase in 2022, bringing the number of 4-H Ontario volunteer leaders to 1399.

• The most popular 4-H Ontario clubs were dairy, beef and their Cloverbud program for ages six to nine.

On the Horizon in Ontario

• 4-H Ontario has offered a new DEI training to volunteers.

• A ‘Bulletin in a Box Program’ will be mailed to six schools with materials to create a bulletin board in recognition of local food week.

• 4-H Ontario will be introducing a new Youth Impact Conference for 80 youth in the fall 2023.

On the Horizon in Saskatchewan

• 4-H Saskatchewan’s at-home based “club kits” are in the works to promote additional learning opportunities.

• 4-H Saskatchewan’s learning webinars are offered the first Wednesday of every month, and are open to all 4-H members and leaders across the country!

4-H Quebec

4-H Quebec is happy to report hosting three key provincial programs/events in person for the first time since 2019.

Provincial Rally

The 4-H Quebec Provincial Rally took place in Shawville, Quebec, July 14-17, and was hosted by a club that started during the pandemic. The now 80-member club has over 30% new firsttime members, all under the age of 12 - the perfect age range to begin the new club’s legacy! The Rally put smiles on faces as old and new friends came together from six different regions.

Junior Winter Camp: January 20-22, 2023

4-H Quebec’s Junior Winter Camp was a huge hit! 23 junior members aged 9-12, and five leaders, spent a full weekend at Fatima Center in Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot where they took part in events focused on leadership and outdoor winter fun.

4-H New Brunswick New Program: Intermediate and Senior Weekend

4-H New Brunswick is proud to have introduced a new program: Intermediate and Senior Weekend. From March 3-5, 2023, 49 4-H New Brunswick members and 10 chaperones came together in Fredericton, spent the weekend touring different agriculture facilities, and participated in various fun activities! The program received such positive feedback, they hope to make this an annual event.

New Youth Committee

4-H New Brunswick started its very own youth committee this year consisting of eight youth members from across the province. The new committee will be working on developing promotional materials for provincial events.

Fast Facts

• 4-H New Brunswick membership numbers have increased back to where they were pre-COVID.

On the Horizon in New Brunswick

• 4-H New Brunswick will be launching a new registration platform for September 2023 registration which aims to improve the efficiency of registration for all events and programs!

Innovative Ag Tour

After two years of being a virtual event, 4-H Quebec’s Innovative Ag Tour made a triumphant return to in-person in 2023. The event brought senior members together in Richmond, Quebec where they visited eight farms/businesses, learned about the agriculture industry and various career opportunities over the two-day event.

Fast Facts

• 4-H Quebec membership as of January 2023 is up 20% from post-COVID enrollment in 2021.

On the Horizon in QC

• 4-H Quebec is looking forward to growing participation in the provincial programs that were offered this past year, including camps and Agriculture Tours, while also increasing their brand awareness, and registering new volunteers.

4-H Nova Scotia

Despite navigating the challenges of returning to in-person events following COVID-19 and being hit with a Category 4 Hurricane the week before their annual Provincial Show; 2022 was a historic year for 4-H Nova Scotia! Their members and leaders were thrilled to be returning to in-person programming and it was rewarding to see new and old friends throughout the year.

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Members attended the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair with the 4-H Nova Scotia Royal Beef Team and the 4-H Nova Scotia Royal Dairy Team, as well as Young Speakers for Agriculture representatives.

Canadian Western Agribition

4-H Nova Scotia held a virtual judging competition and sent members to the Canadian Western Agribition to compete in the Youth/4-H Judging Competition.

Camp Rankin

4-H Nova Scotia proudly welcomed the return of Camp Rankin and held four weeks of summer leadership camp on Cape Breton Island

Fast Facts

• 4-H Nova Scotia marked off the completion of 798 Youth Safety Training participants, and 707 Commit to Kids participants- contributing to the province’s overall improved youth safety.

• Over this past fiscal year, 4-H Nova Scotia recorded 491 trained leaders, 144 screened volunteers, 1,346 members, 274 Cloverbuds, 102 new volunteers, and 40 leader renewals.

On the Horizon in Nova Scotia

• 4-H Nova Scotia will be introducing new Leader Retreats across the province to celebrate our volunteers and provide professional development opportunities.

• 4-H Nova Scotia will be hosting their 100th Anniversary Banquet and Gala in conjunction with 4-H Night in Nova Scotia!

• The province is also looking forward to the 4-H Nova Scotia Provincial Show taking place in Hants County later this year.

4-H Prince Edward Island

PEI Alliance for Mental Well Being

4-H Prince Edward Island was a grant recipient from the Alliance for Mental Well Being in 2022. This grant money went toward expanding provincial projects, member and leader learning, and social opportunities with the aim of creating inter-generational relationships, a sense of community, new skills development, and allowing youth opportunities to explore new interests and develop their passions.

Return to In-Person Programming

4-H Prince Edward Island was eager to return to in-person programming, notably their summer exhibitions, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff, leaders, and members were excited to bring these much-loved events back to members!

On the Horizon in Prince Edward Island

• 4-H Prince Edward Island is excited to continue working with The PEI Alliance for Mental Well Being as the program runs over a three3 year term. They look forward to continue developing new opportunities for youth and leaders, building capacity within the program, and improving efficiencies.

4-H Newfoundland and Labrador

4-H Challenging Pioneers Club

From one island to another, members of the 4-H Challenging Pioneers club finally made the long-awaited journey to Prince Edward Island (after a two-year delay) to learn about the Island’s potato industry, phytoculture research, and to attend Old Home Week.

4-H Newfoundland and Labrador Seniors Day

In an effort to engage and support their senior (and soon-to-be senior) members, 4-H Newfoundland and Labrador launched Seniors Day events, the first of its kind in the province. The events included sessions on health and wellness, executive training, program learning opportunities, and a whole lot of fun! The province looks forward to seeing Seniors Day becoming an annual event.

Shirley Barnable Receives Honourary Member Award

Former 4-H Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Coordinator Shirley Barnable received one of 4-H Canada’s highest honours, the Honourary Member Award for 2022, for her years of dedication and commitment to the 4-H movement.

Fast Facts

• With a return to programming, 25+ projects were completed by just four clubs across Newfoundland Labrador in the 20222023 season, Outdoor Adventure and Community Outreach being the most popular!

• 20 volunteer leaders attended the 2022 Leadership Summit in Nova Scotia - more than half of all volunteer leaders in Newfoundland and Labrador!

On the Horizon in Newfoundland and Labrador

• 2023-2024 will be an exciting year for 4-H Newfoundland and Labrador with the return of in-person events and programming, including 4-H Summer Camp, Leaders Conference, and the Provincial Speaking Competition.

• 4-H Newfoundland and Labrador looks forward to building on new initiatives, and connecting 4-H members to agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador.