4-H Clubs Inspire Kids “To Do”
By Fern Gavelek
“It teaches kids life skills…It led me in the right direction and helped me while going through teenage moments…It offers projects for positive youth development…It enables kids to master a skill and chart their own direction…”
What organization does all these things and more on Hawai‘i Island? It’s 4-H, the long-established community of young people across the nation learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills via a variety of projects and opportunities.
Last year marked a century of 4-H in Hawai‘i—the state’s first 4-H livestock club opened in 1918. 4-H is guided by the three national mandates of healthy living, science, and citizenship. 4-H stands for “Head, Heart, Hands, and Health for Life!”
According to Dr. Jeff Goodwin, state 4-H program leader, there are more than 1,300 youth involved in 20 4-H clubs across Hawai‘i Island. Administered by the University of Hawai‘i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, 4-H on Hawai‘i Island is overseen by two UH cooperative extension agents, basically splitting the island into east and west sides. Each club chooses an area of interest and related projects.
Clubs are involved with animals, robotics, cooking, sewing, gardening, shooting sports like rifle and archery, community service, citizenship, leadership, and agricultural travel. Youths explore their interests through fun, engaging, hands-on learning experiences led by volunteer mentors and club leaders.
4-H is All About Projects
“4-H clubs, for the most part, all do a community service project,” says Becky Settlage, full-time agent for 4-H Youth Development and Livestock. Becky, who got involved with 4-H as a college student, concentrates on club activities for East Hawai‘i, plus all the isle’s animal-related clubs.
Varied projects have included visiting patients at an elderly care facility, a beach cleanup, collecting school supplies, helping out at farms in the community, or taking care of homeless dogs after last year’s East Rift Zone eruption—whatever 4-H’ers do, it has to be connected to their club theme.
Becky adds that 4-H’ers have to keep record books of their activities “with the hope that teens are then able to plan projects and see the impacts they are making. They give back to the community without being compensated.”
Kona’s Fire Nation 4-H Club is currently involved with a gardening service project to benefit the homeless community. Club leader Janice Blaber says their club, which is made up of middle and high school students at Kona-area schools, built 10 garden boxes for Hale Kikaha, the homeless service center in Kailua-Kona. To raise funds to purchase soil and seeds for the project, club members had a pop-up shop, selling bakery goods and handmade jewelry. Next, the girls will get input on what Hale Kikaha residents want to eat and then plant those seeds for the garden.
“4-H is really about positive youth development,” adds Jeff. “The purpose of the projects is to grab their interest and teach them about setting and attaining goals. If we do this while they are having fun with friends, then we have a good chance of achieving the positive youth development purpose of 4-H.”
4H Inspires Action
“Leadership by doing” is a common expression used in 4-H. West Hawai‘i’s group of clubs, known as the Kona 4-H Federation, lives up to that reputation according to Iris Higashi-Oshiro. “The activities that 4-H members are involved in are very purposeful,” she notes.
Iris has been involved in 4-H since her youth. In 1986, she co-organized the state’s first Cloverbuds 4-H Club with fellow Friends Inc. 4-H Club member Diana Ilagan (now Ilagan-Clifford). In 2005, she started the Twinkling Stars to involve her daughter and other girls in 4-H “until they graduated from high school.” Now, Iris is involved as a support parent with her younger daughter’s 4-H club, the Busy Bee Buddies in Kealakekua. “Moms in this club rotate leadership yearly,” she says.
The Busy Bee Buddies, made up of four high school sophomores and five juniors, focuses on leadership, citizenship, and life skills, meeting at the UH Kona Cooperative Extension office in Kainaliu. Project areas selected by these 4-H’ers include culture, health lifestyle education, and Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death.
Busy Bees Buddies leader Lisa Taniguchi, who has been involved with 4-H for 15 years as a support parent, says many kids get their start in 4-H participating in structured programs like the annual West Hawai‘i Demonstration Day. “It teaches 4-H’ers public speaking skills, and individual involvement grows as the kids get older,” Lisa explains.
Equestrian Fun
Shay Vanzandt and Renee Perez lead the Hands and Hearts of Kohala 4-H Club, Na Lima a me Na Pu‘uwai o Kohala. Shay got involved in 4-H as a young teen, saying, “It led me in the right direction and gave me things to work for. It got me into rodeo and rodeo helped with scholarships.”
Organized in 2015, Hands and Hearts 4-H focuses on horses and works in conjunction with the Kohala Ride Wild Club, an animal rescue operation that ministers to orphaned horses, calves, and goats. Ride Wild serves the community, and about 40 keiki learn basic horsemanship, grooming, and get a free riding lesson under the supervision of adult volunteers and 4-H’ers.
“The way the two clubs work together is the 4-H’ers serve as mentors to the Ride Wild Club keiki as a community service,” Shay details. “They encourage the interested keiki to join 4-H—but first they have to pass a test that includes demonstrating how to handle, lead, groom, and secure a horse.”
Club activities include riding in Kohala’s King Kamehameha Day Parade and an annual horse show where kids perform in a variety of events: barrel racing, cattle sorting, and two styles of riding: English and Western. The show has pony and carriage rides, a petting zoo, a silent auction, and plate lunch sales to raise club funds.
Bringing an Animal to Market
Members of the island’s four livestock clubs—Country Clovers, Hilo Rain Makers, Hāmākua Livestock and Ka‘ū Livestock—do projects to feed our island. They raise animals so they are marketable: cattle, hogs, goats, lambs, poultry, and rabbits. These 4-H’ers learn humane animal husbandry skills and record-keeping. Kids are responsible for the financial planning of their project, plus the daily care, feed, and training of their project animals.
“The kids develop important life skills while working on economically valuable, hands-on projects,” notes Michelle Galimba, co-leader of the Ka‘ū Livestock Club. “4-H’ers have to figure out how to get along with their animal and teach it to get along with them. It’s especially hard to control pigs.”
Most animal projects culminate with participation in the annual Hawai‘i County 4-H Livestock Show & Sale; this year’s event is June 14–15 (see sidebar). 4-H’ers are judged on the quality of their animals and their showmanship skills. Animals are sold by auction.
“At the show, each youth demonstrates the ability to effectively present their livestock animal using their project-based knowledge,” adds Michelle. Some of the youth compete further at the Hawai‘i State Farm Fair on O‘ahu and on the mainland.
Michelle, who was introduced to 4-H as a child, emphasizes, “We must strongly support agricultural education and experiences for our young people if we are to increase Hawai‘i’s food sustainability.”
Adult Volunteers Needed
While traditional 4-H programming can be agriculturally based, Becky adds that 4-H has evolved in the last 100 years to also emphasize healthy living, science, technology, and civic engagement. “There’s so many directions kids can take if they have an interest. The challenge is finding volunteers to lead clubs.” She says no experience is necessary to be a 4-H adult volunteer, just an interest to work with kids.
“I always say 4-H is about youth and adult development,” shares Jeff, who got involved with the organization when recruited as a high school senior. “Our adult volunteers become better managers and speakers. They become instrumental in these kids’ lives.”
East Hawai‘i 4-H’ers also participate in a Giant Fruit & Vegetable Contest at the annual Hawai‘i County Fair in Hilo. The contest is science-based and encourages agriculture and food sustainability.
According to Becky, at least five members from two different families are needed to start a club. Clubs pick their own focus and 4-H offers lots of ideas and support for starting leaders.
“4-H is a win-win for everybody,” details Shay. “It helps youth become goal-orientated and work as a team with peers and adults. It gives adult volunteers a sense of self-worth as it’s so rewarding to see these kids succeed while having fun.” ❖
How to Get Involved
For information on finding a club near you or starting a club, in East Hawai‘i, contact Becky at 808.969.8213. In West Hawai‘i, contact 4-H on O‘ahu at 808.956.4106.
Visit www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ctahr/4h/ for more information.
2019 Hawai‘i County 4-H Livestock Show & Sale
Friday, June 14, 3:30–5pm
Rabbit, Poultry & Goat Shows
Saturday, June 15, 8am–4pm
Lamb, Hog, Steer, & Heifer Shows & Showmanship
11:30am Large Animal Round Robin
12:30pm Horse Show
2pm Animal Auction
Rocking Chair Ranch’s Anderson Arena
47-5124 Hwy. 19 between Waimea and Honoka‘a
Fern Gavelek
A native Hoosier, Fern moved to Hawai‘i in 1988. Ever since, she’s been writing about what makes Hawai‘i so special. She has extensively covered the state’s tourism, culinary, and agriculture industries and was named Hawaii County’s Small Business Administration Journalist of the Year. Also a public relations professional, Fern promotes a half-dozen Big Island events, several trade associations, and local businesses. The Holualoa resident is an avid community volunteer and was by tapped the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce 2009 Member of the Year. She enjoys gardening, time with husband John and playing with their pup, Sweet Pea.
