The administrator of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the oversight body of the National 4-H organization, says there is not necessarily a theme to the annual National 4-H Conference held every April in the National Capital Region. Yet Jaye Hamby says, for this year’s gathering,
“This is more topically driven. What I will tell you in looking through the list, whether it’s the House and Senate Ag committees, or, say, the Department of Energy, National Park Service, Smithsonian, AI and technology, has a heavy flare with this year’s focus.”
As for why Hamby mentioned those particular government entities among those participating in this year’s National 4-H Conference, it is because the gathering itself is what he refers to as a working conference.
“Every year, delegates are given a primary assignment to use research and discussion to formulate policy recommendations in response to a challenge question from one of our federal agency partners. The process culminates in a 45-minute, what we call a youth perspective briefing, where 4-H delegates travel to our partner locations to formally deliver the recommendations.”
To provide an example of how the working group format is structured, the administrator discusses one of the conference’s federal partners, USDA’s Office of Partnership and Public Engagement, and its challenge to 4-H presenters.
“To explore how emerging agricultural careers can better align with the evolving needs of rural communities. So, our delegates will recommend how local leaders, educators and industry partners can prepare young people for high-tech and essential roles that support thriving rural economies. They’ll also consider how artificial intelligence can strengthen these pathways and create a strong future for rural America.”
Also, here is the itinerary for the April 10-15 National 4-H Conference for student participants.
“They’ll also attend a Youth Expo, where they’ll be exploring opportunities to develop citizenship and leadership skills toward increasing American agricultural prosperity. As we can appreciate, there are a lot of job opportunities in agriculture, with a focus on technology as well as artificial intelligence — a unique opportunity with this conference to prepare that next generation of those who will contribute in those career roles.”