Every year, 4-H youth visit the state capital as part of Citizenship in Action. This year, youth participated in Community Conversations as part of the immersive experience. This helps youth learn by doing as they use their leadership and communication skills for reasoned, public discussion.
Beth Hinshaw, state 4-H Extension specialist, southeast area, serves as the Kansas 4-H Youth Leadership Council advisor working closely with the youth action team who planned the event. She said by adding Community Conversation to Citizenship in Action this experience is more valuable to youth because it teaches them to have difficult conversations with adults and their peers as well as listen to opposing views.
“I think building these skills is really important,” she said. “Listening to other people and then also being able to frame and feel comfortable, sharing your opinions about things and finding ways to work together to come to a consensus with others who maybe don’t have your exact same view.”
With the previous two years being remote events, this year provided an opportunity to have in-person discourse, which created an immersive experience for the youth in attendance. They toured the capital building together in addition to participating in Community Conversations.
Claire Walker-Helsel served as the CIA youth chair this year. She was very excited to serve in this leadership role because it’s something she wanted to do for a long time. She recalls as a younger member looking up to the older Council members and setting a goal to be the chair of the event one day.
“You’re doing so much leadership within the event, you are standing up in front of your group, putting yourself out there,” she said. “From the moment (attendees) arrive to the moment (attendees) leave, their self-confidence has gone up. They contributed something; they toured the capital; they met new people.”
Jaden Huehl served as the chair last year. This year, she led several pieces of the event and specifically facilitated the Senate session. She mentored Walker- Helsel in her role as well.
“My first year, I remember looking up to the Youth Council members and saying ‘that’s where I want to be’ so it’s really an amazing experience to be that for someone else,” she said.
Huehl said that she was not a public speaker at first. Being homeschooled, she was exposed to public speaking, but CIA was one of the events that broke her out of her shell. She recently attended a National 4-H event and she credits her success to the skills she gained from CIA.
“CIA was a pivotal event and it definitely made me the person I am today, especially in 4-H,” she said. “It’s amazing to continue this event for others.”
Among the skills learned at the event, the bigger goal is to provide youth the opportunity to experience and participate in the legislative process and become more familiar with the state capital and the important work that happens there. Hinshaw shared that this event could make the difference for how they see legislature throughout their life.
“I think it’s important for them to realize that the things that happen in Topeka affect them and there’s also no reason why they might not be those people in Topeka,” Hinshaw said. “The skills that they’re learning in 4-H now would be skills that are going to support them in a career someday but they could also support them being a future senator or a future representative.”
Community Conversations happen throughout the year and across the state. To get more involved in your county, reach out to your K-State Research and Extension agent to find out what’s happening in your area.