The Miami 4-H Activity Club is using new grant funding to strengthen both its sense of identity and leadership development among members.
The local club received $500 through the FCC 4-H Club Fund, a national program delivered by 4-H Canada in partnership with Farm Credit Canada that supports hands-on learning opportunities for youth across the country.
The Miami club has 14 members this year, ranging in age from six to 15, according to co-leader Nicole Burnett. Members take part in project-based learning while also running their own meetings, with youth holding officer positions and learning how to conduct meetings properly.
“Our members select a project to work on throughout the year, as well as attend whole club meetings where the kids hold the officer positions and learn how to run a proper meeting,” Burnett said.
This year, members are divided into six project groups, including Cloverbud 2.0, Explore Machines, Explore Foods, Science in the Kitchen and First Aid, offering a wide range of learning opportunities for both younger and older participants.
Burnett said the FCC funding will be used to purchase new club T-shirts for members, replacing an aging and mismatched supply that has been reused year to year. If funds allow, the club also hopes to purchase a pop-up sign to help identify the group at community events.
“We encourage our members to wear their club T-shirts to each meeting and for any events we plan or participate in,” she said. “Our stock has mismatched logos, is aging and is not the appropriate size for our current group.”
Beyond the tangible items, Burnett said the funding will also support hands-on leadership development by involving members in decisions about the shirts and signage.
“The members will be involved in decisions about the type, colour and logo placement,” she said. “Through these discussions, the kids will not only be learning what a grant is, but also the process involved in using those funds and working together as a group to come to a consensus.”
Without the grant, Burnett said the club would not have been able to purchase new shirts at this time and would have had to wait until a fundraiser could be planned. Keeping costs down for families remains a priority.
“It’s important to us to keep members’ costs down, so we have not entertained the idea of asking members to purchase their own T-shirts,” she said.
Burnett added that support from community partners like FCC helps volunteers stretch fundraising dollars further, allowing funds raised locally to be directed toward programming and community contributions.
“When we can access grants like this, it keeps the cost to families down, which is so important in today’s economy,” she said.
Looking ahead, Burnett said the club is preparing for its Achievement event in April, where members will showcase the projects they’ve worked on throughout the year.
“We have many members in their first couple of years of 4-H,” she said. “It’s exciting to see them — and our older members — showing off what they’ve been working on, and the pride and confidence they have because of it.”
