The Next Generation Showcases SKILLS & EXPERTISE

4-H youth across the state of Minnesota are talking turkey. And llamas. And pretty much every farm animal in between. It’s all part of the Regional and State Project Bowl, a long-standing Minnesota 4-H Youth Development program where teams of three to six young people build skills working and thinking together while testing their knowledge of dairy, dogs, general livestock, horses, llamas/alpacas, poultry or rabbits.

Maddie Eaton, senior communications specialist at the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development, is an alum of the program and currently serves as a volunteer.

“Project Bowl was a really impactful experience for me,” Eaton said. “I learned so many practical things that transfer to real life, like persistence, commitment, learning to operate under pressure and working within a team.”

Project Bowl Legacy

Helping youth build skills that translate into just about anything they’d want to do as an adult is what 4-H is all about: Project Bowl in Minnesota is just one way the organization brings its objectives to life. From ag advocacy to livestock programs to leadership, conservation, food insecurity issues and more, 4-H participants are profoundly impacting people across Compeer Financial’s territory.

4-H’s tradition, successes and impact on youth all align perfectly with Compeer’s mission of enhancing agriculture and rural America. That’s why, over the years, Compeer has contributed more than $550,000 to 4-H programs in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin through annual support, grants and donations to local clubs.

According to Minnesota 4-H State Director Dr. Jennifer Skuza, “Compeer’s longstanding partnership with Minnesota 4-H Youth Development has played an influential role in our ability to offer a wide breadth of agricultural programming to youth across the state.”

HEAD, HEART, HANDS, HEALTH

In 2022, nearly 67,500 4-H’ers across Compeer’s territory were impacted from the support of the Fund for Rural America. According to Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer, the opportunity to partner with 4-H has been amazing.

“4-H is a critical partner for reaching youth and helping them develop a variety of skills that make them the future leaders, influencers and agriculturalists in rural America,” Schieler said. “Oftentimes, 4-H is the first organization to influence young people and set them on a path to make a difference in our community.”