DAY AT THE CAPITOL

FAMU 4-H Extension Agent, Sabrina Hayes, discusses 4-H Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. Sabrina talks about the wonderful experiences the 4-H youth encountered and what the event is all about

FAMU EXTENSION: What kind of event is 4-H Day at the Capitol?

SABRINA: 4-H Day at the Capitol is an event for 4-H youth, 4-H professionals, and 4-H parents, friends, and volunteers to meet at the Florida Capitol Courtyard in Tallahassee to talk to legislators and senators to show what 4-H has done throughout the state.

FAMU EXTENSION: How often does this event take place?

SABRINA: It is a yearly event It used to take place in February However, it has recently been changed to April because students could not meet with legislators in January and February because they were in session

FAMU EXTENSION: What role does FAMU Extension play at 4-H Day at the Capitol?

SABRINA: FAMU Extension and the University of Florida Extension jointly plan for this event. FAMU Extension conducts a campus tour as part of 4-H Day at the Capitol, so anyone interested in touring the campus can sign up for a campus walking tour.

FAMU EXTENSION: What awareness were you trying to bring to legislators?

SABRINA: 4-H is rooted in agriculture. However, there are lots of different projects that 4-H'ers do, so when they meet with legislators, they talk about the various projects they were involved in and why they are passionate about 4-H. Students also asked legislators to fund more to 4-H youth programs like Tech Changemakers. More funding helps bring awareness to technology, and the program allows the youth to teach it in communities.

FAMU EXTENSION: Roughly how many youth associated with FAMU 4-H participated in the 4-H Day at the Capital event this year?

SABRINA: This year, about 225. We usually have second graders from Bond Elementary. This year the FAMU DRS high school class made their first appearance to participate in 4-H Day at the Capitol, so we were excited about that. Hopefully, other schools we do activities with will participate in next year's 4-H Day at the Capitol.

FAMU EXTENSION: What activities did the youth participate in at 4-H Day at the Capitol?

SABRINA: There was a welcoming ceremony, and afterwards, 4-H'ers took pictures on the Capitol steps. Since our programs are research-based, the researchers set up stations with activities related to different projects. For example, Entomology had an activity table setup. Food & Nutrition was also present, showing the youth how to make healthy snacks. A photo booth with volunteers was also available. Life Science had handson activities, and New World Initiative was there to give books to students. Overall, there was a wide range of arts and crafts activities for the youth.