Celebrity Alumni Rally Behind 4-H to 'Inspire Kids to Do' - a Campaign to Give Kids More Opportunities to DO and to Grow Future Leaders
4-H Launches Campaign with 30 Days of Doing, Celebrity Alumni Ad Series, and a Goal to Reach One Million DOers with the Support of Alumni, Parents, and Partners
CHEVY CHASE, Md., Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This back-to-school season, 4-H is placing a national spotlight on the stories of young people, through its 'Inspire Kids to Do' campaign. Led by youth and alumni voices, the campaign aims to engage parents, alumni and the public to join 4-H in empowering one million kids to learn-by-doing year-round and send a message of inspiration – the more kids do, the more they grow the skills they need for life and career.
Once thought of as less significant than academic learning, life skills such as confidence, resilience and curiosity are now mandatory to prepare kids for life readiness, impacting their education, future careers and societal engagement. Preparing kids with these skills today, comes at a pivotal time in our country, when the need for a highly adaptive workforce and leaders who can solve community and societal challenges is more critical than ever.
"4-H knows that more kids 'doing' works. For more than a century, we've inspired youth to learn-by-doing by leveraging the best knowledge and research from more than 100 public universities," says Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "By creating hands-on programs customized for the needs of local communities, and by building the largest national network of positive youth-adult relationships kids get more opportunities to learn-by-doing and their unique skills grow and take shape. This campaign is about empowering the actions of millions of true leaders - youth who DO with purpose, impacting their own lives and changing the world around them."
To kick off the campaign, an array of prominent 4-H alumni voices who embody the results of 'doing,' ranging from musicians, athletes to actors and media personalities are featured in a series of alumni ads for social media and digital release as an opportunity to share the impact of 4-H and highlight the life skills garnered from hands-on doing.
"We hope 4-H alumni across the country will also join us in sparking change, supporting our communities, and inspiring a movement by helping us to grow the next generation of true leaders," says Artis Stevens, chief marketing officer, National 4-H Council. "Our alumni base of 25 million have firsthand knowledge of the incredible impact 4-H. 'Inspire Kids to Do' is an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and share the powerful message of doing by amplifying the stories of young people and creating 'doing' experiences like those that helped them pursue a positive path in life and achieve their goals."
Alumni supporters include Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter, Georgia 4-H alumna, Jennifer Nettles and award-winning journalist, South Carolina 4-H alumnus, Craig Melvin—each of whom offered comments on their participation.
"I support 4-H because of all that it's given me. Growing up in a small town in Georgia, 4-H opened doors and set the groundwork for me to pursue my dreams," said 4-H National Spokesperson and Georgia alumna Jennifer Nettles. "4-H enables young people to explore and develop their passions just like I did. The organization continues to evolve and offer new programming from STEM to performing arts while embracing its core mission of empowering youth to learn by doing."
"4-H exposed me to the journalism field—the experience turned my curiosity as well as my interest into a career," MSNBC news anchor, South Carolina alumnus Craig Melvin said. "To help young people succeed in this world, it's important to connect them with hands-on learning opportunities and supportive communities who will help them along the way. This September, 30 Days of Doing will pave the way for this movement of change through experiential learning."
Other celebrity alumni supporters include:
Aubrey Plaza, producer and actress, currently on FX's Legion, Delaware 4-H alumna
Carla Hall, celebrity chef and co-host of ABC's The Chew,Tennessee 4-H alumna
Dolly Parton, award-winning singer songwriter, actress and country legend, Tennessee 4-H alumna
Kent Bazemore, NBA player, Atlanta Hawks, North Carolina 4-H alumnus
Eric Stonestreet, Emmy award-winning actor, ABC's Modern Family,Kansas 4-H alumnus
Peggy Whitson, record breaking NASA astronaut
Nancy Grace, TV & radio host, legal commentator, author, Georgia 4-H alumna
Avery Williamson, NFL player, NY Jets, Tennessee 4-H alumnus
Lazarus Lynch, Host of Food Network's "Comfort Nation," New York 4-H alumnus
Trisha Yearwood, award-winning country singer and cookbook author, Georgia 4-H alumna
Anne Burrell, American Chef and TV Personality, New York 4-H alumna
4-H's 'Inspire Kids to Do' campaign also includes 30 Days of Doing, a month-long initiative that aims to engage one million young people across the country in hands-on learning opportunities. Alumni, parents and the public are invited to join in for 30 Days of Doing experiences and galvanize local communities to sustain programs, projects and experiences that empower kids to learn-by-doing year around.
30 Days of Doing will feature a free downloadable 'Inspire Kids to Do' guide with daily activity ideas; a youth "Doer of the Day" throughout September and a photo contest that will give participants a chance to win a $10K scholarship.
A new public service announcement, titled Love, Mom, will be released featuring the emotional connection parents, especially moms, feel about their kids' futures. In addition, social storytelling content will run across the 4-H network's digital channels throughout the year showcasing how kids develop their purpose through hands-on learning experiences unique to 4-H programs.
About 4-H As the nation's largest youth development organization, 4-H grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for career tomorrow. 4-H programs empower nearly six million young people across the U.S. through experiences that develop critical life skills. In the U.S., 4-H serves every county and parish through our network of 110 universities and more than 3,000 local offices. Globally, 4-H collaborates with independent programs to empower one million youth in 50 countries. The research-backed 4-H experience grows young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices; two times more likely to be civically active; and two times more likely to participate in STEM programs. 4-H is led by a unique private-public partnership of universities, federal and local government agencies, foundations and professional associations. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Share this article