National 4-H Council Announces Group of Prominent Alumni to Help Grow 4-H

CHEVY CHASE, Md., March 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National 4-H Council announces today the launch of 4-H Luminaries, an exclusive group of accomplished and influential 4-H alumni that will help raise awareness of the life-changing 4-H impact and generate support for bringing 4-H to more youth in need.

This prestigious group is part of the 25 million 4-H alumni from across the nation that share a common bond in 4-H – an experience that helped teach invaluable life skills like responsibility, compassion and the value of hard work. The 2017 Class of 4-H Luminaries includes Grammy award-winning artist Jennifer Nettles, NBA star Kent Bazemore, Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth and MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin, to name a few.

"4-H gives kids the opportunity to learn by doing, to grow from not only the encouragements brought by success, but also through challenges and failures. These skills will help them to handle whatever life may throw their way," said Jennifer Nettles, Grammy-award winning musician, actress and 4-H national spokesperson. "No one knows this better than those of us who have experienced 4-H programs firsthand. As alumni, we want to ensure youth today are able to have the same experiences that contributed to our successes."

The 48 members recognized in the 2017 Class of 4-H Luminaries will help fuel the growth of 4-H by committing to serve as 4-H spokespeople sharing the personal impact of 4-H, offering their expertise and access to experiences for 4-H youth, alumni and professionals, and connecting their network for marketing, media and fundraising opportunities to help grow the mission of 4-H.

"Whether they are running Fortune 100 companies and performing to sold-out crowds or leading community programs and volunteering to empower local youth, 4-H alumni represent the epitome of true leadership," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "These remarkable alumni are committed to paying it forward and ensuring the next generation has the opportunity to benefit from the 4-H experience."

4-H Luminaries is announced in conjunction with the launch of 4-H's Raise Your Hand campaign where 4-H alumni across the nation are asked to raise their hands to support the next generation of true leaders. Every alumni hand raised is a vote towards a $20,000 award for the 4-H state with the most hands raised. To learn more about Raise Your Hand and 4-H Luminaries visit
www.4-h.org/RaiseYourHand.

2017 Class of 4-H Luminaries

About 4‑H
4‑H, the nation's largest youth development organization, 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. 4‑H is the youth development program of our nation's Cooperative Extension System and USDA, and serves every county and parish in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension 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.

Learn more about 4‑H at www.4‑H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4‑H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4H.

SOURCE National 4-H Council