Shelby Brawner, Extension Assistant/Grant Manager
June 30 – July 6, 2019 a group of 22 4-H members and 3 agents/volunteers attended Citizenship Washington Focus in Chevy Chase, Maryland at the 4-H Center. This event is 4-H’s premier leadership and citizenship program for high school students. CWF participants are able to enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at our nation’s capital and have a chance to meet members of Congress. In addition, they work on developing their communication, leadership, and citizenship skills through hands-on learning and group activities. And of course – they build new and lasting friendships!
Have a quick read through some of the 4-H’ers experiences!
Analynn Jones, Robertson County
“This past week has been one of the best weeks of my life. I learned so many new things and met so many new people. I have had the privilege to visit DC three times previously on a 4-H trip, but we never had the time to travel around and explore the Nation’s Capital. This time I toured multiple Smithsonian Museums, visited the Nation’s Capital, saw so many historical sites, and met so many people from across the country. Some of my favorite things that I had the opportunity to do was touring the Holocaust Museum, discussing current issues affecting our country in a civil way, and writing a bill discussing my opinions on self driving cars. Without the help of sponsors, volunteers, agents, and adult leaders, I would have never had the wonderful opportunity. Thank you so much for allowing me a chance to travel to Washington DC for an entire week with 4-H CWF 2019.”
Grace Powell, Wilson County
“As I look back on this wonderful week, it is unbelievable what all we were able to do! This week would not have been possible without our adult leaders as well as our awesome PA, Shelby. Without their leadership, we would still be on the metro trying to figure out what stop to get off at. With there being so many people from across the US there this week, it really got us out of our comfort zones and made us talk to others. Because of that, we have made friendships from Texas all the way to Maine. The one thing that brought us all together was our love for 4-H. We all came to this conference to learn more about our government and how to become a better citizen. I loved going to all the memorials in DC (some I had no idea even existed). The memorials that I enjoyed the most was FDR, MLK, and Korean War. While I enjoyed all of them, these were the three that stuck out the most to me because they were all different, and they all had a different story behind each memorial that really impacted me. Being raised in a small town, 4th of July has always been something that we as a community enjoy. So when I heard that I was not going to be home during the 4th, I was kinda’ disappointed. However, being in the Nation’s Capital during the 4th is something I will never forget! The parade was the biggest pa- rade that I have ever seen! While it was hot and we did get sunburned, in my opinion, it was totally worth the pain! This conference was one of the best I have been to. I would love to go back again, and I will diffidently tell others what a great opportunity it is to learn more about our government as well as meeting new people.”
