Education Funds to be Awarded at 4-H Weekend
AGRICULTURE/FISHERIES--Education Funds to be Awarded at 4-H Weekend
Provincial 4-H members will be competing for awards and cash prizes in public speaking and demonstrations when they converge at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro for this year’s Provincial 4-H Weekend on Friday and Saturday, May 25-26.
The speaking awards will showcase the skills of 4-H members who have already won at the 4-H club, county and regional levels.
Some members in the junior category will be competing for four $500 prizes designed to help fund their post-secondary education. These prizes will be used to purchase registered education savings plans for the winners in Top Junior Speech, Top Junior Single Demonstration and Top Junior Team Demonstration. AgriVest Financial Advisors, Heritage Financial, AIM Group of Funds and AIM Funds Group are sponsoring the four first-place prizes. The junior competitions are open to youth between the ages of nine and 13.
"Competitors at 4-H Weekend have exceptional speaking skills for their age group and this talent is one that they can use in every area of their lives," said Agricultural and Fisheries Minister Ernest Fage. "Some of the finest leaders in our rural communities have 4-H training, strong evidence that this is a valuable leadership development program for young people."
Mr. Fage supported the decision to put prize money into an educational savings plan for some winners. "Having the opportunity to compete for prize money for future education plans is an added bonus for the winners, and I can’t think of a more fitting trophy to take home," he said.
The highlight of the weekend, 4-H Night in Nova Scotia, will take place on Saturday evening at the Cobequid Education Centre. Awards will be presented to competitors and recognition given to those leaders and members who have won national 4-H travel awards.
The evening will showcase speeches, demonstrations, square dancing and entertainment. As well, the winning woodsman team will be announced and the Provincial 4-H Host and Hostess, the official youth representatives for the Nova Scotia 4-H program, will be selected.
The public is welcome at all the weekend events.
4-H is an international youth organization dedicated to the growth and development of both farm and non-farm rural youth.
Today, the 4-H program focuses on development of technical skill related to agriculture, and life skills such as citizenship, leadership, responsibility and independence. Last year, more than 36,000 members and 10,500 leaders in 3,000 4-H clubs across Canada completed approximately 55,000 club projects.