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INFORMATION #2 11-13-2001UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Extension Sherburne County 13880 Highway 10 Elk River, MN 55330-4601 PHONE (612) 241-2720 800-433-5236 FAX (612) 241-2727 E-MAIL sherbume@extension.umn.edu LOCATED IN: Sherburne County Government Center West of Elk River on Highway 10 University of Minnesota, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Minnesota Counties Cooperating UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Extension Sherburne County Sherburne County Government Center 13880 Highway 10 Elk River, MN 55330-4601 PHONE (763) 241-2720 (800) 433-5236 FAX (763) 241-2727 EMAIL sherburne @extension.umn.edu WEB www.extension.umn.edu Located in Sherburne County Government Center, west of Elk River on Highway 10 October 29, 2001 To: Agencies/Organizations interested in working with youth One common theme that binds many of our agencies and organizations in Sherbume County is our commitment to improving the lives of young people. We all contribute to this common mission in varied ways by providing: services, motivational learning environments, protection and safety, and resources for parents and their children. The enclosed brochure announces the National Conversation on Youth Development in the 21 st Century. In 2002, the 4-H movement celebrates its Centennial as one of America's premier youth development organizations. 4-H is commemorating the event by organizing - as a gift to the nation - conversations that will bring together our nation's youth, youth development professionals, parents, school, and community voices to increase the efforts in youth development. We are hosting a series of events across the state that will listen to youth and adults and involve them in identifying actions they must take in order to create a better future for the youth of this country. This event presents an outstanding opportunity to create bold, innovative partnerships for the benefit of young people. Each agency and organization brings specific strengths to such a conversation. To kick-off this effort, we are hosting an event on December 1 at Faith Community Lutheran Church in Zimmerman. The church is located just south of Zimmerman on the west side of Highway 169. We invite representatives from your agency to join us on this historic event. Please encourage youth to participate. Following this event, a copy of the results will be shared with you. We look forward to seeing you on December 1. We ask that you call (763) 241- 2720 or e-mail if you are able to attend. Sin9erely, Harlan Rosendahl Extension Educator Coordinating Committee University of Minnesota, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Minnesota Counties Cooperating THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT When the results of over 3,000 Local Conversations, 55 conversations in each state and territory, and one National Conversation are combined, we will produce a final report with recommen- dations for the most effective youth development strategies in the decade ahead. During the process, we plan to assemble county and state recommendations to use specifically in your home community and state. THE POWER OF YOUTH PLEDGE CAMPAIGN 4-H plans to give our nation a second gift in honor of its Centennial-- 4~1~e i our time andtalent. ~i~4~ a During the year, and as .i i ~i partoftheNational / ~ Conversatiou, we hope to engage millions of youth and adults in pledging time towards community service and leadership. Each person will make a pledge, describing what they will do to make their "eom- munity, country, or world" better. A pledge can be as simple as helping an elderly neighbor rake their yard or as big as organizing a statewide project to collect food for the hungry. Pledges can be mailed in, submitted via the 4-H Centennial website, or col- lected at your Local or State Conversation. Our goal is to announce for each county and for each state the suni total hours of community selwice pledged. At the National Conversation, during a special ceremony at the U.S. Capitol we will present the pledges to the nation and announce the national sum total commitment. And we expect it will be an amazingly huge nmnber! WE HOPE TO ENGAGE MILLIONS OF YOUTH AND ADULTS IN PLEDGING TIME TOWARDS COMMUNITY SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP. FOR MORE INFORMATION This historic initiative begins with you[ We hope you will participate. Please visit with your county 4-H leadership to offer your ideas, sugges- tions, and conunitment to help. Should you want more information or to find out how you might par- ticipate in the events in your county and state, please feel free to contact us through the 4-H Centennial website at: www.4hcentennial.org/ conversation. Or you can write to us at: The National Conversation, c/o National 4-H Council, 7~oo Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland, ~o8~5-4999 or email to: info@fourhcouncil.edu. THE 4-H CENTENNIAL INITIATIVE COMMITTEE The Honorable Bobert J. Dole The Honorable Thomas S. Foley HONORABY CO-CHAIRS NATIONAL 4-H COUNCIL 7]oo ConnecticutAvenue, Chevy Chase, MD ~o815-4999 3m-96~-29o8 www. fourhcouncil.edu A National Conversation to find ways to improve the future for America's youth BEGINS WITH YOU-RIGHT HERE, AT HOME! Have you ever watzted to MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR TODAY'S YOUNG PEOPLE? REALLY CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE? TELL THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS WHAT YOU REALLY THINK? ~..~...,~,-~/o~/o,-~o~ If so, keep reading'~ gna Opportunity to Make a Difference The 4-H youth development movement is celebrating its centennial as one of our nation's longest sex-ring youth development organizations. And it is doing so, not by building a monument to its history, but rather by organizing a National Conversation on Youth Development in the mst Century. This Mll be the first time any organi- zation has developed a series of recom- mendations starting at the ground floor-- where everyone lives--and working its wayup to one national report. This fall, we will organize conversations in every county in America on youth development. And conversation is the key word. The events are structured to hear fromyou. We anticipate over ,oo,ooo citizens participating in conversations in almost every one of the nation's 3,067 counties. Most of the Local Conversations will begin October 7- ~3, which is also hap- pens to be National 4-H Week. When the Local Conversations are complete, we will take the lessons learned and recommendations made from these events to State Conversations in every state~ territory, and the District of Columbia during the winter months. Then, on February 28--March 3, 2oo2, over L6oo individuals from every state, territory, and the District of Columbia will convene inWashington DC for the National Conversation. They will bring the recommendations from their Local and State Conversations into one national report to be presented to President Bush and the Congress. Then, the recommen- dations will impact programs and policy in ways that bring the final results right back home, where they started. But this historic project can only begin with you. HERE IS HOW IT WILL WORK WHO? We hope to assemble in every county in America a group of people including; · Youth, the core of the youth develop- ment movement [] Adults, working with the youth to make a difference in their communities [] Parents, families, volunteers, teach- ers, clergb,, government leaders; those with a commitment to youth · Others who are sincerely interested in youth development WHAT? We are aiming for a 2-4 hour conversation focusing on the action steps that can be taken to impact youth development in your community-or other communities across the nation. Each Conversation will begin the dis- cussion with the following question: V/itt*in the next, 3- 5 years, what are the most important action,s we can take to create the future we want for o~r ),outh, ourselves, and our communit),? Your Local Conversation will focus on action steps that can be taken to impact youth development in your community. Results of the Conversation will be organized around five general themes--to keep the process across the nation as consistent as possible. They include: POWER OF YOUTH: how do we engage young people as equal partners in changing our communities? ACCESS, EQUITY, AND OPPORTUNITY: how do we obtain equal opportunity for all? EXTRAORDINARY PLACES TO LIVE AND LEARN: how can we improve the oppor- tunities for our youth to learn and grow? EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE, INNOVATIVE PRACTICES: how can we engage more adults and innovative strategies in working with our youth? EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS: what approaches for youth development will work best for your community?