MANHATTAN, Kan. – It takes more than just skill in a project area for a Kansas 4-H member to earn the title of ‘State Project Winner.’

Each year, 4-H youth of all ages submit Kansas Project Report forms, and one state winner is selected from the senior division (ages 14-18) for each project. In addition to learning new project skills, these youth must also demonstrate growth and strength in leadership, organization, civic engagement, and above all, communication. 

The Kansas 4-H Youth Development celebrates the top achievers in each project area at the Emerald Circle Awards Banquet, hosted by the Kansas 4-H Foundation. Winners are selected based on their project report forms, which are records created by the 4-H members of their most significant accomplishments in a specific project area throughout the year. 

Project report forms progress through county, regional and statewide screenings before the state winner in each project area is recognized at Emerald Circle. 

In previous years, Emerald Circle was attended by state project winners, their families,extension agents, and some of Kansas 4-H’s biggest donors, but this year, organizers merged Kansas 4-H Discovery Days and Emerald Circle -- which took place at the same time at K-State. 

Approximately 200 additional 4-H youth attended the event, which included the recognition of state project winners, keynote speakers and Call Hall ice cream. The change, organizer said, was partially driven by the goal of increasing awareness of the state project awards and giving the younger members something to aspire to. 

“We have an impressive set of young people who have accomplished so much in their 4-H project work,” said Beth Hinshaw, a 4-H Youth Development specialist in the southeast region. “Being named a project award winner is one of the highest individual achievements within Kansas 4-H. All it takes is one spark to ignite that passion in a 4-H project that can then create so many learning opportunities and even the possibility of a future career.” 

Being a state project winner indicates prior excellence and points to future potential, Hinshaw said. Youth must display leadership skills and hearts for service by organizing events like community service projects, project meetings to share their expertise with younger 4-H members, and other unique efforts. 

These project winners are also eligible to attend the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta in November. 

The list of this year’s project winners, in alphabetical order by category, are: 

Beef – Wyatt Fechter, Howard 

Civic Engagement – Aleah Staggenborg, Marysville 

Clothing and Textiles – Claire Mullen, Lawrence 

Communications – Kyle Ruehle, Dodge City 

Dairy – John Langill, Seneca 

Dog Care and Training – Callie Jones, Abilene 

Entomology – Maddix Small, Neodesha 

Fiber Arts - Amy Crow, Wichita 

Foods and Nutrition – Elizabeth Seeger, Moundridge 

Health and Wellness – Sukesh Kamesh, Kingman 

Horse – Natalee Bray, Scandia 

Leadership – Claire Walker-Helsel, Wallace 

Meat Goats – Adelle Higbie, Overbrook 

Performing Arts – Alex Young, Marion 

Photography – Eric Shapland, Scott City 

Plant Science – Adam Snowball, Abilene 

Poultry – Kaylen Langhofer, Plains 

Rabbits – Clara Johnson, Nortonville 

Reading – Acacia Pracht, Lindsborg 

Sheep – Tyler Gillespie, Colony 

Shooting Sports – Shelby Smith, Fredonia 

STEM – Josiah Stockebrand, Yates Center 

STEM: Energy Management – Ashton Bearly, Ludell 

Swine – Jenna DeRouchey, Wamego 

Visual Arts – Daegen DeGraff, Concordia 

Wildlife – Lynnea Nelson, Carbondale 

Wood Science – Morgan Vogts, Waverly 

MANHATTAN, Kan. June 18, 2021—  Kansas 4-H donors Allan and Carolyn Harms, from Derby, have committed $575,000 to advance positive youth development in Kansas. Their gift will be utilized in two ways: $500,000 for capital improvements at Rock Springs Ranch and $75,000 in annual support for the essential needs of Kansas youth. 

“4-H is a unique organization that serves to reach youth of all backgrounds to help them reach their potential,” Carolyn Harms said. “This program helps youth to develop life and communication skills along with a desire to give back to their communities.” 

For more than 100 years, Kansas 4-H has been shaping youth to be dynamic leaders and community members through experiential learning opportunities. These opportunities range from project learning to leadership training to 4-H camp at Rock Springs Ranch. 

This year Rock Springs Ranch is celebrating its 75th camping season. It is the state’s 4-H center for immersive 4-H experiences and has served more than 1 million Kansas youth since 1946. In preparation for celebrating 75 years of camp, the Kansas 4-H Foundation Board initiated a master planning exercise for the future of Rock Springs Ranch and 4-H camp. Currently, the board is focused on camper care and safety and enhanced programming.

“To honor the history of Kansas 4-H, we are evolving the camp experience to have an even greater impact for the next 75 years,” Jake Worcester, President/CEO Kansas 4-H Foundation said. “The generosity of the Harms will be transformational for the future of Kansas 4-H and Rock Springs Ranch.” 

4-H experiences like the county fair and 4-H camp are where youth engage in rich educational opportunities to learn mastery, independence, belonging and generosity. These experiences are guided by caring adult volunteers. The Harms have served as 4-H volunteers in Sedgwick County for more than 20 years. 

“There is no better investment that can be made to support the development of young people who have a desire to be strong leaders in their communities,” Carolyn Harms said. “4-H members are known for their strong leadership and ability to work together to achieve results.”

The Kansas 4-H Foundation works with businesses, organizations, individuals and families who share a common desire to support a statewide effort of growing our future leaders. The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) fundraising arm for Kansas 4-H and Rock Springs Ranch.

MANHATTAN, Kan. June 8, 2021—  Rock Springs Ranch debuted a new Leadership Adventure Course during a ribbon cutting celebration surrounded by youth leaders and donors, Thursday, June 3. The Leadership Adventure Course is a team-obstacle course with two levels of high ropes, low elements and a dueling zip line. The course is a leadership and teamwork tool for campers and adult retreat guests. 

The total fundraising goal for the course was $285,000. The goal was achieved through both philanthropic gifts and a youth-led fundraising effort, Endorse the Course, for Kansas 4-H clubs.  

Kansas 4-H donors Lee and Jackie Borck, from Manhattan, contributed the lead gift of $150,000 for the construction of the course.

“Jackie and I look first to youth opportunities like 4-H for our philanthropic giving,” Lee Borck said. “Seeing young people at Rock Springs Ranch and the enthusiasm they have for programs and projects made this decision a no-brainer for us.”

The Borcks were inspired by the resiliency of Kansas 4-H youth over the last year, and $25,000 of their gift was designated as  matching funds to double the impact of the youth-led Endorse the Course challenge. The Kansas 4-H Youth Leadership Council led the youth fundraising effort and encouraged all Kansas 4-H clubs to make a gift to reach their collective goal of $25,000 toward the construction of the course.  

Kansas 4-H clubs exceeded their goal and contributed $28,475 for a total of more than $53,000 with the matching funds from the Borcks. Kansas 4-H youth will enjoy the new Leadership Adventure Course this summer, 75 years after Rock Springs Ranch was founded. In 1945, Kansas 4-H Clubs purchased the land that is now Rock Springs Ranch to be the state 4-H center for Kansas youth. 

“It is so cool that we got to be a part of the tradition of youth philanthropy in Kansas 4-H,” Korben Clawson, Kansas 4-H Youth Leadership Council Member, said. “Kansas 4-H Clubs around the state pledged their hands to larger service and contributed to the next 75 years of Rock Springs Ranch. This is our legacy for the next generation of Kansas 4-H members.”

The Kansas 4-H Foundation works with businesses, organizations, individuals and families who share a common desire to support a statewide effort of growing our future leaders. The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) fundraising arm for Kansas 4-H and Rock Springs Ranch.

MANHATTAN, Kan. April 20, 2021—  4-H is the state’s largest positive youth development program with over a century of presence in Kansas. Kansas 4-H donors Bill and Cindy Keller, from Pratt, have committed $625,000 to advance positive youth development in Kansas. Their gift will be utilized in two ways: $500,000 for capital improvements at Rock Springs Ranch and $125,000 in annual support for the essential needs of Kansas youth. 

“I believe that 4-H provides the best youth leadership program in the United States,” Keller said. “4-H is a tradition in my family. My parents were both involved in 4-H. They talked to their five children about how much influence it had in their lives and how important it was to get involved in a variety of projects.” 

Kansas 4-H shapes youth to be dynamic leaders and community members through experiential learning opportunities. These opportunities range from project participation to leadership training to 4-H camp at Rock Springs Ranch. 

This year Rock Springs Ranch is celebrating its 75th camping season, serving more than 1 million Kansas youth since it began in 1946. Four years ago, in preparation for celebrating 75 years of camp, the Kansas 4-H Foundation Board initiated a master planning exercise to conceptualize the vision for the future of Rock Springs Ranch and 4-H camp. Currently, the board is focused on activating the results of the master plan focused on camper care and safety and enhanced programming.

“We have over 100 years of 4-H and 75 years of camp on which to build,” Jake Worcester, President/CEO Kansas 4-H Foundation said. “In order to honor the history of Kansas 4-H, we are evolving camp to have even greater impact for the next 75 years. The generosity of the Kellers will be transformational for the future of Kansas 4-H and Rock Springs Ranch.” 

Capstone 4-H experiences such as the county fair and 4-H camp, youth engage in rich educational opportunities where they learn mastery, independence, belonging and generosity. Many of these experiences happen at Rock Springs Ranch, the state’s 4-H center for immersive 4-H experiences. 

“Education and youth development are critically important for the future of our country and the world,” Keller said. “These entities are high priority for our philanthropic giving.”

The Kansas 4-H Foundation works with businesses, organizations, individuals and families who share a common desire to support a statewide effort of growing our future leaders. The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) fundraising arm for Kansas 4-H and Rock Springs Ranch.