By Scott Stuhr
Every year, a group of dedicated 4-H Shooting Sports teens come together to become National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassadors. The mission of the program is “Opening avenues to expand youth horizons through their voice, image, and vision.”
This year the National 4-H Shooting Sports Teen Leadership Institute is going to be held at The Vines Center (also known as the Arkansas 4-H Center) just west of Little Rock Arkansas. 28 participants from 18 different states will come together August 6-10 to fine tune and develop leadership, public speaking, and team building skills.
The 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador program provides a venue for 4-H Teens to represent 4-H and specifically 4-H Shooting Sports for public relations purposes at special events; at donor/sponsor functions and with the public, 4-H groups, community service organizations, schools and media contacts. Ambassadors serve as spokespersons for the 4-H Shooting Sports program at national, regional, state, county venues, helping to make 4-H Shooting Sports programs more visible. These teens further develop their skills in leadership, public presentation, citizenship, community service, public relations and team building. They also assist in maintaining relations with 4-H Faculty and Extension Administrators as well as past, present and future program donors and supporters. Ambassadors continue and expand their involvement in 4-H Shooting Sports beyond the shooting skills and competitive events and stay actively connected with the 4-H Shooting Sports program as they enter their collegiate years and further into adulthood.
The National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador Program is designed to promote 4-H and 4-H Shooting Sports. Youth selected to serve as Ambassadors will receive training that will allow them to return to their homes and advocate for the program at the county, regional, and state level. Some Ambassadors may be asked to support national events as well. Ambassadors provide public relations support at special events such as donor/sponsor functions and serve as spokespersons for the 4-H Shooting Sports Program, helping to make 4-H and the 4H Shooting Sports Programs more visible. The Ambassador’s further develop their skills in leadership, public presentation, citizenship, community service, public relations and team building.
By being selected as a National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador, these youth represent over 400,000 4-H youth. These amazing young people strive to support the vision of the program which is “To establish and expand a National 4-H Shooting Sports Teen Ambassador Program that is replicable at the Regional, State and County levels, affording teens the opportunities to demonstrate their skills in leadership, citizenship and community service through ambassador activities that promote and encourage the 4-H Shooting Sports Program.”
To learn more about 4-H Shooting Sports, go to https://4-hshootingsports.org/
For information on becoming a supporter of 4-H Shooting Sports the 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador Program, or anything else related to 4-H Shooting Sports, please contact Scott Stuhr, at coordinator@4-hshootingsports.org