Published: March 22, 2008 04:28 pm      

4-H’ers didn’t need passports for recent global experience

STILLWATER, Okla. – A group of Oklahoma 4-H’ers and adult leaders from around the state recently received an international experience and they did not need a passport nor did they travel to a different time zone.

The club members spent four days of educational and international experiences as they took part in the 13th Annual Kansas City 4-H Global Conference.

The group joined hundreds of  4-H’ers from Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri in this global experience March 12-15.

Sam Smith, a Pontotoc County 4-H’er, took part in this educational activity, along with other club members from Oklahoma. Smith is a member of the Pontotoc County 4-H Nutrition Club. This year’s conference title was “4-H Reach Out from the Heartland Globally and Culturally.”

Tracy Branch, state 4-H events and activities coordinator, said the goal of the conference was interaction with business leaders, educators and a diverse group of international people.

“A combination of educational workshops and exciting tours will help participants identify emerging work-force needs and gain insight about the global and high-tech work place,” Branch said. “In addition, delegates had interaction with diverse ethnic groups, develop career and leadership skills for the corporate workplace and increase their confidence for functioning in a global society of political, economic, religious, cultural and ethnic diversity.”

Delegates had the opportunity to select from more than 50 educational workshops with topics such as natural resource careers, water quality, journalism and public relations, financial management, NASA careers, careers with the Environmental Protection Agency, chiropractics, food franchise careers, languages, funeral director and grief counseling, geoscience engineering, Irish history, military careers, hotel management, safety and health management in construction, college life, publishing, judicial and public service, dentistry careers, international 4-H programs, the role of GPS in engineering, robotics and history of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, just to name a few.

A choice of tours included Cargill Animal Nutrition Plant, Metro Sports, Shabobba® Gallery, North Rock Creek Corte School, Lakeside Nature Center, Hallmark Visitor Center, Aviation Weather Center, Midwest Airlines, FedEx, Multi-Vac Packaging, National Starch, Kansas City Life Insurance Company, Thornton Tomasetti Structural Engineers, Farmland Foods Test Kitchen, Cereal Ingredients, Inc., Bayer CropScience Plant and the Board of Trade.

“A major part of the Kansas City Global Conference is the ethnic enrichment experiences,” Branch said. “There were be crafts and displays from Lithuania, China, Ecuador, Germany, Republic of China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Ukraine, Pakistan, Columbia, Mexico, Scotland, Gambia and Laos.”

Delegates will get a true “taste” of another country when they have the opportunity to sample foods from Malaysia, Israel, China, Germany, Republic of China, Pakistan, Mexico, Denmark, India, Finland/Norway, Columbia and Jamaica.

 

In addition, participants will see a comedy improv group called Comedy City.

 

“The neat thing about this conference is that it is so encompassing of different cultures from around the world,” Branch said. “Through the 4-H program we provide opportunities for members to learn about many things, and this conference is just one way we can expand their global experiences. This is a great way for 4-H’ers to learn more about the world.”

 

Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments Cooperating: The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or status as a veteran, and is an equal opportunity employer.