MARSHALL — Minnesota 4-H hosted the Southwest BLU and TEEL leadership workshops on Feb. 18, at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, with 58 youths from across the region participating.
The annual 4-H Building Leadership and Understanding (BLU) and Teens Engaged in Emerging Leadership (TEEL) workshops were facilitated by youth leaders from the Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador program and older 4-H youth leaders and 4-H alumni, respectively. The events were also supported by a team of adult chaperones.
This year's theme focused on "Seasons of Growth.” Youths learned about leadership while connecting to their own personal story and experiences through hands-on activities. They engaged in small group discussions, educational workshops and large group activities to meet other young people from throughout the region.
They also had the chance to learn about the Crayon Initiative, an organization that takes used crayons, melts them down and creates new crayons for kids in the hospital. This organization helps bring joy to children who are ill and keeps millions of crayons out of landfills.
BLU focused on youth who are in middle school to help them develop their leadership skills, whereas TEEL targets high school age youth to help them take their leadership skills to the next level and help them look deeper into their journeys as leaders.
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Using a youth-teaching-youth model, the 4-H BLU leadership workshops are developed and led by 4-H State Ambassadors and Minnesota 4-H youth who have been selected to serve as spokespeople for 4-H. Their purpose is to educate youth and adults about the importance of youth development, leadership, citizenship, service, teamwork and other invaluable life skills.
To challenge the older youth that attend, TEEL is designed and facilitated by a team of older youth and young adult leaders to build on the leadership skills older youth have developed at BLU and through their lived experience both within and outside of 4-H.
Participants also learned more about the SMSU Agronomy and Theatre departments from faculty and students, experienced student dining and received a campus tour.
“I loved BLU at SMSU! It was so much fun,” said Emma Hietrbink, 2023 BLU participant from Nobles County.
To learn more about 4-H in Nobles County, contact 4-H Extension Educator Anna Rose at (507) 295-5314 and visit 4-H.umn.edu.
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