by Gabe Harville, Smith County 4-H — The National 4-H Youth Summit on Agri-Science was held on March 10-13, 2022, in Bethesda, Maryland. The National 4-H Youth Summit for Agri-Science brings teens together from across the nation to focus on learning about and solving agri-science issues impacting communities and the economy.
At the summit, students in grades 9-12 develop the skills and knowledge needed for the challenges facing agriculture, food security, and sustainability. Students work with each other and experts in the agricultural community in a collaborative, hands-on educational setting.
This year, Tennessee 4-H sent three delegates to the conference, one of which was 9th grade Smith County 4-H member Gabe Harville. During his time at the event, Gabe was able to be a part of workshops in the areas of food security, farm safety, pollinators, and professional development. He also was able to network with youth from different states, create an action plan for an agricultural initiative to possibly be used in the Tennessee 4-H program, participate in community service projects, listen to various speakers who are experts in the agriculture and natural resources field, and attend a night tour of famous sites in the Washington D.C. area. Gabe enjoyed getting to travel to Maryland to meet new people and learn more about the agriculture industry. He would recommend this event to any 4-H member that is interested.
If you have any questions about the event or would like to attend the National Youth Summit on Agri-Science next year, please contact the Smith County Extension office at 125 Gordonsville Highway in Carthage or call 615-735-2900.
