Media Advisory: Interior design and hunger prevention projects highlight State 4-H Congress

Media Contact: Dr. Marshall Stewart, 919.515.1682 or 919.704.9398, or visit the 4-H host and hostess table at the entrance to Jane S. McKimmon Center during 4-H Congress week

State 4-H Congress, held this week at North Carolina State University and around Raleigh, will include a youth version of “Trading Spaces,” where teams create a room design, and the kickoff of 4-H’s Hungry to Help project.

Congress will be held July 19-22 at North Carolina State University and other Raleigh locations. The annual event will attract more than 500 4-H club members, adult volunteers and 4-H agents with North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

News media are invited to cover any of the 4-H Congress events. For more information, contact Dr. Marshall Stewart at the numbers above.

During the four-day event, delegates also will participate in competition, workshops, assemblies, recreation, fellowship and service to the community.

On Monday and Tuesday, three teams of youth will participate in the Eco Works Challenge, an opportunity to work with designer Edward Walker of television’s “Trading Spaces.” Walker, who grew up in North Carolina, has returned to the state and wanted the opportunity to share the field of design with youth. The teams will design and create a room in the Exposition Center, N.C. State Fairgrounds, from 1-6 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. At 5 p.m. Tuesday, the completed rooms will be showcased.

At a Tuesday night dinner, 4-H will kick off “Hungry to Help,” a major public service project in an ongoing partnership with the Food Banks of North Carolina. The hope is that 4-H will collect 1 million pounds of food for the food banks.

Every day, hunger disrupts the lives of one in five North Carolina children, and 4-H is dedicated to making a difference. The project’s goals are to increase awareness of hunger in North Carolina, to address the issue in local communities across the state and to prepare 4-H’ers to be citizen leaders for hunger relief. The dinner starts at 6 p.m., with the kickoff beginning at 7 p.m. at the Exposition Center at the State Fairgrounds.

On Wednesday, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., more than 350 4-H’ers and adults will work together at Dorton Arena to process some type of food for the Food Bank. The event is part of 4-H’s annual Hands to Service activities.

Other events of 4-H Congress are outlined below.
Monday, 7:30-10 p.m., Opening Assembly, Exposition Center, State Fairgrounds
The annual 4-H Honor Club tapping ceremony takes place during the opening assembly. The top half of 1 percent of the state’s 4-H’ers are admitted to the Honor Club each year. 4-H’ers will also demonstrate their skill at sewing and modeling clothing during Fashion Revue, part of the opening assembly.

Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Presentation competitions, Athens Drive High School, 1420 Athens Drive, Raleigh
Delegates will participate in competitions designed to demonstrate their knowledge of subjects ranging from landscaping to sewing to wildlife. State winners, many of whom go on to compete in regional or national contests, will be named in more than 30 subject matter categories. Delegates not involved in competition will attend workshops on a variety of topics.

Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hands to Service
4-H’ers will participate in Hands to Service projects, spending the morning hours working with local non-profits and human service agencies. Most 4-H’ers will be at Dorton Arena, where they will pack or process a food product as part of 4-H’s Hungry to Help initiative. For more information, visit the 4-H host and hostess table in McKimmon Center or call Harriet Edwards, 919.515.9548.
7-9 p.m., Farewell banquet at the Expo Center, State Fairgrounds
State officers will be elected late in the afternoon. The evening also will include a 9:30 p.m. Candle lighting ceremony at Dorton Arena and a farewell dance at the Expo Center.

Thursday, 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., McKimmon Center, Career Fair
Delegates will leave campus Thursday afternoon.

The 4-H program is the youth education program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, based at North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State universities. More than 240,000 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in North Carolina 4-H activities each year with the help of 21,000 adult and youth volunteers.

– Written by Natalie Hampton, 919.513.3128 or natalie_hampton@ncsu.edu