New 4-H specialist joins extension office, looks to future

Hands outstretched in a welcoming gesture, Vernon County Extension 4-H specialist Chris Mosbrucker introduced herself, reaching out with a message of partnership and mentorship of area youth as she spoke to the Nevada Rotary Club on Thursday.

Mosbrucker, who holds a bachelor's degree in human services, has taken over the post formerly held by long-term youth specialist Carol Parmenter, and says she'll work hard to keep offering a strong 4-H foundation to Vernon County's youth as the organization looks to the future.

"4-H has changed a lot over the years," she said, noting that, in the beginning, 4-H targeted mostly the parents. Youth growers, she said, would learn about the science of production and their projects would often end up producing better than the parents' farms -- and the information on how they did it would reach the parents through the youth.

While the group has its roots in serving agricultural and rural interests, youth now have opportunities in 4-H that are suitable for a very broad variety of interests, abilities and personalities. Livestock, crop and produce projects are still popular, especially in rural areas, but one of the most popular non-livestock projects in Vernon County is photography; many students do woodworking, cooking, crafts, sewing, educational displays and more as their 4-H projects.

Vernon County has about 25 4-H groups, made up students will all types of backgrounds.

"We have 370 youth, and 210 volunteers," said Mosbrucker -- a very active group by all accounts.

"It isn't like sports, where the goal is winning. It's learning through mastery. The goal in 4-H is, 'did you learn something?'" What 4-H leaders and youth are encouraged to focus upon are six pillars of character -- trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

A recent study undertaken by Tufts University in Massachusetts followed 4,000 students in 63 communities in an effort to determine whether 4-H makes a difference in the lives of participants in terms of their successes after high school, their grades and their connection with the community.

"Kids involved in anything do better," Mosbrucker said, but "Kids involved in 4-H do 10 percent better than others."

Much of this, she said, seems to be because through 4-H, participants have a positive, sustained relationship with adults.

"As a parent, you know that one day you're the center of the world and you know all there is to know. The next day, you practically don't exist but someone else knows all there is to know," Mosbrucker said.

The youth get validation from another adult, and that's important, she noted.

Activities in 4-H also help build important life skills, such as planning, how to win and lose with grace, follow-through skills and more.

It also offers the opportunity to use those skills as a participant and as a leader. "Whether your project is swine or cooking, these skills are developed along the way," Mosbrucker said.

"I'm very excited to be a part of 4-H in Vernon County," Mosbrucker said, noting that the extension also offers the McGennis Youth Camp, for youth who would not otherwise have a camp experience.

Additional members and volunteers are always welcome, Mosbrucker said. To find out more about 4-H or to volunteer, stop by the Vernon County Extension Office, inside the Vernon County Courthouse, or call Mosbrucker at (417) 448-2560.