This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
CENTRE HALL — There’s more than just funnel cakes, tractor pulls and music lighting up the Centre County Grange Fairgrounds. Beyond the midway and deep into the livestock barns, something quieter is taking root: youth leadership, community connection and education, all courtesy of Centre County 4-H.
At the heart of this is 4-H Teen Council President Jillian Anderson, whose deep involvement in 4-H stretches back to childhood.
“For me, it was almost a given to get involved with 4-H,” Anderson, whose mother has served as a 4-H leader for more than 25 years, said. “My initial involvement in 4-H personally comes a lot through my family background.”
Anderson says 4-H touches nearly every corner of the Grange Fair. From youth exhibition buildings filled with handmade projects like tie-dye and sewing, to barns brimming with livestock, the fair provides a platform for young people to showcase months of their hard work.
Kids as young as eight show rabbits, goats, pigs, sheep and cattle, and participate in activities like the animal dressing contest and “Meet the Animal” sessions, where members engage directly with the public.
“That’s an opportunity for them to talk with the public,” Anderson said. “The public can come watch and they can tell them about their animals. It’s a good education opportunity for 4-H and FFA members.”
One of Teen Council’s proudest efforts is an annual t-shirt fundraiser held during the Junior Livestock Sale, which is the second Friday of the fair. Each year, the shirt’s color and theme spotlight a cause connected to the local agricultural community.
“This year, we’re raising awareness for head and neck cancer,” Anderson said. “This year we have burgundy shirts because the ribbon colors are burgundy and ivory cream color. Those shirts will be around the livestock arena on sale day, and they’ll bring some awareness to head and neck cancer. There are a lot of people who are impacted by this type of cancer, but people just don’t know how common.
“It’s our mission and goal to raise awareness for that and at the same time, raise some money to help the family out with those costs related to that,” Anderson stated.
The initiative started in 2021 and raises money annually for various causes like the American Heart Association, rare disease support and community-building.
While 4-H is known for its agricultural programs, Anderson is quick to point out its broader reach. Beyond the barns, kids can dive into sewing, baking, canning, gardening and even robotics. The county’s robotics club is one of the largest and most active in the region.
“There really is something for everyone to get involved with 4-H,” she said. “A great first step would be reaching out to the county educator or just asking some young kids that are in the barns. The neat thing is that there’s a lot of emphasis on agriculture, sure, but there are other things to do as well.”
She encourages those interested to contact Centre County’s 4-H educator, Brittany Helm, or simply strike up a conversation at the fair.
For Anderson and many of her peers, 4-H is more than an extracurricular activity. It’s a training ground for adulthood.
“It’s good to learn organization skills and even time management,” she said. “Working with your projects and figuring out how to fit in attending meetings. And that’s being able to speak up in those meetings and make your voice heard. It encapsulates a lot of skills. It helps you become a well-rounded person.”
The organization also offers leadership conferences at Penn State and summer camps that create long-lasting friendships and skills that transcend agriculture.
“The leaders of Teen Council really do a good job of making sure that members are super involved,” Anderson said. “Learning those skills that are going to be vital to any job that you have in life. I feel that has been an awesome part in preparing not only myself, but the people in teen council that came before me.”
When asked what she hopes newcomers take away from 4-H at the fair, Anderson didn’t hesitate.
“Get involved,” Anderson said. “You can find someone who would be able to cater to your interests and maybe even encourage you to do something outside your comfort zone, because that’s when you start to grow as a person. It’s when you step outside your comfort zone.”
For more information on how to get involved with Centre County 4-H, visit extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h/counties/centre or call 814-355-4897.
