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AUBURN, APRIL 1, 2000---Four Alabama 4-H'ers will attend the National 4-H Conference April 9-15. The week-long conference, set for the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, involves more than 300 youth and adults from across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

4-H'ers representing Alabama are Thomas Easley of Covington County, Rachel Carroll of Coffee County, Mardracus Russell of Tallapoosa County and Stephen DeAngelo of Mobile County.

The National 4-H Conference is an annual event planned and conducted by the Families, 4-H and Nutrition unit of the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The overall goal of the conference is to provide opportunities for youth, adult volunteer leaders and Extension staff to work together in addressing the issues of youth and how 4-H youth development programs can best meet the needs at the local, state and national levels through educational programming.

The theme for the week is "Building a Global Community: Piece by Piece." While communities appear quite different, they face many of the same problems including technology accessibility, food and agricultural issues and youth involvement.

This year's National 4-H Conference is the beginning of a three-year focus on young people as resources to their families, communities and counties. The focus will be on youth participation and youth/adult partnerships to build communities for a sustainable, global, information-based society. The three-year process will culminate in 2002 with the 100^th anniversary of the 4-H program in the United States.

 Conference delegates -- youth and adults -- gather in various consulting groups to discuss issues and formulate recommendations to address problems affecting youth in the United States. Youth and adults work together sharing power and responsibility. They are actively involved in all discussions sharing opinions, viewpoints, information and enthusiasm as they address the issues. Each consulting group prepares oral and written reports that are presented to all delegates. Written reports also are made available for state 4-H program leaders, 4-H foundation trustees, national staff and others who have responsibility in 4-H youth development.

In addition to working in consulting groups, delegates will have opportunities to meet with their state congressmen on Capitol Hill. They also will hear from Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, Under Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Miley Gonzalez, Dr. Charles Loughlin, administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CREES); and Dr. Alma Hobbs, deputy administrator, Families, 4-H and Nutrition Unit, CREES.

SOURCE: DR. TONY COOK, Extension 4-H Program Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (334) 844-2233