Hello, Minnesota 4-H!
Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador
My name is Cora, and I am a Minnesota 4-H Ambassador from Stearns County. This year, I have had the wonderful opportunity to serve on our State Ambassador leadership team (SALT for short) with five other second-year ambassadors.
With the month of March comes the excitement of another spring and summer filled with fairs, shows, camps and much more.
We all know what is going on for us, but let’s take a quick look at what the Minnesota 4-H Ambassadors have been up to.
BLU 2026 comes to a close
Throughout February, the State Ambassador team, along with the help of youth program facilitators, put on our regional leadership workshops, Building Leadership and Understanding (BLU).
The BLU workshops served all five regions in the state and about 280 youth this year!
During this experience, youth learned about personal conflict styles, what success means to them and how failure is a step towards success. That is 280 youth bringing home new skills they can have in their toolbox to use on their leadership journey.
Along with the lessons, these youth also took part in our statewide service work by making tie blankets to donate to shelters, writing gratitude cards for local first responders and practicing their own emergency preparedness with making first aid kits and 911 practice calls. Be on the lookout for more service updates.
Altogether, the workshop was a blast for participants and our leadership team.
YELLO registration is open
With BLU closing out, that means the 4-H State Ambassador team is shifting into full gear for the Minnesota 4-H state leadership conference, YELLO. YELLO stands for Youth Exploring Leadership and Learning Opportunities and will take place June 9-12 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
It gives youth from across the state a bigger opportunity to learn more about their leadership skills and connect with new and familiar faces. This year's theme is Planting Seeds of Leadership, and our team will be looking at giving youth strategies to learn and grow as leaders.
Apply to be a 4-H State Ambassador
When people ask me about 4-H and what it has done for me, the words I share could not amount to the way this program has prepared me to be beyond ready. This is somehow even more true when it comes to the Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador program. It is a gift to be part of this team, and it continues to keep giving.
If you or someone you know will be in grades 11 and above this fall, I encourage you, no matter the experience, to apply.
I came into the program after about eight years in 4-H, but I did not quite understand the complexities or the extent of 4-H's involvement in our government and the world. It sometimes feels like an invisible web of programming, agriculture, leadership, alumni and our wonderful advisors and volunteers. The ambassador program was my biggest step into understanding this 4-H world.
Along with this understanding of the world, I have also been able to take a deeper dive into my own personal development.
From StrengthsFinder tests to value exercises, I have learned more about myself to become an even more effective leader. This, paired with opportunities such as meeting legislators and putting on workshops and conferences for our Minnesota 4-H community, has been one of the best paths I dared to step foot on.
So, if you think this might be a path you could see yourself on, I encourage you to take the first step and apply, because you never know where it will lead, and who you will meet along the way. Applications are due April 15.
With that, I would like to wish everyone a very lucky March. I hope you all wear your clovers proudly (even if they aren’t 4-H ones) and enjoy our lovely Minnesota season of false springs and second winters.
Take care,
Cora Y., Stearns County
Minnesota 4-H State Ambassador leadership team