4-H empowers youth at first leaders conference

More than 100 Oklahoma 4-H’ers in third through seventh grades gathered in Stillwater April 5 for the inaugural Rising Leaders Conference, hosted by Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development.

Oklahoma 4-H state officers led the event’s opening session before Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur highlighted 2025 as the Year of Youth in Agriculture, emphasizing the role of Oklahoma 4-H in drawing youth to agriculture and developing life skills.

Young attendees completed four rotations of fun and educational workshops, with 12 workshops taught by volunteers, county educators and older Oklahoma 4-H members. An afternoon session was also available for parents and adult family members in attendance. Workshops at the conference provided young 4-H members with hands-on experiences in a variety of project areas.