4-H’S NATIONWIDE CONVERSATIONS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COME TO GAINESVILLE, MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE GATHER TO DISCUSS PRIORITIES THIS SATURDAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                          January 10, 2002

By: Ami Neiberger
(352)846-0996 ext. 237       

Source: Damon Miller
(352)846-0996

GAINESVILLE—More than 150 youth and adults from across Florida will gather in Gainesville Saturday to participate in the State Conversation on Youth Development. Coming from as away as Miami and Pensacola, they will be talking about priorities for youth development at a state level.

Most of the attendees participated in county conversations in their home communities already, and are bringing ideas from the local level to the dialogue at the state. “There is a sense of energy and excitement around the state conversation,” said Damon Miller, assistant dean for  4-H youth development at the University of Florida. “We expect great ideas and priorities to emerge from Saturday’s discussion.”

State Representative Perry McGriff, State 4-H Council President Robert Mack and Florida Commission on Community Service Youth Council member Tonya Williams are expected to attend. Miller will moderate the event, and participants will be split into small groups for discussion. A listening team will gather ideas throughout the day and top priorities will be posted as they emerge.

Miller said that the State Conversation will result in an action plan for improving communities through volunteerism and youth development programs. Planned before September 11^th, the Conversations are also allowing youth, parents and civic leaders to discuss the terrorist attacks and other issues affecting youth development today.

The report from this weekend’s event will be presented to Governor Bush in February. Florida will send a delegation to Washington, DC for the National Conversation on Youth Development at the end of February and final reports of the Conversation effort will be given to President Bush and the U.S. Congress in April.

Thirty-two counties have registered delegates for the event: Alachua, Bay, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, Volusia, Wakulla, Washington.

The 4-H program in Florida is based at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 4-H is active in all 67 of Florida’s counties and on the Seminole Tribes reservations in south Florida, impacting more than 287,000 youth ages 5-18 annually. More information about 4-H is available online at www.florida4h.org and about the conversations at www.4hcentennial.org.

What: State Conversation on Youth Development

Where: Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53^rd Avenue, Gainesville

When: Saturday, January 12, 2002, 10am-3pm

Contact: Ami Neiberger, State 4-H Public Relations Coordinator, State Conversations Coordinator, (352)846-0996 ext. 237, (352)213-5654 (cell), (352)367-1267 (evening)

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