They are faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. They are the delegates who attended Youth Action 2009 hosted at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. From July 8-12, fifty-eight BC 4-H members from across the province met at Youth Action to find out for themselves what it means to be a leader. This program takes a look at important youth issues, develops leadership skills and self-esteem while building new friendships in a fun filled week.

The theme for the conference was "Heroes Live Here". Throughout the week delegates participated in various hero-themed activities to learn about topics including communication, teamwork, and decision making. This year we had a special guest speaker, Iha Farquhar, from the Heroes Live Here program for 2010 Legacies Now. She presented three sessions on the topics Discover, Celebrate and Act. In these sessions delegates learned about characteristics of a hero, people whose strong leadership skills have made a difference in their schools, communities, or even around the world, and how they can be a hero in their community. On Friday the delegates had to team up with some superheroes to "save the world" from Dr. Conundrum. After working as a team to complete the heroic challenges they faced in the dry desert heat, the group took flight to the Canada games pool facility to splash around and cool off. Youth Action came to an end with small group presentations that summarized the week, followed by an awards dinner and dance.

Pictures:

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Quotes:

• "Youth Action was a great, fun, team building 4-H experience! It helped me become a better leader and work better with a team, and I encourage anyone who is able to go to Youth Action to take the opportunity without hesitation!" Michelle Kulchar
• "I met some amazing people, I did some amazing things, and I had an amazing time. Youth Action definitely was the highlight of my 4-H year!" Lauren Bevandick
• "Youth action was a great experience. I met tons of new friends and had a great time doing all the activities. I'll never forget the amazing time I had." Tori Preddy
• "Youth Action 2009 was absolutely amazing. I met so many new friends, which I'm sure I'll keep in touch with forever. The program had in it many team building activities and challenges that our small groups had to overcome together. The experience of team building and making strong relationships was absolutely incredible! It seemed so odd that meeting and spending time with new friends for 5 days could make foundations for great friendships, but it happened. I can't wait to go on other 4-H trips and opportunities in the future!" Jennifer Hetland
• "Hello, my name is Katelynn Harness and I was one of the lucky people who was chosen to go to Youth Action held at Thompson River University in Kamloops. The theme of this event was "Hero". We would play games that would help with teamwork, friend making and lots more. This experience has made me a stronger person mentally. Thank you so much for making this happen." Katelynn Harness
• "Thank you for sponsoring the 2009 Youth Action. I will never forget the friends I made and the skill I learned." Stacy Weinhardt
• "Hi my name is Amanda Harness. I would like to thank you for the wonderful time I had at Youth Action. This will definitely be an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The venue was very relaxing, clean and was big enough to hold all the activities that we did. The food was very yummy. The friends I have made are amazing. Youth Action is one of the most exciting and fun events I have ever gone to. Without your support, Youth Action wouldn’t have been a reality for the other 60 kids who went with me on this experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Amanda Harness

Celebrate 4-H Hero Stories:

• Caroline Westarp submitted by Nicole Berthelot
• Nick Jansen submitted by Connor Sobolik
• Terry Prehara submitted by Megan Graham

4-H Hero Recipe:

1 ordinary person 1 cup of passion Dash of bravery

Handful of goals 4 cups kindness 1 message

4-H Hero Challenge:

Delegates were challenged at the end of the program to be a hero in their communities. Submit your stories to shawne@bc4h.bc.ca by Nov 30th to be published on our website and be entered to win some cool prizes!