In Their Own Words: Students Reflect on Ignite 4-H

Four Vermont students traveled to Washington, DC to attend the National 4-H Ignite Teen Summit from march 9th through the 12th, thanks to an initiative made possible by Vermont 4-H and Vermont EPSCoR. Attended by over 900 people from across the United States and beyond, the summit gave these students an opportunity to participate in workshops and meet other future scientists.

The four students and one of the 4-H chaperones took a moment to reflect on the summit, sharing their experiences in Washington, DC.

What was your favorite part of Ignite 4-H?

Safia Abdo, Essex High School, Grade 11: My favorite part of ignite 4-H was meeting so many new people and making friends so easily and so quickly since everyone was in the same boat.

Sydney Feltz, Colchester High School, Grade 11: I loved the ability to connect and learn from other teens who are also involved in STEM leadership in their communities, I found it so engaging to see projects from across the nation that are occuring, and take away the concepts, activities and ideas I think I can apply to my own projects and leadership at home.

Tzedek Fishman, Harwood Union High School, Grade 9: My favorite part was being able to see all the incredible things people in ignite are doing in there communities throughout the event and more specifically on the last day.

Zahrah Muhammad, Essex High School, Grade 9: My favorite part of Ignite 4-H was meeting people from all over the country. It was so amazing being around more than 600 high school students. It was so fun connecting with everyone and forming new friendships with people that have similar interests as me. Walking away from Ignite 4-H with new friendships that I would never have had if it wasn't for this summit, was truly extraordinary.

Jay Hwasung Jung, UVM, College Senior & UVM STEM Ambassador/Chaperone: The favorite part of the Ignite 4-H was the guest lecturers, especially the citizen scientist, Sunniva Sorby. She gave me the confidence that I can become anyone I dreamed of. Even though I participated as a chaperone, as a senior college student who is about to graduate, her speech gave me a motivation to pursue what I really want to do even though it might be challenging.



How did participating in Ignite 4-H help build your STEM skills?

Safia: Participating in ignite helped me with my STEM skills because not only did it teach me new things about STEM but it also ignited my passion and made me want to keep learning.

Sydney: I really learned the value anyone can bring into the scientific community. One of the first presenters who spoke about her journey into the arctic and her ability to contribute to scientific research just by putting herself in a position to be at the forefront of the research was really inspiring. My confidence in myself and what I can offer and contribute to science both now and in the future was definitely strengthened.

Zahrah: Participating in Ignite 4-H helped build and strengthen my STEM skills. During the workshops I attended, challenges were prompted to us and I had to use my creativity and problem solving skills. One of the challenges I took part in was building a tower that represented a brain. I was in a group of 7 people or so and we all had to collaborate and work together to accomplish the task. The Lead To Change project helped build my STEM skills by improving my critical thinking and logic skills by forcing me to think about challenges my community faces.

Jay: Participating in Ignite 4-H taught me the importance and power of "storytelling" when we want to inspire and teach youth. An effective presentation makes students engage, and I would like to adopt and develop storytelling skills in my STEM program (such as STEM showcase and Robotics program I am participating).

What was your favorite STEM workshop and why?

Safia: My favorite workshop was designing a balloon chair for someone with arthritis because not only was it so much fun but it also made me think about what accommodations had to be met, how to not pop the balloon, etc.

Sydney: I attended several workshops led by other youth participants and their respective adult mentors, showcasing the various research projects, and STEM leadership programs they had occurring. The ones I saw regarding how to engage even younger youth and my peers was really formative of my intent and desire to further work in my own community to advocate and teach stem concepts and ideas.

Tzedek: My favorite workshop was about delivering your best elevator speech. I was impressed when people volunteered to share their speech that we had about a minute to make and how good they were.

Zahrah: My favorite workshop was the STEM Pathways Challenge. I really enjoyed this workshop because it was a hands-on engineering activity. We had to build a chair out of balloons for a patient with arthritis. I had never done this challenge before, but it was definitely one of my favorite engineering activities I have ever done! I also liked this workshop because there was a competition aspect to it!

Jay: As a chaperone, I only participated in two workshops. From the workshops, I had an opportunity to discuss about CS programs and effective ways to transit CS experience to the youth with other states' chaperones. For example, I am currently doing Robotics program using LEGO EV3 mindstorms to teach youth how to program, but in the workshop, we were introduced to another device such as micro bit, and I thought this can be fun to use when I teach coding to youth.



Why was having this opportunity important to you?

Safia: Having this opportunity was important to me because I love STEM and I love doing fun things that help me learn about STEM and keep me interested about STEM so I can keep it with my in my later life.

Sydney: This opportunity was really important to me because I'm already involved in a significant amount of STEM advocacy and peer leadership. The opportunity to learn from others who have had similar experiences was very transformative into a really solidified plan of action into how I want to move forward with my own some leadership projects.

Tzedek: This opportunity was important to me because it really inspired me to start becoming my best self right now. You don't need to wait to make a difference, and it also showed me people that are already making a big difference that are my age.

Zahrah: Attending Ignite 4-H was such an amazing opportunity for me and I am so grateful that I had the chance to go. This opportunity was important to me because it really allowed me to get more insight on different STEM topics. The speakers that came and talked were super inspiring and also allowed me to think more about what I want to do in the future. I loved learning new things each day I was there and in each workshop I attended. Overall, Ignite 4-H allowed my passion for STEM to skyrocket, taught me valuable life skills, and sent me home knowing all the opportunities that are out there!

Jay: First, I have not been to Washington DC since I was born. It was monumental for me, and it gave me mixed feelings. Second, as a senior college student, it encouraged and motivated me not to give up what I have wanted, and to follow my dream. Lastly, I thought chaperoning teenagers itself was a meaningful learning experience for me. Since I started a STEM ambassador at UVM, I have only led a group of younger children. Our Ignite conference group was amazing.

For more information about the UVM 4-H program, visit uvm.edu/extension/youth.

For more information about Ignite 4-H, visit events.4-h.org/ignite.