Youth Development Insight

By Sarah Devine My love of astronomy started before I can remember. I was always the kid who was going to be an astronaut. As I grew up and went through school, that passion ebbed and flowed, music came in for many years as my primary activity, but science was always right there behind it. I remember my parents suggesting I should only take one science class at a time during high school so that I could keep balance in my life. While I never thought I’d be an educator, I followed new opportunities as they arose and found my way to teaching. Through teaching science and sharing my passion for astronomy, I do get to be an astronaut and explorer, at least virtually in the planetarium and when using telescopes.  So why do I share this story with you? Youth development is about helping youth find their sparks and passions. It's about helping them grow the skills needed in our modern, culturally connected world. I’ve seen how a passionate mentor or educator can open new ideas for youth,

By Savannah Aanerud What makes a leader a great one? My colleague Anna Rose and I recently had the privilege of leading 34 youth and 4 chaperones on the trip of a lifetime to Washington D.C. for the National 4-H Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Conference . CWF’s mission is that, "Youth will learn about leadership through the lens of American Democracy." We toured Smithsonian museums, national monuments, and Arlington Cemetery to explore what it means to be an agent of change. While touring the National Portrait Gallery , we explored democracy through the people who have helped shape our country, from poets to presidents and from activists to visionaries. What is a portrait?  One of my favorite definitions comes from the National Gallery of Ireland : "A portrait is an artwork that tells a person’s story. The artwork can be made of any material, from painting on canvas to a piece of performance art!" We saw portraits of impactful individuals such as Benjamin Frankl