*ADF067* 02/27/2025 12:45:27 PM ADF067
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 SR 33 3
4
By: Senator Gilmore 5
6
7
SENATE RESOLUTION 8
TO RECOGNIZE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE ARKANSAS 4 -H 9
PROGRAM ON THE YOUTH OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS AND TO 10
PROCLAIM 4-H DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON MARCH 4, 11
2025. 12
13
14
Subtitle 15
TO RECOGNIZE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE 16
ARKANSAS 4-H PROGRAM ON THE YOUTH OF THE 17
STATE OF ARKANSAS AND TO PROCLAIM 4 -H 18
DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON MARCH 4, 19
2025. 20
21
WHEREAS, in October 1908, a group of about sixty -five (65) boys formed 22
the White County Corn and Cotton Club as a way to learn the latest in 23
agricultural technology, resulting in their learned agricultural practices 24
being adopted by their counterparts, and this club became the Arkansas 4 -H 25
program, with the four (4) "Hs" standing for head, heart, hands, and health; 26
and 27
28
WHEREAS, while the activities that the participants in Arkansas 4 -H 29
enjoy may have changed since 1908, the mission of 4 -H to help the youth of 30
the United States become productive citizens has not changed; and 31
32
WHEREAS, the seed planted by the White County Corn and Cotton Club 33
provided the roots for a program that today reaches more than one hundred 34
forty-four thousand (144,000) young people in school enrichment programs and 35
over two hundred fifty -eight thousand (258,000) young people ages five to 36 SR33
2 02/27/2025 12:45:27 PM ADF067
nineteen (5-19) in all program areas across the seventy -five (75) counties of 1
Arkansas, including young people from rural, suburban, and urban areas of the 2
state; and 3
4
WHEREAS, Arkansas 4-H is the premier youth development program 5
conducted by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service of the 6
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture; and 7
8
WHEREAS, through informal, scientific, research -based, and experiential 9
education activities, 4 -H participants gain knowledge and enhance life skills 10
enabling them to become positive, productive, capable, and compassionate 11
members of society; and 12
13
WHEREAS, 4-H is designed to prepare young people to step up to the 14
challenges in their communities and provide youth with the skills to lead for 15
a lifetime; and 16
17
WHEREAS, the core elements of 4 -H include youth leadership, youth -adult 18
partnerships, life skills learning, and community service; and 19
20
WHEREAS, 4-H members complete hands -on projects in areas like science, 21
health, agriculture, and citizenship in a positive environment in which they 22
receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive 23
leadership roles; and 24
25
WHEREAS, the Arkansas 4 -H program fosters an innovative "learn -by-26
doing" approach with proven results, and 4 -H is committed to building 27
outstanding leaders with marketable skills to succeed in today's global 28
society through in-school and after-school programs and on military 29
installations; and 30
31
WHEREAS, findings from the Tufts University 4 -H Study of Positive Youth 32
Development indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4 -H 33
make more civic contributions to their communities and make healthier 34
choices; and 35
36 SR33
3 02/27/2025 12:45:27 PM ADF067
WHEREAS, in 2019, the National 4 -H Council partnered with Edge Research 1
to conduct a study of all 4 -H alumni across the country, and the results 2
showed that a 4-H experience correlates with long -term success in life; and 3
4
WHEREAS, 4-H is the nation's largest youth development organization, 5
empowering nearly six million (6,000,000) young people throughout the United 6
States; and 7
8
WHEREAS, the structured learning, encouragement, and adult mentoring 9
provided to 4-H members by the thousands of hours given by Arkansas 10
volunteers play a vital role in helping our youth achieve success, 11
12
NOW THEREFORE, 13
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 14
STATE OF ARKANSAS: 15
16
THAT the Senate recognize the positive impact of the Arkansas 4 -H 17
program on our youth and proclaim March 4, 2025, as 4 -H Day at the State 18
Capitol. 19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36