Thanks to Facebook, Collegiate 4-H recruits members, serves community

All other student organizations better watch out: IU’s Collegiate 4-H might be young, but what the group lacks in age it makes up for in enthusiasm.\nThe club just celebrated its one-year anniversary, and has already helped more than 450 4-H Club members in Indiana, a number President Jessica Falkenthal said she hopes to almost double by the end of 2008.\n4-H is a national organization that strives to enhance leadership, citizenship and life skills in youth across America. The four H’s stand for head, heart, hands and health. \nWhile the kindergarten-to-high-school-level 4-H program focuses on annual projects to enhance leadership and life skills, Falkenthal said Collegiate 4-H is geared toward community outreach and service. \n“With Collegiate 4-H we’re more focused on service to the community and trying to foster growth and youth development in the community,” Vice President Ellen Weinzapfel said. “We associate ourselves with 4-H, but we’re really not like a normal 4-H club at all.”\nFalkenthal said the group does about a service project a week. The group extends its outreach by using Facebook as a communication tool. \n“(Facebook) is really great for keeping freshmen involved because they’re on it so frequently,” Falkenthal said.\nWeinzapfel said the group was founded because Falkenthal was able to contact her and other 4-H Club alumni through the Web site.\n“Everyone on campus uses Facebook as much as they use their e-mail,” Weinzpfel said. \nShe said its convenience is what makes it such a useful tool.\nCollegiate 4-H uses Facebook event invitations to remind members and potential members about upcoming service projects and meetings. So far, it’s helped group turnout, Falkenthal said.\nThe group has also been successful in service projects as well. \nService projects for this semester include making sleeping bags for the Shalom Community Center and holding a collegiate seminar for Indiana 4-H Club high schools.\nThe collegiate seminar will teach club members to use their 4-H experience to get scholarships, Falkenthal said.\nShe received about $26,000 in scholarships and said most Collegiate 4-H officers at IU also received scholarships based on their 4-H experiences.\nService and College Prep Chair Livy Wilz said the seminar will include a “practice” essay-writing competition. The winner will receive an IU scholarship in an amount to be determined later.\nProjects such as these have earned the group acclaim and awards from both the Student Activities Board and regional 4-H groups. The Student Activities Board gave the club the IU Student Organization Award of Merit for Civic Engagement.\nGroup members agreed that 4-H has helped them not only by providing scholarships, but also by helping them adjust to college life.\n“I’ve gained a lot of leadership experience and experience planning events,” Weinzapfel said. “It’s been a really good way to make friends on campus, and I’ve tried to help people in the community.”\nlda@indiana.edu\nAll other student organizations better watch out: IU’s Collegiate 4-H might be young, but what the group lacks in age it makes up for in enthusiasm.\nThe club just celebrated its one-year anniversary, and has already helped more than 450 4-H Club members in Indiana, a number President Jessica Falkenthal said she hopes to almost double by the end of 2008.\n4-H is a national organization that strives to enhance leadership, citizenship and life skills in youth across America. The four H’s stand for head, heart, hands and health. \nWhile the kindergarten-to-high-school-level 4-H program focuses on annual projects to enhance leadership and life skills, Falkenthal said Collegiate 4-H is geared toward community outreach and service. \n“With Collegiate 4-H we’re more focused on service to the community and trying to foster growth and youth development in the community,” Vice President Ellen Weinzapfel said. “We associate ourselves with 4-H, but we’re really not like a normal 4-H club at all.”\nFalkenthal said the group does about a service project a week. The group extends its outreach by using Facebook as a communication tool. \n“(Facebook) is really great for keeping freshmen involved because they’re on it so frequently,” Falkenthal said.\nWeinzapfel said the group was founded because Falkenthal was able to contact her and other 4-H Club alumni through the Web site.\n“Everyone on campus uses Facebook as much as they use their e-mail,” Weinzpfel said. \nShe said its convenience is what makes it such a useful tool.\nCollegiate 4-H uses Facebook event invitations to remind members and potential members about upcoming service projects and meetings. So far, it’s helped group turnout, Falkenthal said.\nThe group has also been successful in service projects as well. \nService projects for this semester include making sleeping bags for the Shalom Community Center and holding a collegiate seminar for Indiana 4-H Club high schools.\nThe collegiate seminar will teach club members to use their 4-H experience to get scholarships, Falkenthal said.\nShe received about $26,000 in scholarships and said most Collegiate 4-H officers at IU also received scholarships based on their 4-H experiences.\nService and College Prep Chair Livy Wilz said the seminar will include a “practice” essay-writing competition. The winner will receive an IU scholarship in an amount to be determined later.\nProjects such as these have earned the group acclaim and awards from both the Student Activities Board and regional 4-H groups. The Student Activities Board gave the club the IU Student Organization Award of Merit for Civic Engagement.\nGroup members agreed that 4-H has helped them not only by providing scholarships, but also by helping them adjust to college life.\n“I’ve gained a lot of leadership experience and experience planning events,” Weinzapfel said. “It’s been a really good way to make friends on campus, and I’ve tried to help people in the community.”