WHEATLAND – November has arrived, and along with the colder weather, turkey dinners, and shorter days, it is a time of year to think about giving thanks. What are you thankful for this year? This year has brought many blessings, and I am thankful for so much. The holiday season and recognizing those things we are thankful for brings us the perfect opportunity to give back to the community that has so generously given to us.
Service is one of the positive life skills 4-H’ers learn to value and enjoy thought their years as members. Service to the community – through food drives, raking the yard of an elderly neighbor, adopt-a-highway programs, teens teaching younger youth, teens mentoring children, or youth determining community needs and helping solve community problems – helps young people learn caring, leadership and citizenship. According to Volunteering 101, “Every year millions of Americans volunteer at more than one million non-profit organizations throughout the United States.”
Why is it so important to learn the value of giving? Our U.S. society is based on the idea that we are all responsible for the well-being of our community, country and world. Even before the founding of our country, the willingness to serve was evident in the hearts of many, which is the premise in the meaning behind the Thanksgiving holiday. Later the Great Depression brought opportunities for service throughout the nation, and the forming of the Peace Corps in 1960 by President John F. Kennedy further reinforced the eagerness of citizens to get involved in helping others. While those served by community giving certainly benefit, the volunteers who engage in serving others benefit positively in many ways. Further, you never know when you may be enjoying the service of others, so remember to give back.
Service learning through 4-H or other organizations helps youth develop a number of skills and personal values. By giving back to their communities, young people can:
• Learn the value of helping others.
• Develop leadership, communication, organizational skills and a sense of empowerment.
• Learn how important the connection is between subject matter and life in the community.
• Learn how to cooperate with one another and work as a team with diverse groups of people including adults, peers and others with different backgrounds and experiences.

• Succeed in an area different from academics, athletics or popularity.
• Build self-esteem from the positive results of their service.
• Develop problem-solving and decision-making skills by applying their knowledge to real-world situations.
• Develop a sense of being responsible for their community and a sense that citizenship requires them to actively participate in their community.
• Receive recognition for their efforts and possibly college scholarships.
• Experience the world of work.
Not only do young people gain by being involved in community service, the clubs and groups comprised of these youth also experience benefits from planning and carrying out service projects. So, what do 4-H clubs learn from service projects? Carrying out service activities can strengthen a club or group because they:
Boost member commitment and involvement by giving members meaningful activities.
Can involve families and youth in a joint activity.
Fulfills the “hands to larger service” part of the 4-H pledge.
Builds unity among members, allowing them to function better as a team.
Allows members to get to know one another better as they work together on a common goal.
Helps youth become invested in their club and community.
Shows the community how youth can be resources and how they can get things done. 
Service learning, while important to the 4-H program, is a great way to teach your child the values of gratitude, empathy, and citizenship as well. The 4-H pledge states, “hands to larger service,” so, true to the 4-H pledge, I encourage you all to get motivated and get to work in service to others. Along with thinking about all those things you are thankful for, let’s get to work helping others and teaching youth the value of service.
The University of Wyoming and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperate. The University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.