Welcome to my adventure: WV 4-H Meets Patagonia
The introduction to my adventure is simple, yet enticing: I will spend six months in Patagonia, Chile. While there I have several goals:
1.) To create an awareness of what the 4-H program is and what 4-H means to me.
2.) To meet amazing people in a breathtaking setting.
3.) To laugh and learn.
4.) To take full advantage of where I am and what I am doing.
5.) To return with the satisfaction of knowing that I left a 4-H program that is stronger than the one I found on arrival; that more people ‘get’ 4-H and the things it can do.
I invite you to read my stories, laugh at my blunders and mistakes, and feel part of the movement of the 4-H program across the globe.
The traditional IFYE program is described below. However, this IFYE Experience is unique in that there is not an established 4-H program in Patagonia. This project is two-fold: One piece is the traditional IFYE cultural exchange (as described below) and the second piece is that I am helping to establish a sustainable 4-H program in the region.
Quoting IFYE Association of the USA at www.ifyeusa.org:
The IFYE program is an in-depth learning experience in which 4-H alumni and other young adults live with host families in other countries to increase global awareness, develop independent study interests, and improve language skills. Programs vary from country to country, with some emphasizing an agricultural work experience, volunteering at an adult training center, or working with a local youth development program similar to 4-H.
Growing up in southern West Virginia, 4-H was an integral part of my life. My entire family was active in the local 4-H program and it was said that we ‘bled green’. My summers were filled with camps, 4-H projects, and fairs. After high school I obtained my B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. Post graduation I followed my love for adventure to the bigger mountains of Colorado, where I worked as an assistant brewer at a local brew pub and as a substitute teacher. I filled my spare time with mountaineering, rock climbing, and cooking… I will now be following my love of adventure, big mountains, and 4-H to even bigger mountains. I look forward to bringing stories back to my home among the hills…
