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AMES — The Iowa 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors participated in the national Ignite by 4-H Summit – developing an action plan, sharing ideas and connecting with peers from other states.

They were among 37 4-H youth in grades 7-12 who were selected to represent Iowa at the teen summit, held March 13-17 in Washington, D.C. Over 1,200 youth from throughout the United States participated in the event, which aimed to help teens find their spark and learn the skills they need to create a positive impact.

On track for healthy living Iowa delegates volunteer to clean up brush, branches and trash at Common Good Farm in Washington, D.C.Ambassadors Jack Elsamiller, Bremer County; Sydney Schilling, Worth County; Emily Hulme, Tama County; Trinity Konsbruck, Harrison County; Elijah Westercamp, Van Buren County; Weston Willand, Worth County and Madison Ingebritson, Wright County, participated in the summit’s Healthy Living track.

The group’s on-site experience included touring Common Good City Farms, a half-acre urban farm site that uses sustainable urban farming techniques. In addition to vegetables, the site also boasts a fruit orchard, beehives and compost system. The organization strives to sustain and support a more equitable community through growing, learning, cooking and sharing fresh food.

The 4-H youth learned about sustainable agriculture, the food system and how Common Good City Farm supports its community. Delegates were also inspired as they learned about their “pay-what-you-can” farm stand, which addresses the immediate food insecurity needs by ensuring that 350+ families have access to fresh fruits and vegetables regardless of their ability to pay. While there, the youth also engaged in various farm tasks, picked up garbage around the property and helped to clean up the brush and branches.

These youth attended workshops on topics varying from vaping, essential oils and food waste to digital marketing, teen cuisine, the human brain and managing food safely. In addition, each core track featured its own keynote speaker and challenge activity that teens collaborated on.

For Healthy Living, the youth worked with Maya-Camille Broussard in a salsa-making experience. They each picked up an ingredient and had to use it in its entirety in their salsa recipe without wasting any of it. The ambassadors reflected that this opened their eyes about food waste, how much food truly is wasted and small things they could do to help.

The youth found value in sharing ideas and connecting with peers from other states, noting they gained a new sense of community within their group. In their action plan, “In the Pursuit of Happiness,” they shared tips to promote happiness and mental well-being through digital content distributed through social media and other communication media.

Youth ambassadors reflected that they were surprised with how comfortable they felt in the big city atmosphere. They felt like they could live somewhere like Washington, D.C., possibly for an internship or semester in college. They also reported excitement to continue traveling to experience new places.

After delegates returned to Iowa from the summit, they could submit these action plans to vie for a grant. Up to 13 Ignite Lead to Change project teams will later receive a $2,000 grant to implement the project, with one possible $5,000 grant.

For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program, please contact your local county ISU Extension and Outreach office or visit the Iowa 4-H website at www.extension.iastate.edu/4h.