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Kansas State Extension agent updates Franklin County on 4-H youth programs
Summary
K. Rebecca McFarlane briefed the commission on 4-H activity in the Frontier District, including school enrichment programs, district participation numbers and recent youth civic-engagement trips to Topeka.
K. Rebecca McFarlane of the Kansas State University Extension’s Frontier District updated the Franklin County Commission on 4-H youth-development activities across the district, program staffing and recent events involving local members.
Why it matters: Extension-led 4-H programs provide in-school enrichment, leadership opportunities and community events that county residents — especially youth ages 7–19 — rely on for after-school learning and civic engagement.
Presentation highlights: McFarlane said 4-H is coordinated through the land-grant university system and Kansas State University and serves youth ages 7 to 19 with hands-on projects in science, agriculture, health, STEM and leadership. "4-H is a nationwide program coordinated through the extension service and, through the land grant university, which is Kansas State University," McFarlane said.
Franklin County-specific details McFarlane reported: - Franklin County has 54 4-H members; combined with Anderson and Osage counties the Frontier District serves about 421 members. - County-level 4-H program managers (one in every county) have been in place about 2–2.5 years to run local programming and school enrichment. - District members participated in a February "Citizenship in Action" trip to Topeka to learn about the legislative process and debated a bill in the House chamber related to excused absences for 4-H activities outside the school day. - Staff piloted spring-break day camps in each county on topics ranging from STEAM to livestock, and several members received purple ribbons and honorable mentions at regional club days.
McFarlane identified staff by name while describing the outreach: Jessica Flores (4-H youth development agent, district) and Josie Madeline (4-H program manager for Franklin County). She also noted that SNAP-Ed nutrition education in the county is run by Chris Wallace and that the program’s federal funding was a point of uncertainty for the year.
No board action was required for the presentation; commissioners thanked McFarlane and asked staff to provide updates if federal funding changes affect SNAP-Ed or other extension programs.
Ending: McFarlane offered to answer commissioners’ questions and said she would follow up if staff needed more detail about program budgets or participation.
