In March, 15 4-H members from across the state traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in Ignite by 4-H, a four-day interactive summit designed to help teens find their spark and discover what fuels their passion.
In addition to learning from inspiring speakers and connecting with their peers, teens had the opportunity to choose a programming track they would like to focus on throughout the summit. Options included AgriScience, Community Accelerators, Healthy Living, and STEM, with each track offering educational sessions on 
relevant topic areas, including environmental science, leadership, mental health, and engineering.
While focusing on their chosen track, 4-H’ers listened to subject matter experts and participated in hands-on workshops, off-site experiences, and career exploration activities intended to help them develop the life and career skills needed to become ready for the future.
“This experience had some of the most unique and engaging sessions that I have ever had the opportunity to attend,” said Evelyn Hill, a 4-H member from Fairfield County. “As I eventually pursue a career in the medical field, I will use skills I’ve learned to advocate and present my thoughts and ideas in professional settings.”
In addition to taking a tour of the monuments in D.C., the teens visited
museums and local businesses as part of their off-site experiences. Youth learned about creative expression and making art at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, explored the history and science of flight at the National Air and Space Museum, and visited South Mountain Creamery to learn about farm-to-table food production.
Throughout the summit 4-H members also collaborated to develop their own Lead to Change community action plans. As a group, teens from each state 
were challenged to identify an issue in their community and create a plan to tackle it head-on. They worked together to create a poster on their project and practiced a short project pitch describing their Lead to Change plan.
At the conclusion of the summit, each group presented their project idea to their peers and received meaningful feedback with suggestions on ways enhance their project and increase their impact.
“I really enjoyed seeing the youth come together as a group to work on their Lead to Change project,” said Christy Millhouse, state 4-H STEM educator and a chaperone for the summit. “They brainstormed ideas, worked together to fine-tune their plan, and created a successful presentation.”