News
CITIZEN U youth delegates met with state legislators during 4-H Capital Days
March 19, 2012
Delegates from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Broome and Monroe Counties represented the CITIZEN U Project at the 77th Annual 4-H Capital Days in Albany, March 5-7. This year’s Capital Days had 108 youth delegates, representing 35 counties. The 4-H delegates were formally recognized on the Senate floor for being part of a “great youth development organization.”
CITIZEN U is a five-year federally funded project of the Children, Youth, and Families At Risk (CYFAR) Program. The project focuses on civic engagement and workforce preparation for teens 14-18 years old. CITIZEN U is a double entendre for "CITIZEN YOU" and a metaphor for creating a "University" environment in which teens are empowered to become community change agents.
The CITIZEN U delegates to 4-H Capital Days discussed the importance of CITIZEN U with their legislators and described the community improvement projects they are working on in their home counties. The 4-H Capital Days gives youth opportunities to meet their local representatives and opportunities to network with other 4-H delegates. Young people get a first-hand understanding how state government works and learn about government and public service careers.
Juwan Johnson, Jai'quan Caesar, Amanda Marquez, Shaniyah Way, CITIZEN U, CCE Broome County meet with Senator Libous
The CITIZEN U Teen Leaders from Broome County met with State Senator Tom Libous, and Anne Richmond, Executive Assistant to Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo at the Legislative Breakfast. Jai’quan Caesar, Amanda Marquez, Shaniyah Way, and Juwan Johnson explained to their legislators what it meant to them to be “agents of change” and how they were working hard to improve Binghamton.