University of Illinois hosts Youth Leadership Conference at Freeport Public Library

FREEPORT, Ill. (WIFR) - The 4-H Youth Development program at the University of Illinois Extension holds their second leadership conference of the year.

The "Youth in Action" conference took place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov.

23 at the Freeport Public Library, 100 E. Douglas Street.

Young business owners shared how they got started, what challenges they've faced and how they're doing now.

Some young speakers included a popcorn business owner, the owner of a company to reduce plastic in the oceans and a bee-keeping business owner.

University of Illinois hosts Youth Leadership Conference at Freeport Public Library(WIFR)

"It's hopefully going to inspire these youth, if they haven't stepped out into a leadership role, to kind of feel like now they can because they're hearing it from their peers," says Kelly Lafferty, 4-H Youth Development Educator for the University of Illinois Extension Office.

Lafferty says the participants also did an activity where they wrote down a goal they want to accomplish, and she will check in with them in a few months to see if they have completed it.

There were icebreakers and teambuilding exercises as well.

For more information, visit the 4-H Youth Development program's website [1].

References

^ https://extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/4-h-youth-development (extension.illinois.edu)