• By Monique Pearce-Brady
• Posted Wednesday, October 5, 2022

4-H Forms Relationships and Makes a Difference in Communities

4-H has let Amarie Johnson make a difference in people’s lives by leading others at 4-H Camp and helping bridge the digital divide by teaching computer literacy.

Amarie is a 10th grader at Paisley IB Magnet School has been in 4-H for five years. He’s also a Boy Scout, a Crosby Scholar and a self-described “environmental freak.”

His mother was in 4-H when she was younger and persuaded him to join. “I heard that the 4-H club does a lot of things in the community and that genuinely intrigued me.” said Amarie.

He became a Leader in Training at 4-H Camp, which he said let him connect with the other campers and form relationships with them. He described the camp as “exceptionally fun and thrilling. I got the opportunity to work with children younger than me and be a leader to them,” said Amarie, “Knowing that individuals look up to you is like no other feeling.”

He’s also been a 4-H Tech Changemaker, which lets young people close the digital divide by providing the education and tools they need to teach digital skills to adults in their communities. “I truly believe that I have made a difference in my community,” he said. “We taught and informed citizens in our community how to safely and effectively navigate the internet. Whether it was teaching a workshop on how to fill out a resume or teaching a workshop on social media presence. No matter what we taught, we effectively conveyed knowledgeable information to the attendees.”

Amarie‘s advice to young people who are joining 4-H is to learn and have fun. “Have fun and enjoy what your agents are providing for you,” he said. “The agents take the time out of their day to talk, respond, and answer any questions that you may have.”

For more information about 4-H, email, April Bowman, Extension Agent, Livestock, Forages, and 4-H Youth Development at awbowman@ncsu.edu or call 336-703-2855 or Dr. Monique Pearce-Brady, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development at dmpearc3@ncsu.edu or call 336-703-2856. Youth ages 5-18 are invited to become a 4-H member by using, 4-H Online to enroll. You can also visit our website and click on the buttons on the right-hand side of the page to learn more about 4-H.