MSU Extension 4-H Volunteering & Mentoring

Charity Hackett of Berrien County was among five Michigan Farm Bureau 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award recipients honored on Sept. 21 during the Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration. The event was hosted by Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Foundation in East Lansing. 

The award recognizes the outstanding youth education and leadership development achievements of Michigan 4-H volunteers in the beef cattle; dairy cattle; goats; horses; horticulture, crops and soils; poultry; rabbits; sheep; swine; and veterinary science project areas. Honorees receive $1,000 grants they can use for training, to buy supplies or curriculum, or to enhance local or statewide programming. 

Hackett is the club coordinator for one of the largest 4-H clubs in Berrien County, the We Can Ride 4-H Club. Part of the 4-H Proud Equestrians Program, the club focuses on teaching young people with disabilities horseback riding, showmanship, groundwork, and stable management.

Hackett helps young people with disabilities, who were once left sitting on the fence watching others fully participate, to experience the joy of horseback riding and see opportunities for themselves in agriculture. She excels at helping young people understand not just how, but why something is done, and at helping them work through feelings of nervousness, fear, or anxiety to grow their confidence and knowledge.

Hackett also works to ensure the club’s teen leaders are learning and growing. She encourages them to pursue further education, whether it be additional riding certifications, agriculture-related degrees, or career skills. Hackett also helps ensure the club is youth-driven, emphasizing the need for teen leadership on the club board and teen co-chairs on committees. She is eager to recognize 4-H’ers for their efforts, encouraging them to compete for awards, scholarships, and other recognition, and supporting them in acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to compete for these rewards.

“Being part of a Proud Equestrians Program fills your bucket: watching riders find a voice when they are nonverbal or borrowing their horse’s legs for 45 minutes a week,” said Hackett. “It’s rewarding to see the next generation blossom, when teen volunteers unselfishly haul their own horses in every week for someone else to ride, embrace diversity, and build lifelong friendships.”

Hackett, a former 4-H’er herself, has helped the We Can Ride 4-H Club become a safe environment where young people are empowered to feel heard, valued, and supported; where they increase their existing skills and develop new ones. The diversity among the members, teen leaders, and adult volunteers is vast, and Hackett has been a strong influence in increasing that diversity and building strong bonds among peers, teen leaders, and adult volunteers that benefit everyone.

The other 2024 recipients of the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Awards are Donna Budd of Wayne County, Rick Gould and Kevin Yeager of St. Joseph County, Angela Oakman of Washtenaw County and Mandy Rogers of Washtenaw County. The award is supported by an endowment with the Michigan 4-H Foundation that was established by Michigan Farm Bureau. To learn more about the 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award and awardees visit https://mi4hfdtn.org/4-h-emerald-awards/michigan-farm-bureau-4-h-excellence-in-agriculture-award/. 

Other honorees recognized at the 2024 Michigan 4-H Legacy Awards Celebration included partners receiving the Michigan 4-H Citation Award, inductees into the 2024 class of the 4-H Emerald Clover Society, volunteers awarded the Michigan 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards, 50-year 4-H volunteers, winners of the MSU 4-H Scholarship, and retiring 4-H staff.

The Michigan 4-H Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Michigan 4-H Youth Development. For more information about the Michigan 4-H Foundation, visit www.mi4hfdtn.org. Michigan 4-H Youth Development is the youth-serving program of MSU Extension. Nearly 135,000 youth are involved in 4-H with the support of 8,000 adult volunteers. For more information about Michigan 4-H, visit www.4h.msue.msu.edu.