Press Releases:

4-H Seasons of Service Team Holds 2nd Annual Retreat

ISLAMORADA, Fla. (689 words) – For the second year in a row The 4-H Seasons of Service (SOS) Team, youth bent on “Being the Change” in their schools and communities, descended on the Boy Scout High Adventure Sea Base in Islamorada for a weekend of team building, leadership training and fun earlier this month.

SOS Team members are a diverse group of youth from the Upper and Middle Keys. Students from Coral Shores High School, Marathon High School, Plantation Key Middle School, Island Christian School and home educated students make this team representative of a variety of educational backgrounds.

This year’s retreat was assisted in planning by a student leadership team, all returning members and included sessions taught by them as well. The leadership team members are: Coral Shores Freshman Jerry Renfroe of Key Largo, Coral Shores Sophomore Xotchil Musser of Key Largo, Home Educated Sophomore Noah Sutter of Tavernier, and Marathon High School Junior Katie Greenman of Marathon.

This 19-member team last year had an average of 100 instruction hours per person in a combination of leadership, Red Cross Disaster, Health and Safety, and International Services training during their first year as members of the 4-H Seasons of Service (SOS) Team. Additionally, SOS members also averaged 50 hours of community service through projects in the first eight months of operation.

This year’s retreat got the students off to a quick start by offering an orientation to the American Red Cross, taught by volunteer instructor Sue Heim. Other sessions included “Operating a Red Cross Phone Bank,” taught by Katie Greenman, a Measles Initiative presentation by Noah Sutter, Civic Engagement and Leadership taught by 4-H State President Mylo Cheng. There was also a career exploration component to the retreat as Emergency Management Administrator Jerry O’Cathey outlined careers in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and Firefighter/Paramedic Carlos Martin and Firefighter EMT Max Miller from the Islamorada Fire Department, talked about careers in Fire Fighting and Rescue.

Keynote speaker, Sunny Booker challenged the kids to remember the Challenge Day norms established as operating norms of all MYCP groups and to rise to the challenge of “Being the Change.” Later, Booker said, “These students have the potential to truly change the world around them and I feel fortunate our organization can support them as they grow.”

Afterwards a the crew enjoyed an ice cream social courtesy of Marker 88 Restaurant, SYSCO, and Dairy Queen. The team also put together comfort kits for adults and children that are residents of the Women’s Abuse Shelter as a community service project.

“This is a partnership between 4-H, University of Florida Extension Services, The American Red Cross, and Monroe Youth Challenge Program (MYCP),” said MYCP Chief Administrator Sunny Booker. She added, “This team meets all of our combined missions by giving valuable leadership opportunities and skills to youth through community service.” After completing training, they established a plan of work for each of the team’s areas of focus; the Upper, and Middle Keys. Both teams decided to work on Measles Initiative and Stockings for Troops, as well as a number of other outreach education projects. They also committed to receiving more training during the school year.

The team held its first outreach project at Island Jubilee and had a booth for the stockings and measles projects at the Island Christian School Christmas Festival. At Island Jubilee, they launched a boat named “SOS Team” in the card board boat race and the team raised $450 for both Stockings for Troops and the Measles Initiative.

Monroe Youth Challenge Program is a project of the Monroe County Education Foundation to foster acceptance, respect, and success in the youth of Monroe County. For more information about this project or any other MYCP-sponsored program call MYCP Chief Administrator Sunny Booker at (305) 293-1400 ext. 53319 www.monroe.k12.fl.us/mycp.