Character Counts Program. The Character Counts Program is taught in 4-H clubs and classrooms across the country, and it instills important life lessons in young people for the future. Educators around the state of South Dakota gathered together in Sioux Falls, S.D. on June 23-24, 2009 for the 4-H Character Counts Education Conference. My sister, Courtney, presented a speech at the event, as she won last year’s Character Counts Speech Contest. While there, I spoke with 4-H Character Counts State Coordinator, Karelyn Farrand, who believes in the power of the program, crediting it for higher achievement scores and an improved classroom environment. Here is what she has to say about Character Counts and 4-H…

Of all the many projects kids can do in 4-H, the real project is the kids themselves. 4-H is an investment in your child’s future, and they learn so many important life lessons through this program. Character Counts helps young people build a foundation of good character qualities. This foundation helps them in difficult situations and times of hard decisions. Kids are our future, and we want kids that will be able to help themselves, as well as the people around them.

A 4-Her washes his or her show steer, builds a rocket ship, plants a garden, shears a sheep, constructs a lamp, sews an outfit, makes a meal, bakes cookies, picks up a road ditch, writes letters to veterans and goes to club meetings. While 4-H kids have fun in their many activities, the most important lesson they learn through these projects is having a good character. As 4-Hers across the country put the finishing touches on their projects before county fair, it’s an important reminder that 4-H kids are the future of agriculture. Thanks to the Character Counts Program, the future of agriculture certainly looks bright.