RAYMOND, Miss. -- With social distancing measures still in place, Mississippi 4-H’ers will participate in the state’s first-ever Virtual State 4-H Congress in 2020 instead of the traditional in-person gathering.

The event will be held online July 6-31 and is open to senior 4-H’ers who were 14 to 18 years old as of Jan. 1, 2020. The theme is “4-H: Inspires Vision.”

Each year, senior 4-H members come together from across the state to participate in the three-day event customarily held on the Mississippi State University campus. Participants engage in leadership and educational opportunities.

Traditional contests held at State 4-H Congress will not be held on the virtual platform. 4-H’ers can sign up to participate in one or more educational modules. The four modules are Career Readiness, Agriculture and STEM, Leadership and Citizenship, and Healthy Living and Family Consumer Sciences.

Participants can work at their own pace and earn a certificate when they successfully complete the module. 4-H’ers must contact their 4-H agent to register. Deadlines to register for Virtual State 4-H Congress may vary among 4-H agents. Contact the 4-H agent for the registration deadline.

To participate in the Share the Fun contest, 4-H’ers can submit a video to share their talents. The best video submissions will be selected from the applicants to appear in the final video. Deadlines may vary among counties. Contact the 4-H agent for the Share the Fun video submission deadline. 

For more information, visit the Virtual State 4-H Congress page on the Extension website. To register, contact the local Extension 4-H agent. 4-H is the youth development program of the MSU Extension Service.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation, please contact Cobie Rutherford at 662-325-3353 or cobie.rutherford@msstate.edu.