Cape May County 4-H member Samantha Downes has been selected to represent New Jersey at the 3rd annual 4-H Leadership Washington Focus (LWF) Conference. This leadership conference will be held July 18-22 at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Leadership Washington Focus (LWF) is a 4-H leadership development program for 4-H members entering grades 7-9. Youth from across the nation will be participating in this 5-day event. The program will provide an opportunity for youth to listen to motivational speakers and participate in workshops that will develop communication skills, increase leadership capacity and build lifetime skills. LWF will utilize Washington, D.C. as a working classroom to learn about leadership and provide hands-on opportunities for our younger teens to promote “Learn to Lead Now - Better Leaders Tomorrow."

Samantha is a member of the Needles & Thread 4-H Club. She is in the 8th grade and lives in North Cape May. “The conference will provide an opportunity for 4-H youth like Samantha to become better leaders as they experience our nation’s capital in a unique and educational way,” says Linda Horner, Cape May County 4-H Program Coordinator.

State financial assistance for the delegates’ travel and tuition costs was provided by the First Pioneer Agricultural Leadership Fund – Joshua Geary Fund. Locally, Samantha’s tuition and travel were generously supported by the Cape May County Board of Agriculture and the 4-H Program Advisory Council.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station -Cooperative Extension, 4-H educational programs are offered to all youth, grades K-13, on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, domestic partnership status, military service, veteran status, and any other category protected by law.

For more information about the Cape May County 4-H Program, call the 4-H Office at (609) 465-5115, ext. 605 or visit the 4-H website at http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/. Like New Jersey 4-H on Facebook.