The Wyoming legislature recently passed House Bill 175 declaring 4-H as a co-curricular activity. The bill will allow students from the elementary to university level to receive excused absences to participate in 4-H events.
Wyoming House Bill 175 states that students “participating in programming or competitions sponsored by nationally recognized organizations and clubs that promote youth agricultural education” should be considered as participating in a district co-curricular activity and given excused absences accordingly.
As a positive youth development program, Wyoming 4-H is an organization funded through the University of Wyoming Extension that provides a variety of education and networking opportunities for students. Sen. Brian Boner, R-Douglas, celebrated the bill’s passing, saying it will begin to promote 4-H involvement in the state.
“I think it’s going to help out [with participation], especially in our more populated areas,” Boner said. “Getting time off to go to state fair or any similar 4-H or FFA program isn’t that hard in our more rural communities, but the challenges [are] in larger places, especially like Cheyenne.”
“Wyoming supports our 4-H and FFA kids and we want to make sure that the school system does as well,” he added.
Rep.Tomi Strock, R- Douglas, echoed similar sentiments.
“[Schools and school boards] look at it as ‘kids are just missing school’. People don’t understand the role 4-H plays to get these children into leadership roles that will benefit them for the rest of their lives,” Strock said.
Strock also spoke to the bill’s role in helping to raise awareness for agriculture programs in the state.
“Especially here in Wyoming it is part of our culture and we’re going to lose that. It is part of who we are.”
The passing of the bill has created an avenue for students to more easily attend events and explore the opportunities that the 4-H program has to offer, but there are still potential challenges ahead. Jonathan Despain, the Wyoming 4-H Program Coordinator, explained the bill is a small step in expanding experiential learning opportunities, which he feels is an important component of education.
“I think the biggest issue is still to come, actually. It’s helping school districts understand this broader perspective of education, experiential learning, outside of the classroom learning, and how that works,” Despain said.
Former 4-H member and FFA Alumni Addysen Rosner played a key role in helping create House Bill 175.
“In 2021, there was an article circulating Facebook and within the 4-H community about a similar bill in Oklahoma,” said Rosner. “I heard from a lot of students who were struggling with teachers recognizing [these absences] and letting them make up work.”
Rosner connected with the legislators to present the initial idea and then advocate for it until signed into law. Her efforts were joined by others involved in the program as well.
“We had a lot of testimony come through, both on my behalf and a couple kids that testified. We had families that wrote representatives,” said Rosner. “I just want to thank Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Tomi Strock. Without them, it would have never happened. They made it so easy because they were so supportive of the 4-H community and the education that comes with that.”
This bill was initially drafted by then Representative and now Secretary of State Chuck Gray in 2021. It was given to Rep. Strock to carry through the House of Representatives. Sen. Boner was the prime sponsor in the Senate and saw it through to Governor Mark Gordon’s desk.
