By Judy Ratkos

Explore career possibilities, learn or polish your skills in a variety of learning sessions, meet other young people from around the state, experience life on a Big Ten campus, challenge yourself and have fun – attend 4-H Exploration Days!

Young people aged 11 (by January 1, 2005) to 19 can do all of this and more at 4-H Exploration Days on the Michigan State University campus next June 22 to 24, 2005. (Some counties require participants to be older than 11.)

Each year almost 2500 people – participants, adult chaperons, instructors and MSU Extension staff – gather for the event. Volunteers donate more than 27,000 hours to help plan, organize and run 4-H Exploration Days.

If you’re looking for more reasons to encourage your 4-H’ers to attend 4-H Exploration Days, here’s a good one: Young people who attend 4-H Exploration Days have indicated that they are more likely to attend college because of their experiences on the MSU campus.

The full-time registration fee for 2005 has been tentatively set at $150. This covers meals from Wednesday lunch to Friday lunch, two nights of lodging, the program and an event T-shirt. Some counties may charge additional fees to cover delegation costs. Contact your county MSU Extension office to see if scholarship support is available.

The event theme in 2005 will be “Movin’ to 4-H.” The Wednesday entertainment program at Wharton Center will feature talented groups of Michigan 4-H’ers. For information on how to nominate an individual or a group of 4-H’ers to appear onstage, go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/expodays.html.

The 2005 registration book will be available online and from county MSU Extension offices by mid-March. Your registration form must reach your county MSU Extension office by May 1, 2005. For more information about 4-H Exploration Days, contact your county MSU Extension office or visit the Web site listed earlier in this article.

Judy Ratkos is the 4-H program leader who coordinates 4-H Exploration Days.