GAEL UnscriptED S2:E8 | How Georgia 4-H Helps Kids Become Beyond Ready For Work And Life

What happens when a trusted school partner meets a statewide youth movement with real pathways to growth? We sit down with Georgia 4-H leaders Melanie Biersmith and Mandy Marable, plus alumna Alyssa Haag, to trace how classroom access, summer camps, and student leadership create confident, capable young people across all 159 counties. From fifth-grade introductions to statewide conferences, we unpack the design behind 4-H: nurture sparks, connect youth with caring adults, and turn engagement into agency.

You’ll hear how 4-H at the University of Georgia blends standards-aligned lessons with hands-on adventures, including the beloved Summer GAEL coastal program that gives families high-quality childcare and kids a living lab on Georgia’s shore. Alyssa’s journey—from freezing during an early speech to majoring in consumer economics at UGA—shows how judging teams, district project achievement, and camp counseling transform nerves into poise, and curiosity into a calling. We dig into agriculture as both Georgia’s number one industry and a powerful hook for life skills, demystifying careers from poultry science to environmental stewardship while shaping smarter consumers and advocates.

Civic engagement runs through it all. Local service projects lead to teen leadership and a sea of green at the Capitol, where hundreds of 4-Hers learn how policy is made. We spotlight statewide camps and conferences that build independence, community, and direction, and we recognize the Georgia 4-H Foundation and honors like the Green Jacket and Friend of 4-H for sustaining excellence. Principals, parents, and district leaders will find practical ways to open the first door—say yes to your county 4-H agent and watch opportunities multiply.

If this conversation sparks ideas for your school or family, share it with a colleague, subscribe for more stories that matter, and leave a quick review with your favorite 4-H memory or takeaway.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Welcome, Gale family, back to another exciting episode of Gail Unscripted. We have some fantastic guests with us today. You can see the studio is full. And we have Georgia 4 H in the house, and they are joining us today. I'm going to start with Melanie. Melanie, just introduce yourself to our Gale members. Tell them a little bit about yourself, as much or as little as you would like to, and then we'll go down the line to Alyssa and Mandy. So start us off, Melanie.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

Perfect. Thank you for having us. I am Melanie Fiersmith. I serve as our Georgia 4 H state leader. So I get the great privilege of working with our Georgia 4-H programs in all counties across Georgia at our 4-H centers and with our 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Awesome. My name's Alyssa Haig, and I'm a proud Georgia 4-H alumni. I'm originally from McConey County, so not too far. And I'm currently a student here at the University of Georgia studying consumer economics and financial planning.

SPEAKER_04 1:23

And I'm Mandy Mirabel and I serve as the Associate State 4-H leader offering support to Melanie, particularly focused on the programming side, positive youth development component of our outreach.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Perfect, Grace. Let's jump right into it.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

4-H employees are actually faculty and staff members of the University of Georgia. And we often consider our students some of the youngest students of the university. So the Youth Development Program of the University of Georgia. And interestingly, you will find that 4-H programs across the country are affiliated with the land grants in their respective states. So that positions us right here at the University of Georgia.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Perfect. Well, we love it. And just a reminder for all of our Gale members, Gale is uh University of Georgia's home for Gale. University of Georgia, Mary Francis Early College of Education has been our home for well over 15 years, and we love the University of Georgia. Well, talk to us a little bit about how many youth does Georgia 4H reach around the state of Georgia?

4-H At UGA And Statewide Reach

SPEAKER_03 2:24

Well, I'll get us started, and others can certainly jump in. We take an annual view of our enrollment, and last program year we served over 200,000 young people. Wow. So that is geographically spread all across the state. All 159 counties have participation of 4-H members. And of course, they're doing a variety of different things in our programs.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Perfect. And you want to add anything? If you do, just jump in at any time. This is Gill Unscripted. Well, 4-H has been a wonderful partner with Gail for so many years. Talk to us a little bit about why you feel like, from 4-H's perspective, why that's important to have that partnership.

SPEAKER_04 3:07

It's so important to us, Ben, and we have so appreciate the fact that we were deemed a legacy partner as of the 50th anniversary of Gale. It provides for us a pathway and access to our partners in education. And beyond that, I think our missions are very similar, that we're about leadership and about improving the lives of future Georgians and raising them up to be contributors here in our state and beyond.

Why The Gale–4-H Partnership Matters

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Yeah, well, we cannot imagine having uh Gale without the partnership of Georgia 4H. And I know that our members that have been coming, some for decades, can't imagine uh bringing their families if it wasn't for the connection with Georgia 4H. And we'll we'll get to that in a little bit. You mentioned school partnerships. Why is it important or a priority for Georgia 4H to have those school partnerships?

SPEAKER_03 4:08

One of the most important pieces of our program, Ben, is having access to young people. And so we often use that classroom as that first access point to reach these partnerships that we have across the state where our 4-H agents, our 4-H educators are entering school classrooms, delivering lessons, aligned to standards, having access to these young people is an incredible contribution to our ability to reach the young people, then we can kind of open the door to all the other programs and activities and opportunities we have in 4-H for them.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

So if I'm a principal at an elementary school and I'm brand new, this is my first year, and the 4-H has contacted me. What what are some things I can do to help make sure that I'm granting access for my students to learn about Georgia 4-H. Are there are there particular grades in the elementary school that you all like to start with or that first introduction? Talk to us a little about that.

SPEAKER_04 5:11

Well, we would hope that new principal would say yes to a trustworthy partner in their local community. And we do a lot of coaching and mentoring so that our faculty and staff are ready to be that local partner to meet the local needs and to support the standards and what is formally happening education-wise in that community. And our focus, our beginning, our entry point is typically fifth grade. In some counties across the state, we do actually go into fourth grade, but we have a heavy focus on that later elementary experience and beginning to introduce them to all that can be possible in their 4-H path. We also then pair that with an experience at 4-H summer camp, and I look forward to Melanie sharing a little bit more about that, but we are hoping from that point that we have hooked those youth into being part of what we lovingly refer to as the 4-H program.

Opening School Doors For 4-H

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Yeah, so superintendents, assistant superintendents at district offices, as you're watching this, I hope you've already got a uh a plan, an open door policy for Georgia 4-H to be in your school so that your students have this opportunity. But if not, I hope you will strongly consider making sure that you're speaking from your chair as the leader of the district, that that is great for your schools and your school district and your principals, uh, just so that's not missed. So some students out there in particular counties don't get the opportunity that everyone else gets. So just a great reminder for that. Let's talk about Summergale. I mentioned that. Our families that bring children to Summergale, they love Georgia 4-H. So talk to our members a little bit. Maybe there's a Gill member that this coming year will be their first opportunity to come into Summergale. And they may be thinking, well, what is this information about my children and how they can be involved? Just tell them a little bit about what 4-H does for the attendees' children at the conference.

SPEAKER_04 7:17

We think of it as a service that we provide to our Gale partners. It has been ongoing from all the records and the historical information that we can gather as long as the Gale organization has been going. So we had some wise found foundational partnership there in the very beginning. It is fun. It is meant to be fun. And being there on Georgia's coast, we are able to utilize the beauty of our 4-H facility there to offer sessions and classes that bring to life the ecosystem of Georgia's Jewel. And we also weave in some teamwork, a little leadership, and offer the Gale members an experience with our 4-H professionals. And so it's a win-win. It offers some childcare and in a safe, loving, encouraging environment. And for us, it offers exposure to the 4-H program. We have many Gale kids who have grown up, and this is their connection to 4-H, and we love to hear them reflect on how they spent their summers at the Gale conference.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Yeah, well, the families love it, the children love it. Um, I know the signups go pretty quickly, so if you're coming and as soon as those signups become available, we strongly encourage you to go ahead and sign your children up. But on a on a typical day, uh the conference attendee is coming to the conference and they drop their kid or kids off at the Georgia 4H booth back in the back. And you guys just kind of take care of those kids until the end of the day, and then they bring them back. It really is like a summer camp. Um, so what it does is it allows our attendees to not have to worry about child care, and our attendees' spouses uh can uh enjoy the island and the beach and some of those things uh and and have some their children do something that's very meaningful and educational while they're at the conference. So it's a wonderful, wonderful program. How does 4-H prepare youth for work and for life?

SummerGale Kids Program On The Coast

SPEAKER_03 9:33

It's a big question, and we do it. You do a lot of stuff. Might take us a minute to describe this. Um we actually have have adopted some language. We talk about youth being not just ready for work in life, but being beyond ready for work and for life. And when we say that, what we mean is that our young people are healthy, they know how to make healthy choices in their life, they are productive, they know how to use their time wisely and contribute in their communities and they are engaged. So that um kind of serving as the definition of what we mean, ready for work and ready for life, and it's all built upon high-quality programs. So a real intentional approach to the way we deliver 4-H programming, it's built on a foundation that kind of has four elements. We intentionally create programs that allow young people to follow their spark if they have a passion. And I think as we turn it over here to Alyssa in a second to talk about her spark, when they have an area of passion, we give them a pathway to explore that. So developing that spark, having strong developmental relationships, so having that presence of a caring adult, whether that's a county extension agent or a 4-H volunteer or a classroom teacher, how all those pieces come together, that influence of a caring adult in their life is integral.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 10:54

And then the the engagement that we talked about. So having programs that really um encourage that engagement is absolutely essential. So we love seeing the sparks, the development of relationships and the engagement as the pathway then to these opportunities that allow young people to be ready for work and ready for life. And I think we brought with us a living example. All right. Um, who maybe can help us put some legs under that and talk about how that has played out for you, Alyssa.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Yeah, so for those of you that don't know, there are five main pillars for 4-H and Georgia 4-H in specific. So those would be agriculture, science, civic engagement, leadership, and health and wellness. And throughout my 4-H journey, which started in the fifth-grade classrooms in Ocone County, I'd like to say that I had my hand in all of those. Um, in fifth grade, I spoke about hairbows, which some might consider smart, but then I got in front of everyone, and I froze. Um, so that first introduction of public speaking, and then moving on into sixth grade, learning about judging teams. So consumer decision making, I held a chicken, I learned about cows, all those things that I wouldn't necessarily have had access and the ability to do if I hadn't have joined 4-H. And so as I grew in 4-H and my involvement grew, so did my horizons. They expanded, and the skills that I learned are still so dear to me today, and I use them in my day-to-day life. So we talk about summer camp, and as students leave the fifth grade classroom going into middle school, they have the opportunity to go to Georgia 4-H summer camps. I also went to summer camps, met some dear friends, and I was fortunate enough to be a summer camp counselor when I was um graduating high school and then a freshman in college or DPA, so district project achievement, or public speaking portion of Georgia 4H. It prepares youth to be able to sit here today and do a presentation and not have that fear of stage fright. Um my public speaking skills grew tremendously in 4-H, and so the ability to do that, and for me, my spark was in let's see, in 10th grade, I spoke in the consumer economics and financial planning category, which I don't know if you caught on earlier, but that's my major now in your UGA. So it quite literally introduced me to what I want to do for the rest of my life.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

That's great.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

So that's how we help you get ready for work and ready to work for it.

Beyond Ready For Work And Life

SPEAKER_00 13:23

For a spokesperson for the next 10 years at least, that is extremely impressive. And Alyssa mentions public speaking. I I think that's still in the top two or three of the biggest fears people have in life. You know, it's above heights and snakes, and uh, I think about myself um uh petrified to do public the public speech course in college and uh Georgia 4 H giving students that opportunity at such a young age to build that skill is so incredible. But there's so many things that that you all do in in 4-H. Let's talk about agriculture real quick. A lot of a lot of people members may be out there thinking, well, I thought FFA handled everything in agriculture. Can so can you talk about some students and some maybe some examples? I I can remember lots of students that for whatever reason they weren't involved in FFA or their school didn't have FFA in Georgia 4 H was their opportunity to be able to do things. So, can y'all talk about that just a little bit? All the offerings you have in agriculture? The number one industry in Georgia.

SPEAKER_04 14:32

It is the number one industry, and here at the University of Georgia, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is our home. We do have a a partnership with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and do some work with the Warnell School of Forestry, but our home is in the College of Ag and we continue to feel like it is our privilege and responsibility to help all of these young people understand more about why ag is the number one industry. It also just provides it's a tool, it's a content subject for us to provide that tool, that hook for young people. Alyssa had no idea how poultry judging would prepare her um to be extraordinary in the field of consumer economics, but it's really those life skills that she learned in that experience. Um, similarly, she had a dear friend that also did poultry judging, and then it has become that friend's career path. So you just never know until until you try something. We feel like we use agriculture may hook youth to continue into that sector, and if not, we would consider that they at least become a very good consumer and an advocate for Georgia's number one industry.

Alyssa’s 4-H Path And Sparks

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah, I think that's just so important for our uh our school leaders to know and and remember, and our parents and students that ag being the number one industry, there are so many different careers tied to agriculture that a lot of our students just don't think of. And I'm always amazed that um students that maybe had no connection to agriculture while they were in K-12, all of a sudden they get to college and they're majoring in something or they find themselves in a career that's tied to ag. It is just such a just such a huge industry. Talk about civic engagement a little bit. So it's such an important part of what Georgia 4H is and why that's important for our youth as they grow up.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

For sure. So civic engagement to us happens at every level. It often starts right in their local community. So Lissa might have some specific examples of what she did growing up in terms of community service or civic engagement, but often that's the first view of hey, I can contribute in some way that impacts others. And that's a powerful lesson to begin to learn. And then I think what we're particularly proud of is we have opportunities to scale that up, then there's opportunities to be engaged at levels beyond one's community and to begin to broaden the view and that exposure that's possible. So district and state level activities then that give you that exposure. Uh, we do a four-h day at the Capitol every year. About 800 young people wearing green will show up in one day to look. Take over the takeover, as we call it.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

And the representatives and senators notice. They do.

SPEAKER_03 17:35

That may be intentional, right? So we're real proud of that and that opportunity they have then to learn about the processes that it takes to govern our world and how they can then be responsible and engaged.

SPEAKER_00 17:46

Yeah. Anybody want to add anything to that?

SPEAKER_01 17:48

I'd like to add a few examples. Um, I know that when I was in high school, you know, you take your government class, your AP government class, and you learn about how you should vote. And like that's what being a good citizen is about. But 4H teaches you that it goes beyond that. It's about contributing to your community, whether that be giving your time, your money, um, your knowledge, anything like that. And so in high school, something that was important to me was giving back to the younger generation of 4-H'ers. So getting involved with the Clover Buds program. So you're looking at, I think it's first through fourth grade, dedicating your time to going to play with them outside or singing them songs. And then summer camp. Um, you can be a teen leader when you're not even done with high school yet. Um, you can lead your own summer programs in your county for things you're passionate about. And so for me, one of those was financial literacy because when I was in high school, we didn't have that financial literacy requirement yet. And so teaching middle schoolers what a checking account is, what a saving account is, um, just getting them prepared so that way they know sooner than I did so they can make better choices as they grow older as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Perfect. Let's talk about summer camps. You offer a lot of those. Uh I know my nephew, he's a middle school teacher in Effingham County now, but growing up in Moultrie, you know, 4-H was his thing. That's what he was passionate about. They got involved in elementary school, and it stayed a very important part of his life through middle school and high school. And he he absolutely loved those summer camps. So talk about a little bit. Maybe there's some guild members out there and they're trying to think of things, some different camp opportunities for their own children as well as their students. But talk about some of the offerings that are out there.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Well, summer camp's a big deal for us. So it is um all 159 counties would be offering an opportunity for their young people to go to summer camp. We have five facilities across the state where this is offered. So one in the mountains, two in the Piedmont, and two on the coast. So the experience, of course, would vary based on that location. Um, but all of the camps are residential Monday through Friday camps. Um the meals we're told are better than school meals.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

No offense to anybody out there to slide that in. I have not been, but I've heard Rock Eagle has a tremendous Sunday lunch. Um so is that a typical cooking at these camps?

Agriculture Programs And Careers

SPEAKER_03 20:18

Okay, well, that that might be one level above what we're offering at summer camp, but good nonetheless. The the youth version of that for summer camp. Um, so great facilities, great food, but most importantly, great programming, right? So here's where we can talk about skill development again. Summer camp is meant to be fun, and it is fun. We heard that from Alyssa. It can often serve as that hook that bridges you from that upper elementary experience into middle school and on into high school as well. But there's also opportunities to really grow in your independence. For many of our young people, this is their first opportunity to be away from home. So learning how to brush your teeth, and that you should brush your teeth twice a day. What to pack, how to take care of your belongings, how to navigate a center and get where you're supposed to be. So many life lessons embedded in there in that experience. But again, that exposure too to new opportunities. So maybe trying archery for the first time or canoeing for the first time. So not only are those experiences content-driven, they're also opening their mind and having a sense of discovery and an openness to challenges maybe that they didn't have before. And one of the things we're most proud of is a sense of belonging. So when you get into these weeks of camp, um the sense of community that you build with those in your cabin, with those adult leaders that you've come with, and with what will likely be your friends for life is such a powerful opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

So it's a great organization for for young people. You know, everybody I've I've heard of Simon Sinek, I think he calls it everybody's gotta find their tribe. And uh so back to my nephew, his tribe was Georgia for H. And so I think that's a a great thing. Let's talk about your state conferences. You have a lot of things very, very impressive. Uh if if some of our viewers have not been to any of those, but talk about a few of the things that y'all do at the state level for those conferences that you have.

SPEAKER_03 22:13

Well, start us a list of like what were some of your favorites to go to?

Civic Engagement From Local To Capitol

SPEAKER_01 22:17

Okay, well, they're all great in my opinion. Um, I mean, who wouldn't do anything to have a weekend with their friends during the school year? Um, so we have the main ones would be fall forum, junior conference, senior conference, state congress, and state council. And all of those are based in the fact that they're a time for you and your peers to get together at a 4-H center, but you're also going to be engaging in workshops, team building, something that goes beyond just hanging out with your friends. And so for me, I always loved fall form. I mean, it's right at the December point. So you're either finishing up your final days of the school semester or you're already done and you're just on vacation mode. And so you're there, you're having fun. I mean, you get to wear your ugly Christmas sweaters and dance with your friends, but it's a great way to end the year and go into the new year. And so, senior conference, for example, also known as the 4-H prom, um, you have friends from all over the state as Georgia 4-H'ers. And so, when you can call your friend from Effington County, for example, be like, hey, are you gonna go there this weekend? Like, do you wanna get ready to gather? That's so fun. It goes beyond just your county and it helps you when building that tribe. And similarly for our junior 4-H'ers, so those who are in middle school junior conference or junior rally, for example, all of the times they're first weekend events, they have a little bit more freedom. Um, they've been through middle school, they're starting to learn more about themselves, and so they're able to do specific community service projects that are interesting to them. So if they really like animals, they may partner with the local humane society and create dog toys, or if they're interested in healthcare, they may make baskets for patients in hospitals, and so it's just a way to continue to explore beyond the classroom, beyond the county office, um, and with your friends from all over the state.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

Right. One thing I've noticed as a as a former principal is every student that um I had that was involved with Georgia 4 H, they were just so incredibly impressive. And uh a lot of that is due to the programs and offerings that you do at Georgia 4 H. But always impressive in your state Congress. I believe that in the summer each year, that is such an impressive event that I've really enjoyed going to the last couple of years, and just the the young people up on that stage is just incredible the things that they're accomplishing. So let's talk about Georgia 4H Foundation real quick. What is that and what is the purpose of it? Who leads that?

SPEAKER_03 24:49

Yeah, so we um are incredibly thankful to have a 501c3 foundation that is solely um its sole purpose is to raise funds to support the programs and facilities of Georgia 4H. So we we certainly recognize the value of having that partner just celebrated 75 years of of the foundation's existence. So in that time, they've provided um tremendous support to our program. Um the the funding structure of Georgia 4H is quite complicated. We could do another podcast maybe just on that one one day. It takes too much time, but certainly the the contributions of incredible supporters are a huge piece of that puzzle, and so Foundation um manages that for us. They they are also University of Georgia employees, so so certainly aligned with what we do and and in step with every um piece of our operation. Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 25:45

There's a lot of honoree programs that Georgia 4 H has. Uh let's talk about some of those that are some of them are lifetime achievement awards, but let's talk about some of the different honoree programs that Georgia 4 H has.

Statewide Summer Camps And Belonging

SPEAKER_04 26:00

Well, it's certainly nice, Ben, to be able to recognize the professionals that help implement this program around the state. And the William H. Booth Award has been in existence for quite some time and recognizes four of our faculty members. One from each we're divided into districts. I think Gail is very similar in in the way that you you divide the state, and um this is an award voted on by your peers. So no better better way to be have that recognition and be affirmed in your career choice than to be nominated for this by your peers, and then we partner with Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, and they actually sponsored this recognition, and so one individual is selected as our state winner, but they really are a a great representation of the level of commitment and the professionalism that our programs are led by all over the state of Georgia. And that's just one example. And we also years ago, one of our former State 4-H leaders, Dr. Bo Riles, decided that part of his legacy would be the Riles Rising Star Award. So we're recognizing people who have tenure in the program as well as being able to recognize those faculty members who are on the horizon to be in a leadership role or leading their peers. And those are just two examples of some of the adult awards that we offer. Melanie?

SPEAKER_03 27:35

Yeah, well, we also have one that Gail is familiar with, and that is a friend of 4-H award. And so you're a recent recipient as an organization in recognition of that. So that award certainly highlights individuals or partners. We love that organization. Yeah, well, we appreciate that opportunity. Um, Green Jacket Award is another one where an individual is recognized.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

Did the masters steal that from you all? Well, we we will talk about the order, okay?

SPEAKER_03 28:01

We won't talk about the order, but um that green jacket is powerful. We know that. We know that. Um, we you mentioned others' lifetime achievement again, as it would sound. That one is awarded our gala, actually, which happens every other year and and um is the responsibility of that foundation you spoke of. And then we're especially proud of our youth awards as well. There's lots of opportunities for youth recognition for all of these pieces we've talked about, for the content, for the skill development, for the community service engagement. So, so many ways to recognize the young people.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

All right. Well, this has been a wonderful episode, and we call it Gill Unscripted, so I'm gonna throw something at Alyssa. She has no idea that I'm gonna ask this question. It's just so great. But Alyssa, we've got a lot of Gill members that are listening andor watching this podcast. And what I want you to do is to share with them from your heart, uh, 4-H student that came through the school district, of why you think they should be supportive uh of their students being in the Georgia 4-H program and the opportunities that are uh allowable to those students. Yeah. How do you like that?

Conferences, Community, And Leadership

SPEAKER_01 29:08

I love it. Um so when I look back on my own personal experience, I'm blessed to say that my principals all supported Georgia 4-H. Um, I know my middle school principal was formerly a 4-Her, and so when you have someone you can relate to, or even if you can't relate to them, but someone who supports what you're doing outside of the classroom, that makes a huge difference. It shows that they just don't see you as a student, but that they see you as someone who's going to grow up to be a leader, and that's what we want our 4-Hers to be. We want them to be the next leaders of their county, of their state, um, of the world, honestly. And so when you pour into those students by just saying yes to the county 4-H agent who's calling, asking if they can come into the programs, you're opening so many doors that you don't see then. But when your students who then come on who then go on to become 4-H's and they look back, they see you as the person who ultimately made the decision to open all of those doors for them.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

Fantastic. I think that's a great way to end this, unless one of you two can say something to top what Alyssa just said.

SPEAKER_03 30:10

Not a chance, not at all.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Well, Gail members, if you want more information, of course, you've heard every county has a Georgia 4-H person. You can go to the website. I'm sure Mandy and Melanie wouldn't mind if you sent them an email to inquire or ask of something. But we just want to thank you uh on behalf of Gail for the incredible partnership that Georgia 4 H has had with us in the past, and we look forward to continuing that for as long in the future as Gail exists. But we we certainly appreciate you coming today and joining us for another episode of Gail Unscripted.