Butler County 4-H members Dawn Lehnerd and Kayla Protzman, both of Butler, recently participated in the Pennsylvania 4-H Capital Days program.

Held annually in Harrisburg, 4-H Capital Days is conducted for the purpose of providing 4-H teen members an opportunity for: studying the process of legislation, meeting and talking with officials of state government, visiting various facilities of state government, gaining a better understanding of political issues, and relating the 4-H educational program to government officials.

Although 4-H is the youth development program of the College of Agricultural Sciences, 4-H members come from all walks of life. Of the 107,000 members reported statewide, recent statistics show that only 7 percent of Pennsylvania 4-H members reside on farms.

Thirty-eight percent of today's 4-H'ers live in towns of less than 10,000 residents, and 40 percent live in municipalities and suburban areas with populations of 10,000 or more. An additional 15 percent live in cities. The 4-H program also extends to Pennsylvania youth who are not enrolled in a traditional club or school enrichment program. Statistics show that an additional 56,000 youth were provided with educational opportunities through 4-H.For additional information on 4-H programs in Butler County, contact Ellen Linamen at the Butler County Extension Office, 724-287-4761.This material is submitted by Donna Zang, Extension director, and the staff of the Penn State Extension office at the Sunnyview Nursing Home complex.