4-H Alberta is pleased and proud to announce that 4-H has received the prestigious honour of being selected as Olds College’s Partner of the Year! Long been recognized as one of the premier post secondary institutions in Western Canada, specializing in the field of agriculture, Olds College has a distinguished history that is enmeshed with 4-H.
The Partner of the Year is the most prestigious award offered by Olds College, and 4-H is delighted to receive such a distinction. Olds College is holding its annual “Growing a Legacy Gala” on Friday March 21, 2014. At this event, 4-H will be recognized and receive recognition as Olds College’s Partner of the Year.
“One of the highlights of Gala is always the celebration of our new Partner of the Year and we certainly couldn’t pick one that resembles Olds College more closely.” said Dr. (H.J.) Tom Thompson, President of Olds College. “The partnership between Olds College and 4-H developed organically, and is based upon shared priorities such as the development of leadership in rural communities, and the desire to help young people reach their potential.”
The recipient of this award must reflect the mission of Olds College and support the values, mandate and mission in a manner that has a positive, measurable and lasting impact on the College. The parallels between 4-H and Olds College began over 100 years ago. 1913 saw two notable achievements; the opening of the Olds School of Agriculture and Home Economics, and the establishment of Canada’s first 4-H club in Manitoba. Shortly after the first club was introduced, Alberta’s first club, the Olds Junior Pig Club, was founded by Olds College founder and first President, W.J. Elliot in 1917.
“4-H is proud to be recognized as the 2014 Olds College Partner of the Year. We value the working relationship we have with Olds College in providing educational and personal development opportunities” says 4-H Council of Alberta President, Mark Sayers. “The history between Olds College and 4-H go all the way back to 1917 when the first 4-H club in Alberta was created right on the campus of Olds College.”
“We are very fortunate that Olds College understands the importance of developing responsible and motivated young leaders in Canada,” said Shannon Benner, CEO of 4-H Canada. “4-H is committed to providing Canada’s youth with expansive skills, strong leadership abilities and a dynamic range of positive experiences.”
In addition to holding similar values, the relationship between 4-H and Olds College can be seen by the nearly 20% of Olds College students who have been 4-H members. Young people who participate in the 4-H program have already been exposed to the values that Olds College promotes. 4-H has trained these young people to believe in hard work, learning by doing, strong communication, entrepreneurship and team work and they find a home at Olds College because we hold these same values as they do. These values can be seen through the 4-H motto, “Learn to do by doing”, as well as the Olds College mandate to offer real-life, hands-on education.
Olds College is a 4-H Alberta Champion sponsor. The institution supports 4-H Alberta Leaders’ Conference and 4-H Alberta Senior Members’ Conference. Olds College is a Partner Host of 4-H Alberta Club Week, 4-H Alberta Selections and a supporter of 4-H Alberta Magazine through advertising support.
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