Over 100 youth representing Virginia Cooperative Extension attend the annual Ignite by 4-H conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. These youth represented all 4-H pillar areas, and participated in leadership workshops inspiring them to return to their communities Beyond Ready to make a difference as local agents for change and positive impact.

Colten Lewis, a Henry County-Martinsville 4-H'er describes the recent experience he had attending the Ignite by 4-H conference in Washington D.C.

"I recently attended Ignite 2026 and it was an incredible experience. During my time there, I had the opportunity to meet people from across the United States and from other places outside the United States. Being around so many diverse groups of people really opened my eyes to how widespread 4-H is and its impact it has around the world. One highlight of the event was attending the sessions and listening to the speakers which was extremely insightful and motivational. The speakers encouraged me to pursue my dreams and reminded me that I could achieve anything with lots of hard work and dedication.

The most interesting thing I experienced was learning how 4-H operates in different places. I not only connected with people from various states, but also from different parts of the world. This gave me a broader perspective overall.

I gained new ideas that I can bring back and show my local Extension office, especially about how other 4-H groups focus heavily on agriculture and environmental sustainability. It was fascinating to see how these groups work to support their local farms and communities through innovative and environmentally friendly practices.

This experience had a strong impact on me. It made me realize just how big and meaningful 4-H is, bringing together people who share a common goal of creating a better world and future.

Although each Extension office does this in a different way, we are all trying to improve the world. It also inspired me to want to travel more and continue meeting new people, because everyone has unique stories and perspectives to share.

Additionally, I got to experience something new by visiting Washington, D.C. for the first time, which made the trip even more enjoyable and memorable.  Overall, this experience motivated me to stay involved, think bigger, and continue growing both personally and within 4-H."

Young man stands in front of a presentation slide describing online safety tips for cookies.
Colten presented on technology literacy and online safety at the Ignite by 4-H conference. Photo courtesy of Colten Lewis.

Program hightlight: Thriving in an AI driven world

"A project I participated in while at Ignite  was  “Build the Skills to Thrive in an AI-Driven World.” This workshop gave me insight into how companies are actively developing their own AI software to improve their companies. The presenters showed how AI such as ChatGPT is unreliable for companies because of the software taking information from across the internet.

They also showed off their own different AI created by companies to help them with tasks. This was interesting to me because it shows what companies can do with the power of AI. It showed me how companies can use data to train their own assistants and use them to better their companies at decision making and productivity.

It showed me the potential of AI and how it can be used for good. Although AI may take jobs it will ultimately make better and smarter jobs by taking the “simple” tasks from humans ultimately making our civilization better. This is so intriguing because the presenter stated that 80% of jobs my generation will pursue have not been created currently.​​ This gives my generation hope of having better and smarter jobs."