SHELTON, Wash. — The youth of Washington State University 4-H Tech Changemakers in Mason County are focused on building positive relationships with community members by offering free tech help twice a month at their local public library.
The 4-H members identified the need to address an existing tech knowledge deficit through volunteerism.
“They chose this project because they wanted to build meaningful relationships with their peers and adults,” said Jamie Teuteberg, 4-H Tech Changemakers project leader and 4-H volunteer. “Not everyone has equal access to broadband internet in our rural community, which means that not everyone knows how to navigate today’s tech landscape.”
For those who grew up using the internet and smart phones, it can seem like second nature to print a document, boot up a tablet, or text a photo. Those that didn’t often feel left behind.
“Our 4-H members have helped grandparents connect with their grandchildren via video chat, they’ve shown how to enlarge text to read websites or documents, and they’ve demonstrated why having and updating a secure password can be critical for financial and personal information to keep safe from hackers,” Teuteberg said. “They want to make sure that people aren’t left in the dark when it comes to technology.”
Teuteberg thinks that the teen 4-H Changemakers have a hunger to build community because they came up through middle school during the pandemic.
“They have a totally different perspective on what it means to be siloed,” she said. “They want relationships with peers and adults to be meaningful and deep.”
It was this spirit of helpfulness and outreach that landed them a volunteer opportunity at the 2024 Aging and Longevity Summit in Olympia, Washington, hosted by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and the Washington State Healthcare Authority.
While the teens were originally assigned to make sure that paper and pens were properly distributed to tables and to assist with microphones during a question and answer roundtable, what happened next surprised Teuteberg.
“They became key contributing members at the conference among Washington state’s topmost leadership,” she said. “These seven 4-H members contributed to the tone and energy of the room. Leaders from various Washington agencies came up to me afterward and said, ‘I hope I never go to another conference without a teenage voice.’”
Teuteberg thinks it was the teens’ hard work, opportunity, professionalism, and their spirit of volunteerism converging.
Future goals and prospective careers have come into sharper focus for the 4-H members this past year. In the meantime, the WSU Extension Mason County 4-H Tech Changemakers continue to volunteer over the summer at their local library and the Grays Harbor County Fair, helping those with tech issues in need of expertise.
“The members said, ‘If we can help somebody else in the community learn and understand something that we just know how to do, we’re all in,’” Teuteberg said.
Learn more about 4-H opportunities
As the nation’s largest youth development program, 4-H empowers youth to pursue leadership and learning opportunities. From robotics and STEM-based programs to gardening and civic engagement through volunteerism, a variety of inspiring WSU 4-H programming is a click or phone call away.