Jim Forman receives the honor of 2013-2014 Holmes County 4-H Male Volunteer of the Year, voted on by the Holmes County 4-H youth members.
It’s no doubt that Jim Forman, a local Holmes County resident and 4-H volunteer, loves working with children. He has been instrumental in expanding the Holmes County 4-H Dead Centers Archery Club since 2013. With an increase of youth membership in the shooting sports club and new equipment received from a grant through the NRA, the program is highly successful in teaching youth safe shooting practices, positive sportsmanship, and critical thinking skills. Jim’s countless hours of volunteering with 4-H youth even earned him the 2013-2014 Holmes County 4-H Male Volunteer of the Year. So, what does a fantastic volunteer do when he gets an opportunity? Learn more, be more and do more to help 4-Hers be the best they can be!
Research shows that the continuous presence of caring adults is critical to achieving positive youth development. Thus, because of Jim’s profound impacts as a 4-H volunteer already, he was specifically selected to travel to North Carolina in November of 2014 to become a National 4-H Level 2 Archery Instructor. After successful completion of the week-long certification program, he now assists Florida 4-H in conducting trainings to provide 4-H volunteers the opportunity to obtain Level 1 certifications in the shooting sports discipline of archery.
Anyone that meets Jim can see that he truly values his role as a 4-H volunteer. Jim tells others that “it’s great to watch the youth start out and then work so hard to improve.” After his recent national training, Jim informed his 4-H Agent that she will have a hard time getting rid of him one day as he truly enjoys volunteering and teaching the kids something he has a passion for. He further stated that he loves being part of the 4-H family, now on a larger scale due to the national training he recently participated in. Jim not only met 4-H volunteers from across Florida, he was able to meet new 4-H contacts across the entire U.S. which has led to frequent contact via social media to share 4-H programming ideas. In fact, because of Jim’s volunteerism with 4-H and participation at the National 4-H Level II Archery Certification this past November, he was unexpectedly brought back in contact with a friend and former military veteran after 40+ years.
4-H is a community of young people ages 5-18 across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H programs are available to young people ages 5-18 in all 50 states, U.S. territories and U.S. military installations worldwide, regardless of gender, race, creed, color, religion, or disability. Volunteer opportunities with a wide variety of roles and focus areas such as shooting sports, livestock, arts, and STEM programming, are available for youth and adults. For more information about how you can make a difference in your community through 4-H, contact your local University of Florida/IFAS Extension 4-H Agent today.
- Why Crafts are Important to 4-H Project Work - August 27, 2024
- Teens As Teachers: Using The Peer Teaching Model in 4-H - May 19, 2023
- Life Skills Focused on Teens - April 6, 2023