Two Waterville Central School District students recently learned about Oneida County government through a hands-on 4-H Government Program 101.
The program is organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County and Oneida County Youth Bureau for students to understand the organizational structure of county government, the importance of civic engagement, and the multitude of government-related careers available. This six-week program encourages youth to be informed and become active citizens in their community. They also had the chance to connect with students from other local districts, including Sauquoit, Utica and Whitesboro.
“It was an amazing learning opportunity and a great chance to meet new people and get out of our comfort zone,” said Zoey Owens, who is a Waterville Jr./Sr. High School Senior.
Owens attended the program with Dante Ruia, also a Senior at Waterville Jr./Sr. High School.
Students planned and implemented a mock board of supervisors meeting, during which students chose a topic between either solar panels within agriculture or mental health cases after COVID-19.
They took these topics and studied them throughout the six weeks, and then brainstormed possible solutions for how Oneida County could help. The students drafted a resolution for these local needs. At the end of the program, students learned creative problem solving, how to respectfully disagree, parliamentary procedures, and gained a better understanding of local government.