California 4-H State Leadership Conference

Educational Missions

Animal Science & Agriculture

If you’re passionate about animal science, this mission is your chance to explore it up close. Experience UC Davis’s cutting-edge facilities, where innovation in animal care, production agriculture, and sustainability comes to life. Get ready for a hands-on day that connects your interests to real-world careers and education opportunities. 

Mission Lead:  Dr. Erica Pettey, Statewide 4-H Animal and Equine CES III

Photograph of a group of people inside a greenhouse filled with various potted plants, including tall, spiky succulents and smaller cacti arranged on tables. The scene highlights an educational or guided tour setting, with one person holding a plant and explaining details to the others amidst natural light filtering through the glass roof.

Civic Engagement  

If civic engagement is your spark, this mission is your chance to dive in and experience it firsthand. Spend an exciting full day in Sacramento exploring the heart of California’s government,touring the iconic California State Capitol, meeting with a key legislative office, visiting the California Third District Court of Appeal, and discovering even more behind-the-scenes stops along the way. This dynamic, multi-stop experience puts you right in the center of where decisions are made.

Mission Lead:  Ryan Cleland, Civic Engagement Program Coordinator

Photograph of a group of people walking through a well-lit, arched hallway with ornate wall sconces and high ceilings in the californai state capitol building. The hallway features numbered doors on both sides and a sign hanging from the ceiling, indicating it is likely part of a historic or institutional building.

Healthy Living

Join the Healthy Living mission to learn how to lead and guide others to have healthy and productive lives—physically, mentally and emotionally.

As a participant you will dive into exciting topics such as:

  • mental health
  • social emotional well-being
  • food preservation
  • social media and technology
  • art and social emotional well-being
  • and so much more!

Join us to support a healthy you for you and your community. 

Mission Lead:  Ally Lemmer, Healthy Living Academic Coordinator II

Photograph of a classroom setting where students engage in a hands-on activity involving sorting or categorizing items in plastic bags on tables. Key details include printed worksheets, labeled green cards, and a student wearing a white apron standing and gesturing, indicating an interactive learning environment.

Shooting Sports Leadership

Ready to take your shooting sports experience to the next level? This Shooting sports Instructor Mission is designed for motivated 4-H youth who want to grow into confident leaders, skilled instructors, and valuable team members alongside trained adult instructors. Throughout this hands-on training, you won’t just learn what to teach, you’ll learn how to teach it. You’ll build real-world leadership and communication skills while gaining experience that can help you in future jobs, college applications, and beyond. This mission focuses specifically on 4-H Shooting Sports youth who are ready to step up, lead, and make an impact. This mission will not include hands on practice of firing firearms or archery. The University of California strictly prohibits the possession of weapons, including firearms, dangerous knives, and stun guns, on campus property, in accordance with the Gun Free School Zone Act of 1995. 

Mission Leads:  Nate Caeton, 4-H Youth Development Advisor and  Russell Hill, Associate 4-H Youth Development Advisor

Photograph of a group of people standing in a line at an outdoor shooting range, each holding a shotgun and wearing protective gear such as hats and shooting vests. Wooden bleachers and a metal staircase are visible in the background, indicating a structured shooting event or practice session.

STEM

Get ready for an adventure into the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and how STEM connects to music, fashion, medicine, robotics, the environment, and more. Through hands-on, creative activities, you will build skills, test new ideas, and discover exciting career paths. Whether you’re already into STEM or just exploring, this mission opens the door to endless possibilities.

Mission Leads:  Dr. Kimberly Sinclair-Holmes, Statewide Director and  Dr. Steven Worker, 4-H Youth Development Advisor

Photograph of two people conducting a science experiment involving a clear plastic tube and a small container filled with blue liquid on a classroom desk. One person hold the tube with a bubble filled with a cloudy gas coming out the end and the other person's hand is wearin ga white gloove is under the bubble. There is a whiteboard in the background and its a classroom setting.