4-H group members from Alberta were here in our province for eight days at the start of July, followed by some Manitoba members who went to Bluffton, Alberta, for eight days later in the month.

La Salle,  Headingley and Gainsborough 4-H Clubs joined together to make Red River Plains 4-H travel club. Head leader of the Gainsborough 4-H club and chaperone with the exchange group Karen Olafson says the organization gave the youth the opportunity to visit the following sites.

"Here in Manitoba, we toured the zoo, the Mint, the Human Rights Museum -- a few of those places," says Olafson. "We went to Prairie 360 with them for lunch, and out to Spruce Woods. In Alberta, we got to go to Jasper for a two-day trip. They took us to a cabin overnight which was amazing, seeing the mountains. We got to see the glacier and the ice fields there."

4-H Canada is well-known for public speaking training, but it also funds the trips in order to allow young people to experience different parts of our country. Last year they went to Nova Scotia. She adds it also helps members form lasting relationships across the nation.

"We had ten from Manitoba and eight from Alberta," she continues. "to see them build a friendship from the time that they were here in Manitoba, and when we went to Alberta, and form that bond was amazing. So, I think they had a great time. Each year you have to apply. Depending on the number of groups that apply, you get accepted by 4-H Canada to be able to do it again."

She says part of their exchange programming includes a Hands to Larger Service project for the community. In Manitoba, they set up a booth at the Portage Fair where about 100 other kids tried a 4-H project. Olafson says they painted a rock, decorated cookies, and planted some seeds. The same event in Alberta saw the kids do a project at the Rimbey Ag Centre where they painted the outside of the washroom facilities and constructed some benches. One day of the trip is always spent doing something for the community.