ORONO – Maine youth delegates attended the National 4-H Program Citizenship Washington Focus in Washington, D.C., July 9 to 15. The itinerary included visits to memorials, educational tours, leadership workshops and motivational speakers.

National 4-H provides each group with a guide to lead them through the city. The guides are college students and most are former 4-H’ers; they undertake extensive training to become licensed tour guides so they can educate the visiting groups.

The Maine delegates, their guide and three chaperones participated in a week of activities, most days from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The delegation visited places such as Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, Ford’s Theatre, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Washington Monument. They also took a night tour of the city.

Young people visited Capitol Hill to meet their senators and representatives. The Maine delegation was able to speak with Sen. Olympia Snowe, Sen. Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen.

The delegation also participated in a mock government activity and at the end of the week, delegates voted for their favorite candidate.

Area 4-H members attending were: Seth Bell of Waterford, Chlorissa Blood of East Dixfield, Michaela Davis, Holli Googins and Alyssa Kenney of Gray, Morgan Gavett of Bridgton, Hattie Gushee-Kimball of Fryeburg, Marjorie Hardy of Farmington, Patrick Lindsey of Winthrop, Norman Miller of Richmond and Morgan Turner of Jay.

The Maine 4-H program grew out of early 20th-century boys and girls clubs, which were folded into University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s work in 1914. Young people can become involved in 4-H through school enrichment programs, 4-H camps and county UMaine Extension offices. Visit www.umext.maine.edu for more information.