Seven Overton County 4-H members and one certified volunteer participated in the Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference (SRTLC) held at the University of Tennessee’s Clyde York 4-H Center in Crossville, TN Sept. 17-20, 2026.

SRTLC is for current 9^th-12^th graders to gather, discuss teen-related topics, and come up with action plans to better serve their community. Nearly 500 youth and adults attended this year from nine different states!

While in attendance, youth learned how to develop workshops. Overton had two proposals accepted. Sophie Thompson’s was chosen to be led later in the weekend. With the name “Captivate. Isolate. Express.”, she taught youth how to share their interests in 4-H with others to gain more outreach and to build the 4-H program. Katelyn Rhoades had a workshop chosen called, “Build Your Own Community Outreach” where she taught youth how to identify community needs and plan an event around it.

In addition, Mary Rhoades participated in an event called the Southern Showdown. Her team won competing in basketball, volleyball, a talent show, and a skit event.

Shawna Rhoades, certified extension volunteer, was chosen to be an adult volunteer. She said each year is something different, “It is a partnership across up to 13 states so it can always be something new. I like watching the youth break into dance on a moment’s notice. You see it and you say, “That is 4-H.” You notice a kid cleaning up after their cabin, meet new people, and advocate for each other.” She said she loved “watching our kids lead workshops. They had this thing where kids could shop for service projects and it gave kids lots of ideas.”

Overton County 4-H values opportunities that help youth develop leadership skills and create meaningful experiences. For more information on the 4-H program in Overton County, please contact the 4-H agent Nicole Marrero Bettencourt, nmarrero@utk.edu, and 931-823-2735.