Aimee Elkins honored by Wisconsin 4‑H Youth Development Professionals

OCONTO COUNTY – Extension 4‑H Educator Aimee Elkins of Oconto County with the UW-Madison Division of Extension has been awarded by the Wisconsin Association of Extension 4‑H Youth Development Professionals (WAE4‑HYPD) through its annual statewide recognition program.

She received the communicator award for an Oconto County Teen Court promotional package and specialty awards for excellence in teamwork and excellence in camping for Winter Camp East.

WAE4‑HYPD — affiliated with the National Association of Extension 4‑H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4‑HYDP) — is dedicated to promoting, strengthening, enhancing and advocating for the 4‑H youth development profession. With nearly 4,000 members nationwide, NAE4‑HYDP is one of the largest professional associations supporting youth development professionals across the country.

Each year, WAE4‑HYPD and NAE4‑HYDP honor individuals who demonstrate excellence in their professional responsibilities, leadership in developing high‑quality youth programs and commitment to positive youth development.

Award applications are evaluated at the state, regional and national levels, with top honorees recognized at the annual NAE4‑HYDP Conference in the fall.

The communicator award recognizes excellence in promotional materials for the Oconto County Teen Court Program, while the Winter Camp East excellence in teamwork and camping awards recognize multi-county collaboration and development of high quality leadership camp opportunities for older youth. These awards highlight Aimee Elkins’ significant contributions to strengthening 4‑H Youth Development efforts across Oconto County and Wisconsin.

The promotional package award — Oconto County Teen Court recognized a comprehensive new branding suite for the Oconto County Teen Court Program, including a restorative justice focused logo, brochures and flyers all designed to relaunch the program’s identity and build community trust. Serving youth ages 10–16 with first-time violations, the program offers a restorative alternative to juvenile court where a panel of peers determines meaningful consequences.

This peer-led model is highly effective because, as the program notes, “youth care about the perspectives of their peers, often more than adults,” and these new promotional efforts successfully led to the recruitment of 21 teen panelists in ninth through 12th grade from every school district in the county.

This partnership was created to address a decline in engagement among older youth by providing a high-quality, multi-county leadership experience for 40 participants in grades seven and up. The team’s coordinated effort resulted in a highly supportive environment where 100% of youth reported feeling valued and respected by adults.

Parent chaperone Jen Bradley highlighted the success of this teamwork, noting that youth “felt comfortable and encouraged to speak up and be themselves,” which helped foster deep connections that lasted well beyond the weekend.

Finally, the excellence in camping award — Winter Leadership Camp recognized the camp for its innovative “Leading in All Directions” curriculum at Spencer Lake Camp, which utilized the Beyond Ready framework to prepare youth for future success. The camp combined structured leadership education with hands-on “Spark Stations” and reflective goal setting, including a unique “letter to self” reflection.

The program had a measurable impact, with 95% of participants reporting they gained practical skills to lead groups and formed new friendships outside their home counties. These outcomes empowered youth to return to their local 4-H clubs with increased confidence to serve in officer roles and mentor younger members.

All three of these award applications will now be forwarded to the National Association of Extension 4‑H Youth Development Professionals for consideration of recognition at the regional and national levels.