Citizenship Washington Focus
The Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) trip housed under the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension program has been a long-standing tradition in Cherry County. Youth do NOT need to be involved in 4-H to participate. There are several fundraising options available in the upcoming year that can help youth raise the approximate $3,600 needed for the trip. The next trip is in 2025! That means that youth who will be at least 14 years of age by June 1, 2025, are also invited to start signing up and getting involved in fundraising. Registration forms may also be accessed by clicking here, saved, and emailed to cherry-county@unl.edu or printed and delivered or mailed to the Extension Office.
For any adults interested in chaperoning the trip, an application needs to be fill out & returned for review as well as a background check completed by registering online at v2.4honline.com.
Do you want to be a part of the next trip? The planning for the trip 2028 starts now!!!
What is the trip all about?
Learning workshops before the trip, seminars, and field trips during the trip, combine to provide a unique opportunity for using the nation’s capital as a classroom and learning about all levels of government from the inside. This trip is much more than a sightseeing tour. It becomes a living and learning experience in citizenship and stimulates youth to search for solutions to contemporary issues, practice leadership skills with other youth from all over the nation, and plan for meaningful involvement with community programs when they return home.
In addition to a stay at the National 4-H CWF Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and visits to all of the usual sites in D.C., the bus trip will include stops, with touring and activities, in Chicago, Niagara Falls, New York City, Gettysburg, and Philadelphia at an approximate cost of $3,600 in 2025. Remember the number of students and inflation will reflect the cost for the 2025 trip. The trip is open to all youth that will be aged 14-19 when they arrive at the 4-H Center in June of 2025.
In the past, parents and participants have formed an organization that can voluntarily work on money-raising projects over three years to help pay the cost of the trip. There will be several fundraising opportunities become available this summer, therefore it is recommended that youth sign up as soon as possible so they can participate in these activities. Parents of interested youth are encouraged to call the Extension Office at 402-376-1850 as soon as possible to get detailed information and to register their children.
A copy of the CWF By-Laws can be found here.