Minnesota Operation: Military KidsExtension > Youth Development > Minnesota 4-H > 4-H Events > CWF-Citizen Washington Focus
Citizenship Washington Focus(CWF)
Thousands of young people from across the United States come to the National 4-H Youth Conference Center every summer to participate in CWF, a citizenship and leadership program held in Washington, DC. Through a series of speakers, committee work, field trips and social events, participants learn the importance of citizenship and social responsibility and are given the opportunity to explore, develop, and refine skills needed to be an outstanding leader on both a local and national level.
Participants stay at the 4-H Conference Center during the week-long trip, and will have the opportunity to also visit national landmarks and meet with members of Congress. The Minnesota youth delegation will attend CWF June 30-July 6, 2013, (departing June 29 and returning July 6).
Important dates for the Minnesota CWF delegation
- February 13 - CWF youth delegate application packet is now available (see details below)
- February 13 - CWF adult volunteer chaperone application is now available (see details below)
- March 29 - All payments for selected participants are due.
- June 29 - Minnesota delegation departure from Farmington Regional Office in the morning (exact time TBD).
- June 30-July 6 - Minnesota delegation attendance at CWF.
- July 6 - Minnesota delegation return at two locations in the evening (exact time TBD), Mall of America & Farmington Regional Office.
Participation criteria & details
- Youth delegate applicants must be enrolled in the 4-H Youth Development program to attend.
- Eligible youth delegate applicants must have completed the ninth grade by June 29, 2013 and be at least age 14. If graduated from high school in the spring of 2013, the applicant must be age 19 or younger through July 7, 2013.
- The full cost of participation is $1400. A deposit of $700 will be required at the time of application. See cost details below.
- One group of 50 youth delegates will be allowed to attend, as well as 5 adult chaperones.
- Participation is first-come, first-served, and typically fills very quickly.
- Youth delegate applicants must complete the full application process to be eligible (see details below).
Cost
The cost is $1400, which includes coach bus transportation from pick-up and drop-off locations, registration, housing, some site events and most meals. Delegates will pay for approximately six meals enroute and while in D.C.
- A down payment of $700 is due with at the time of application
- The remaining payment of $700 will be due on or before March 29
Application Process
All steps of the application process must be completed in order for an application to be considered. Pay close attention to the following details. Youth delegate applicants will need assistance from a parent/guardian, and a county 4-H Program Coordinator or regional Extension Educator.
Download and submit the 2013 Youth Delegate Application Packet, containing:
- 2013 youth delegate application form
- Participate and pay it forward agreement
- 2013 application support form - this form does require signatures of a parent/guardian and a county 4-H Program Coordinator or regional Extension Educator. If you downloaded and completed this form early, you can replace the copy in the packet with the copy containing signatures.
- MS-Word version for filling in electronically (548 K DOC)
- Print-friendly version (287 K PDF)
Postmarked no earlier than February 13, the entire application packet (application support form, youth delegate application, and a $700 down payment made payable to the University of Minnesota) should be sent to:
Diane Lambrecht
University of Minnesota Extension, Farmington Regional Office
4100 220th St. West, Suite 100
Farmington, MN 55024.
Reminder: Participants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis meeting all down payment and application instructions as indicated on the application form. No exceptions. Open spaces generally fill very quickly.
Mode of transportation
Currently, the mode of transportation will be via coach bus. The cost of the trip is dependent upon the transportation mode. Preliminary figures for cost are approximately $1400. If for some reason air flight costs are within financial reach, changes would be identified on the website by February 13, 2013 if the transportation mode will be changed.
Chaperones
Adult volunteer chaperone applications are now available. Four adult volunteer chaperones will be selected from the pool of adult chaperone applications. Each accepted adult volunteer must be screened according to the University of Minnesota Extension 4-H Youth Development volunteer screening policies. There will be a minimal charge for adult chaperones who attend.
- MS-Word version for filling in electronically (484 K DOC)
- Print-friendly version (287 K PDF)
Refund policy
There is no refund policy in place after March 29, 2013, if a youth delegate is unable to attend the CWF experience. However, if there are Minnesota youth on a waiting list that agree to attend in the absence of the original delegate, every effort will be made to put another delegate in the absentee delegate spot so that a refund can be made; however, it is not guaranteed. All changes, if possible, would need to be approved by Judith A. Conway, University of Minnesota Extension Educator at conw0076@umn.edu and are not guaranteed. There will not be any changes or refunds made after June 1, 2013.
Pre-Departure Conference Calls
Delegates, parents and chaperones will be highly encouraged to attend one of two conference calls. The dates for those calls will be listed on this site at a later date. Youth identified to be in a leadership role, and adult chaperones, will have one or two additional conference calls.
Future 2014 CWF
Discussions are currently being held about the possibility of changing dates that Minnesota CWF normally have attended CWF. Discussions are also being held on changing the application and selection process for the 2014 CWF experience.
Contacts
- Judith Conway, Extension educator
conw0076@umn.edu; 1-507-337-2813
- Diane Lambrecht, Executive administrative specialist
lambr031@umn.edu; 1-651-480-7703
For further information on the CWF experience, visit the National 4-H CWF website.
