Considerable recognition — Persche receives multiple awards for 4-H leadership, communication

On Oct. 15, in Boise, Idaho, Weston County 4-H educator Erin Persche was very surprised. This was due to the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals selecting her to receive a national Individual Promotional Piece Award.

At the awards luncheon in Boise, Persche went on stage to receive her award, which was given to recognize a postcard she had created and sent “that boosted re-enrollments in Weston County 4-H.”

While on stage with her fellow award recipients, Persche spoke with another 4-H educator.

“We get to stand up here and receive an award, and some of the educators we work with will never have this opportunity,” the other educator said.

This comment underscored the significance of the moment for Persche and made her even more appreciative of the honor. However, she would soon be given even more recognition.

The day before the awards luncheon, at the association’s Western region brunch, Persche received multiple regional-level awards. And at the annual extension meeting, which was held on Nov. 7 in Sheridan, Persche added even more state-level awards to her collection.

According to a press release from AgNews, she received “the state and regional Individual Periodical Publication Awards for the Weston County monthly 4-H newsletter,” “the state and regional Individual Social Media Package Awards for her ‘This Week in Weston County 4-H’s weekly Facebook updates” and the “state (and) regional … Individual Promotional Piece Awards” for the aforementioned postcard.

However, the crown jewel of her many laurels was being named the 2024 Wyoming Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals Rookie of the Year, which is an honor to recognize “an exceptional 4-H educator who has been a member of UW Extension for less than three years.”

As with the national award, receiving this honor was a surprise for Persche. One big reason is that this is the first time she applied for any of the awards, which she did in January at the encouragement of another Wyoming 4-H educator.

Persche started her position as a 4-H educator in Weston County in March 2022, but she came into this role with plenty of experience, having already served as a 4-H educator for three and a half years in Niobrara County and a little over a year in Nebraska.

With her career, Persche is following in the footsteps of her mother, who was a longtime UW Extension educator in Lusk.

“I just grew up in Extension and around 4-H and just always knew that this was the job I wanted to have,” she said.

In an interview with the News Letter Journal, Persche expressed a clear passion for her organization’s mission.

“I love getting to watch the kids try something new and see that little light bulb switch on when they get it and find that they really enjoy it,” she said.

She pointed out that 4-H is the largest youth development program in the country and shared that the Weston County branch, which she oversees, enrolled 188 students last year, ranging in age from 5 to 18.

Persche and “a great set of volunteers” teach their students a wide variety of subjects, such as robotics, livestock management, foods and nutrition and shooting sports, among others.

“There really is a niche for every kid,” she said.