For Steve and Anne Young, 4-H was the spark that ignited a lifelong commitment to leadership and community.
Their journey began in Kentucky in the 1950s, where a young Anne was elected president of her club in the fifth grade—a role she believes set her on a path toward a 38 year career in education as a teacher and principal. Steve, whose father was a local extension agent, grew up showing cattle and learning the discipline of woodworking.
“Those early experiences in 4-H instilled vital traits like goal setting, discipline, and the courage to step outside one’s comfort zone,” shared Anne.
For Steve, those qualities were ever-present throughout his career, first as an Air Force fighter pilot and Vietnam veteran and later as Chief of Facilities for Indianapolis Public Schools.
After moving to Johnson County, Indiana, in 1984, Anne supported 4-H within the schools she led, witnessing firsthand how the program empowered her students. This deep-rooted belief in the program’s value eventually led the couple to help secure 4-H’s future in their home county.
In 2022, Steve and Anne played a pivotal role in launching the Johnson County 4-H Endowment. As founding members, they made the initial contribution to establish the endowment, ensuring that 4-H funds would exist in perpetuity to support local youth.
Their motivation was simple: they wanted to give youth the life-changing experiences they had. They are particularly interested in reaching youth who might not otherwise have the enriching opportunities 4-H provides. By investing in the endowment, Steve and Anne are helping to cultivate a new generation of articulate, poised, and capable leaders.
As Anne notes, the drive to give back “all came from that early background in 4-H.”
And as Steve shared, “ I think we would say that if, if you’re a person who’s concerned about the future and concerned about our young people, and you have the opportunity, then supporting 4-H and the Foundation is a great way to help ensure that there are youth coming up who will be able to move into leadership positions. We need young people who have the right focus in life, and who have the right initiative to do the things that need to be done to secure our future in the years ahead.”
To learn more about donating to the greatest need of Indiana 4-H or supporting a county 4-H endowment, contact Shelly Bingle at shelly@in4h.org.