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(02/11/25) CLINTON, La. — 4-H offers Louisiana youth a wealth of personal growth opportunities that assist in developing well-rounded adult members of society a few years down the road. Yet sometimes navigating the actual roads to camps and workshops can be difficult for those who lack reliable transportation. That’s where 4-H supporters have stepped up.
Several parishes have acquired vans thanks to local support, said Lanette Hebert, 4-H coordinator for the LSU AgCenter Southwest Region. These include Jefferson Davis, Natchitoches and East Feliciana parishes.
Hebert sees the vans as illustrating three tiers of service to the organization.
“The vans show local support, are a form of rolling marketing for 4-H and, most importantly, help youth with transportation issues overcome barriers,” she said.
Kayla Banta, AgCenter 4-H agent in East Feliciana Parish, realized the need for transportation options as she saw her program continue to expand.
“I recognized the need for transportation within East Feliciana Parish 4-H when hauling youth to camps, regional cookeries, field trips, trainings and so on,” Banta said.
So a little over a year ago, she applied for a grant with the Pennington Family Foundation and was awarded funds to purchase a Ford Transit 15-passenger van.
“Members are beyond excited, and parents are thrilled that we can assist with transportation now,” she said.
Pam Pearce, 4-H agent in Natchitoches Parish, said the vans are important, especially in a large, rural parish like hers. The Natchitoches Parish 4-H Foundation fundraised to purchase a van to close the gap of providing transportation for youth to participate in 4-H events.
“This transportation will make the difference in youth participating or not,” Pearce said. “With the aid of this van, youth will be more readily able to attend camps and 4-H events without the transportation barrier.”
Pearce added that the van will allow agents to transport with fewer limits and expand the offerings to the youth of Natchitoches Parish.
AgCenter agent Todd Fontenot said the addition of the vans will make it easier for his fellow agents to provide the best 4-H experience to their respective communities.
“The availability of the 15-passenger vans has increased opportunities for our agents to enhance their programming, particularly with the Junior Leadership club,” he said. “Members can be dropped off at a central location, and then the agents can take them to various other areas depending on their project or program.”
LSU AgCenter 4-H agent Kayla Banta is shown receiving the keys for a van donated by the East Feliciana 4-H Foundation. The vans are meant to provide reliable transportation to 4-H youth. Photo provided by Kayla Banta
