Prairieland Youth Leadership Conference awards $12,000 in scholarships

The annual Prairieland Youth Leadership Conference, held on February 3 and 4, 2024, was a huge success, with over 30 aspiring young leaders in agriculture competing for scholarships and developing their leadership skills throughout the weekend.

The conference was held at the World Trade Center Saskatoon at Prairieland and was packed with interactive activities, competitions, and workshops. The event started on Saturday, February 3, and came to an end on Sunday, February 4, with an awards banquet, where parents joined for dinner and scholarship presentation. The conference included a presentation from Jolene Watson of Clarity Coaching & Development. She provided participants with valuable insight on charismatic leadership focusing on communication style, leadership strategies, and effective listening.

Participants were divided into groups and tasked with formulating a debate on topics relevant to their lives, including voting age in Canada and grass-fed versus grain-fed beef. On Sunday morning, the groups went head-to-head while presenting their supporting evidence on their appointed topic and displayed rebuttals that exemplified the effective listening skills discussed
in their Saturday presentation.

Four judges were challenged to mark participants’ assignments and activities by observing them in a team situation as they worked. Here are the results:

First place and a $4,500 scholarship: Katelynn T., West PA 4-H Beef Club
Second place and a $3,000 scholarship: Shelby P., Saskatoon 4-H Beef Club
Third place and a $2,500 scholarship: Mara V., Springside 4-H Beef Club
Fourth place and a $1000 scholarship: Nicole W., Old Bone Trail Multiple 4-H Club
Fifth place and a $1,000 scholarhsip: Aiva B., Candiac 4-H Beef Club

Prairieland is proud to support youth in agriculture, and we extend our thanks to volunteers, staff, and sponsors who made the event possible.