4-H Marianas youth, volunteers, partners and leadership across the CNMI celebrated the 2025 National 4-H Week, held from Oct. 5 to 11, 2025, highlighting the accomplishments of 4-H youth and showcasing the powerful impact of 4-H programs in developing young leaders.
Carrying on the “Beyond Ready” theme across all three islands, emphasizing how 4-H prepares youth for bright futures with confidence and purpose by building life and leadership skills through engaging hands-on activities. The events were headed by CNMI youth themselves — the AY25-26 Island Youth Councils from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
The week officially kicked off with the Proclamation Signing on Oct. 4, 2025, held at the NMC Library in Saipan and welcomed a virtual audience through Zoom. In attendance were Gov. David Apatang, 4-H Marianas Board President Victoria Deleon Guerrero, 4-H members Amy Soliman and Jesse Lin, and NMC-CREES Acting Dean Ashley Sikayun, along with government leaders, community partners, youth leaders and supporters of youth development. Following this, all islands brought a wave of fun, community involvement, and impactful youth-led activities.
The week’s programming was planned by the 4-H Island Councils to reflect each unique island community, strengthening the four H’s: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.
Outdoor learning, fun, and food! Attendees of the 4-H Family Fun Fair on Saipan engage with outreach presenters.
Saipan honored the “Beyond Ready” theme with a mix of educational, health, and community-focused activities. Encouraging island-wide participation, the schedule included a Family Fun Fair with raffle prizes from Great Harvest, Java Joes, T-Bar, and 153 Restaurant. Continuing on with a movie night, along with virtual events such as “4-H Beyond Ready: Bingo,” and “4-H Beyond Ready: Go Green!” Saipan activities also included promoting health and physical wellbeing with “4-H Walk for Wellness,” collaborating with the Walk & Roll on Wednesdays initiative. Finally, members participated in the virtual call to action “Beyond Ready: 4-H for Good,” before wrapping up the week with a roadside waving at the Garapan Fishing Base.
“Our partnership with 4-H has allowed us to share our mission of promoting ocean stewardship, education, and protection throughout our islands. Through 4-H’s outreach events, we have been able to engage both youth and adults in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that connect our community to the ocean. This collaboration continues to strengthen our shared goal of inspiring youth and community members to participate in ocean awareness, environmental responsibility, and collective action across the CNMI.” shared Alexi Rubuenog and Alex Tudela, team members of Friends of the Mariana Trench.
4-H'ers on Saipan engage the community with a roadside waving to promote 4-H on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Tinian’s National 4-H Week celebration centered around physical activity, community outreach, and virtual engagement. One of the major highlights of the week was the 3-Day Beyond Ready Slam Basketball Tournament, which promoted teamwork, sportsmanship, and healthy living. The event was made possible through the support of the Tinian Mayor’s Office, the Tinian Municipal Council, Lucky Qiang, Tinian Fuel Services, and Team Koka.
Through the tournament, our youth learned the importance of teamwork, kindness, and maintaining physical health — all while having fun and staying active. Youth also participated in virtual activities.
On Friday, the celebration wrapped up with a community roadside waving at the Camacho Intersection, where youth proudly showcased their 4-H spirit. The community came out in full force to show their love and support for 4-H. A huge thank you goes out to our partners from DFEMS, DPS, Tinian Elementary School, and our entire community for joining us in celebrating our hardworking and dedicated youth.
Rota utilized an entirely virtual format to engage youth throughout the week with daily themes focusing on well-being and responsibility. The schedule included themes like “Soundtrack of the Day” and “Moments that Matter,” encouraging reflection, and “Recharge and Refresh” and “Wellness in Action,” focusing on mental and physical health. The importance of community and environment was highlighted through themes like “Our World, Our Responsibility,” “Go Green, Go Luta!,” and “Together We Can,” promoting stewardship and unity.
“This week was a true reflection of what 4-H Marianas stands for — youth leading with heart, purpose, and potential. We’re proud of the growth we’ve seen, made possible by the passion of our youth leaders and the tireless support of our volunteers, advisors, and partners. Together, they continue to shape a program that helps young people build the skills and confidence to be truly ‘Beyond Ready’ for the future.” states NMC-CREES Family, Community, and Youth Development State Program Leader Tayna C. Belyeu-Camacho.
The week successfully showcased the dedication of 4-H Marianas to empowering the next generation of CNMI leaders. Through the support of numerous partners, including the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Department of Public Safety-Traffic Division, CNMI Fish & Wildlife, and various NMC-CREES programs, 4-H programs continue to grow and provide youth with the skills and opportunities they need to be truly “Beyond Ready” for whatever comes their way.
For more information about 4-H Marianas or NMC-CREES, visit crees.marianas.edu or call (670) 237-6845/46. For more information on 4-H Tinian, please contact Jacklynn Sanchez at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call (670) 433-2161. For more information on 4-H Rota, please contact Tonica Barcinas at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call (670) 783-1802.