(4-H Sign & Projects - KIWA Staff Photo)Northwest Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — A summer camp promotional campaign serving six northwest Iowa counties, including Sioux and Lyon, has earned national recognition for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H staff.
The Northwest Iowa regional youth team was named the national winner of the Promotional Package Team Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals. The award recognizes a coordinated marketing effort promoting camps for students in grades one through eight in Cherokee, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, and Sioux counties.
The campaign included a regional camp flipbook, county-specific flyers, and coordinated social media graphics. Staff also created Spanish-language resources to reach more families and meet the requirements of local school districts distributing camp information.
According to 4-H Youth Development Specialist Beth Bunkers, collaboration among counties allowed staff to expand their reach, develop higher-quality promotional materials, and connect more young people and families with summer learning opportunities.
While the campaign covered six counties, Extension reported participation figures for its five-county regional partnership of Cherokee, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, and Sioux counties.
In 2026, 1,880 youth registered for summer camps offered through that partnership. Extension said 73% of participants were not current 4-H members, while 27% were active members. Another 49 youth expressed interest in joining 4-H following their camp experience.
The camps focused on affordable, hands-on educational opportunities and included topics such as STEM, technology, family, and consumer sciences and visual arts.
According to Extension, the promotional materials followed ISU Extension and Outreach brand standards and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines.
Current members of the Northwest Iowa regional youth team are Jill Alesch, Jade Bakker, Laura Beyenhof, Beth Bunkers, Morgan Busack, Shelby Frederes, Morgan Keene, Helen Parks, Jill Postma, and Michele Wagner.
The award was presented during the association’s Oct. 29th awards banquet in Kansas City, Missouri.
