Teams from Walsh and McKenzie counties took first place in their respective divisions in the 2022 North Dakota 4-H consumer decision making contest.

The Walsh County team of Hannah Myrdal, Andrew Myrdal and Owen Zikmund placed first in the senior division. The team will represent North Dakota 4-H in the national consumer decision making contest in 2023.

McKenzie County’s junior team of Gwen Signalness, Kyle Best, Gracyn Darrington and Jaden Murphy took first place in the junior division.

These teams were among 82 youth who participated in the contest. Fifty-one competed in the junior division and 31 competed in the senior division.

The contest is designed to educate youth about making better consumer decisions. This year, the youth judged classes of backpacks, fast food and wireless headphones, and gave oral reasons for why they placed the items in a certain order in some of the classes.

In addition to judging the classes, both junior and senior teams participated in a group think component. Each team was given the same scenario, and each team’s members had 10 minutes to work collaboratively to evaluate the situation and make a final decision based on given standards. Teams were scored on how well they worked together and presented their solution.

“Decision making, communication and teamwork are important life skills that youth gain from participating in the consumer decision making contest,” says Meagan Hoffman, youth development specialist in North Dakota State University Extension’s Center for 4-H Youth Development.

Eight teams competed in the senior division, and 14 teams competed in the junior division.

Other teams placing in the senior division were:

• Second – Barnes County with team members Allison Bryn, Kaidence Harstad, Chesney Thomsen and Alyssa Thomsen
• Third – Pembina County with team members Nora Crosby, Malory Kemp, Graesen Helgoe and Madilyn Gauthier

Other teams placing in the junior division were:

• Second – Cass County with team members Grace Burchill, McKenna Mohs and Clayton Miller
• Third – Stutsman County with team members Emmi Odenbach, Elizabeth Rittenbach and Annabelle Rittenbach

Paula Meyer from the Stark-Billings County team was the top scoring senior individual, and Tessa Dvorak from Dunn County was the top scoring junior individual.

The North Dakota 4-H Foundation sponsors this contest.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - Sept. 19, 2022

Source: Meagan Hoffman, 701-231-7964, meagan.scott@ndsu.edu

Editor: Elizabeth Cronin, 701-231-5391, elizabeth.cronin@ndsu.edu