Gentle music plays as a teenager sews at a table with a green tablecloth. Three mannequins behind her wear dresses. One is a two-piece gown with a high neckline made of pink silky material. Another has a skirt that fades from white to blue with blue flowers embroidered on the bodice. The third one has a long pink skirt.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Lincoln, Nebraska
The girl uses a sewing machine to stitch a piece of pink fabric with a yellow floral pattern.
ELLIE: I love sewing.
The sewing machine whirs as she adjusts the white thread.
ELLIE: 4-H gave me a place to learn the basics.
She uses a rotary cutter to slice off pieces of fabric.
WOMAN: Eighteen-year-old Ellie Babcock learned to sew in 4-H, and, to her surprise, the program unlocked a talent for fashion.
A skirt made of shaggy material sways as Ellie adjusts a sequined waistband. A closeup shows her hands feeding fabric through the sewing machine.
WOMAN: Ellie wants others to know 4-H develops important life skills far beyond farming and livestock.
ELLIE: That there are other aspects of 4-H as well.
Ellie ties a bow at the bottom of the white dress’s corset back. A woman with blonde hair interviews.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Courtney Eitzmann
Nebraska EFNEP Assistant
COURTNEY: The preconceived notion is that 4-H is probably just plants and animals, but it’s so much more than that.
Ellie keeps sewing, then slices another rectangle off a piece of floral-patterned fabric. She interviews in front of her dresses.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Ellie Babcock
Nebraska 4-H Teen Ambassador, Healthy Futures Program
ELLIE: There are resources for me to have for myself that I can share with the youth in my community.
Ellie adjusts the back of one of her dresses, then sits back down at the sewing machine.
WOMAN: Ellie’s 4-H experience has also given her new-found leadership skills with a unique opportunity to serve fellow students.
At a grade school, kids file into a classroom. Ellie and her presentation partner stand at the front of the room.
WOMAN: Come on in. Have a seat.
Ellie holds up a giant nutrition label for chocolate chip cookies.
ELLIE: Today we’re going to be learning about this. What is this? So this is a nutrition label.
She holds up another enlarged label for pretzels.
WOMAN: Ellie teaches kids about healthy living as a teen ambassador for the 4-H Healthy Futures after school program. The vital healthy futures education is now in five states thanks to a UnitedHealthcare grant.
The kids gather around a table with more nutrition labels. A woman interviews in an office beside a large potted plant.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Kathy Mallatt
UnitedHealthcare – CEO of the Community Plan of Nebraska
KATHY: At UnitedHealthcare, we are committed to improving the health of the individuals that we serve.
A student washes an apple under a faucet.
KATHY: This program brings to youth in lower income communities an opportunity to develop leadership skills.
The kids stand around a table and cut up their apples. Ellie stands by with an informational sheet.
ELLIE: How much sugar do we need?
A girl uses an apple cutter, and another kid mixes spices into a bowl of sugar.
ELLIE: There isn’t knowledge about what a healthy diet is. And so these kids don’t know that having all this sugar does affect their bodies. They have that foundation for them to know what is a healthy diet and how to stay active.
In the classroom, Ellie uses a measuring spoon as the students smile.
ELLIE: What do you usually put cinnamon on?
The kids each get a flat pastry with an apple mixture on it. They each add just a little bit of sugar and spices, then dig in.
ELLIE: I’ve just gotten very excited to see them excited about healthy living.
The kids try the wrapped pastries.
KID: Mmm!
ELLIE: Just seeing their faces—it’s so much fun.
COURTNEY: Ellie’s been great. She’s a perfect example of a great teen. Yeah, she’s going good places.
Now, Ellie teaches another group of kids.
WOMAN: Ellie will soon head to college with even more experience in mentorship and communication, knowing the life skills gained in 4-H allow her to craft a future.
Ellie’s sewing machine whirs as she stitches a piece of fabric.
ELLIE: I just know that they’re gonna remember this and hopefully bring it to their homes and tell them how excited they are about healthy eating and healthy living.
The kids leave the classroom.
A logo appears over a white background.
ON SCREEN TEXT: UnitedHealthcare®
The screen fades to black.