"We need to get your blood going!" said Ruth Merle-Doyle, an instructor in the Cornell Wellness Program. "How many steps are there in a mile?"

"Two thousand," many of the 465 high school 4-H representatives gathered at Cornell's Kennedy Hall, June 26, exclaimed in unison.

"Everyone should take 10,000 steps per day," continued Merle-Doyle. "That's five miles!"

The students were gathered for the opening ceremony of 4-H Career Explorations 2007, June 26-28. The three-day gathering has become a tradition: Cornell Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development Program has held similar events for more than 70 years, granting students from seventh grade to senior year an insight into university life and higher education and an opportunity to obtain hands-on skills and experience.

This year, the students and 55 adult chaperones stayed in North Campus residence halls. A select group of students, the focus assistants, were chosen by their county programs to come early and learn how to help run the conference.

Child obesity was a special focus of this year's conference and a particular concern of Cornell Cooperative Extension, so conference leaders gave all the participants pedometers -- small counters that clip to belts or pants -- and organized a contest: The team (county program) with the highest average steps per person over the period of the conference would be in a mini-documentary on the NYS 4-H Web site, and each team member would win a carabiner keychain. The winning team, 32 students from Rensselaer County, averaged 26,000 steps per person.

"4-H wants to encourage kids to get active," said Erika Orman, a focus assistant and three-time conference attendee. "In a healthy lifestyle, little things make a big difference."

Students learned how just a few steps here and there can add up to make a difference.

"The most common complaint I get at each conference is the amount of walking involved," said Celeste Carmichael, conference coordinator and 4-H youth development program specialist. "This year, we're trying to turn 'Oh man, we have to walk?' into 'Oh yeah, we get to walk!'"

At the opening ceremony, Dana Palmer, extension associate at Cornell's Department of Animal Science and member of the New York State 4-H Board of Directors, introduced the Give Change Make Change For Youth campaign, inspired by a former 4-H member from the southeast district of New York state who donated hundreds of dollars to local charities after organizing a fund-raiser collecting change in her community. "This is day one of the New York state campaign," said Palmer. "Half of the money collected stays in the community, while the other half supports scholarships and grants."

And Alan Mathios, acting dean of the College of Human Ecology, offered career advice for the attendees. "What makes you forget that you're working? What makes you enjoy the process of learning?" he asked. "These answers lead naturally to career direction."

Sam Warren '07 is a writer intern at the Cornell Chronicle.