Harper Miller, second from right, is active in Wise County 4H activities, and she took that to another level in 2022 by lobbying for Virginia legislation to give 4H students the same consideration for excused absences that student- athletes and members of clubs and field trips get.
Harper Miller, second from right, is active in Wise County 4H activities, and she took that to another level in 2022 by lobbying for Virginia legislation to give 4H students the same consideration for excused absences that student- athletes and members of clubs and field trips get.
WISE — Harper Miller is on a legislative mission during the 2022 Virginia General Assembly.
Miller, a 16-year-old sophomore at Central High School in Wise, has lobbied House of Delegates Majority Leader Terry Kilgore and 40th District state Sen. Todd Pillion to change the state’s education law regarding attendance for 4H activity participants.
Miller’s effort has resulted in two proposed identical bills, HB 246 and SB 596, that would give students participating in 4H the same consideration that student-athletes and club members get when absent for school-authorized activities such as games and field trips.
“Right now, students in clubs and sports get excused absences in Virginia,” said Miller, “but not 4H students.”
The two bills, if passed and signed, would give 4H students credit for attendance if they missed a partial or full school day for an organization event. School boards would be required to develop the appropriate policies governing attendance credit and makeup work as well as the maximum number of days to be missed during a school year.
Miller, who got involved in 4H in elementary school through the organization’s summer camps, went on to join 4H and learn about a range of agricultural issues from raising chickens to the economics and business of farming.
“I haven’t had a problem with excused absences in Wise County and I’m very blessed to have teachers and principals who understand the importance of 4H,” Miller said.
While participating as a student member of Virginia’s 4H state congress recently, Miller said she heard of some instances across the state where participating in a 4H event during school hours was not considered the same as students participating in athletic events or other school-sanctioned clubs or field trips.
“In reality, 4H has always been an educational program,” Miller said. “Students learn important business and life skills. It’s not just about showing sheep at contests.”
Miller said she also learned that other states, including Tennessee, do give 4H participants the same consideration as students in other sanctioned activities by allowing them the same opportunities to make up work and get the same kind of course credit that comes with attending a class field trip.
Armed with that knowledge, Miller talked to her local 4H extension Agent, LeeAnn Hill, about what could be done.
“LeeAnn helped me along the way with support and motivation,” Miller said.
Miller found herself navigating a lot of the same legislative territory that her father, LENOWISCO Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller, does by dealing with the area’s legislative delegation.
While lobbying Kilgore and Pillion for help in changing the state’s attendance law, Miller said she has gotten plenty of reaction on social media as she posted about her efforts.
“So far, I’ve gotten great feedback and support across the state,” Miller said. “A lot of people didn’t even know 4H didn’t have the same status for attendance.”
Miller has participated in 4H events and has volunteered to help in agricultural exhibits at the Virginia-Kentucky Regional Fair over the years, but she still has one barrier to crack, though.
“I’ve been trying for years to be able to keep chickens at home and haven’t gotten anywhere yet,” Miller said with a laugh.
Miller said she is still considering her future. While college is part of those plans, she said she is still trying to decide whether she wants to be a lawyer, teacher or nurse.
“I do know that I want to be able to work with children,” she added.
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