Florida 4-HiLEAD - Know Before You Go
This webpage should provide you a one stop shop for everything you need to know for the event.
Contact 4hevents@ifas.ufl.edu with any questions.
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Code of Conduct
As you are preparing for the weekend, please keep the Florida 4-H Code of Conduct in mind. All participants will be held responsible for upholding these expectations.
You can access the full participation form, which includes the Code of Conduct and is signed upon registration in 4-H Online, at 4-H Participation Form .
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What to Pack
Check out iLEAD Suggested Packing List to get all the information you need for packing.
Be sure to check the weather for Gainesville, FL to ensure you pack comfortably.
Additional items for consideration:
Hallway Bathroom Attire
- These dorms have hallway bathrooms, so please be sure to stay appropriately dressed to and from the bathroom.
Spending Money for Florida 4-H Merchandise
- We will have a limited selection of Florida 4-H merchandise available for purchase.
- Merchandise will only be available at drop-off and pickup, and will not be sold during the event.
- Only card payments will be accepted.
Cell Phones
- Cell phones are allowed at iLEAD.
- They must be used respectfully throughout the event and not be a disruption to activities.
- Disrespectful use of cell phones may result in staff holding the phone for a designated time.
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Bringing Medication
Any prescription or over the counter medication that you will be taking while attending this event must be noted on the Florida 4-H Medication Form.
- There is space for four (4) medications on the document. Please fill out and print as many as necessary.
- Please take note of all requirements for prescription and over the counter medication within the Florida 4-H Medication Form. Any medication not meeting those requirements will not be allowed.
- Please put all medication and the form(s) in a Ziploc bag with the participant's name on it. You will turn this in at drop-off.
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Lost Items
As you are packing, please be aware of what you are packing. Florida 4-H is not responsible for any lost items. We will have a designated "Lost and Found" available throughout the weekend to help as much as we can.
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ADA Accommodation Requests
At 4-H we want to do our best to make sure ALL youth enjoy their time at 4-HU and that their needs are met. We understand that all children have different needs, and we want to do our best to give your child the best experience possible.
If you have noted any special accommodations due to a disability or any other reason in your 4-H Online profile or 4-HU registration that you feel needs more information:
- Please complete and return ADA Accommodation Plan Request Form to 4hevents@ifas.ufl.edu at your earliest convenience.
- This information will help kept confidential amongst staff members.
- While 4-H online registration captures some of this information, it does not provide as much detail.
- Please note this is not required for participation but it is helpful information.
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Planning Committee Drop-off & Notes
We can’t wait to see you starting Thursday night for an unforgettable weekend! As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments do not hesitate to reach out. Let’s make this year’s iLEAD a throwback to remember! ✨
Below is a quick recap of important information, assignments, and reminders to make sure everyone is prepared before arrival.-
Action Items
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Thursday Arrival & Drop-off
- Color Group Assignments
- Committee Assignments
- Thursday Night Icebreakers
ACTION ITEMS- Bring your color and decade outfits to hype up your team throughout the weekend!
- Bring a sweet treat to contribute to Thursday night's candy salad.
THURSDAY ARRIVAL & DROP-OFF
- Please arrive on Thursday, June 4, by 7:30PM ET.
- Park and drop-off at Weaver Hall | 562 Gale Lemerand Dr, Gainesville, FL 32612
- If parking is unavailable at Weaver, use parking lot at Riker Hall | 2069 Stadium Rd, Gainesville, FL 32612
- Please make sure to eat dinner before arriving as it will not be provided.
- Self-drivers and county vans will need to get a parking pass at check-in.
- Self driving 4-H'ers will need to turn in their keys at check-in.
- Do not back into parking spaces. You will get a ticket regardless of your parking pass.
COLOR GROUP ASSIGNMENTS
- Each of you have ben assigned a color group associated with a different decade.
- Check out the "Rooming & Team Assignments" section further up on this page to make sure you're prepared to hype up your team throughout the weekend with your best outfits!
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
- As planning committee members, we are taking on all types of roles to make this event a success!
- Check out Committee Assignments for iLEAD to see what you'll be doing throughout the weekend.
- All the assignments line up with the schedule further below on this page.
- You will receive a folder onsite with printouts of everything you need to be successful throughout the weekend.
THURSDAY NIGHT ICEBREAKERS
- Thursday night will be focused on fun icebreakers and getting our committee to jive!!
- We will be doing a candy salad activity, so please bring a sweet treat to contribute.
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General Drop-off & Pickup (Take Note of Eastern Times)
UPDATED Location
- Due to parking limitations, all families should plan to park and unload at the O'Connell Center | 250 Gale Lemerand Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611.
- From there, please follow 4-H signage and directions from planning committee members to North Hall, where drop-off and pickup will take place.
- North Hall is approximately a six minute walk from the parking area.
- You can view a map and directions at Parking Map for iLEAD.
- If you need any accommodations with this process, please call our events phone at 352-256-1330, and we will be happy to assist you with an alternative arrangement.
Drop-off & Pickup
- Drop-off is from 4:30-5:30PM ET on Friday, June 5. We are unable to accommodate any times earlier than this.
- Pickup will be from 9:00-9:30AM on Sunday, June 7.
- If you need accommodations outside of these times, complete the Pick-Up/Drop-Off Authorization Form and email it to 4hevents@ifas.ufl.edu.
- Please note that we will only allow those designated in your registration to pick you up. If anyone else needs to pick you up, please communicate with us via email at 4hevents@ifas.ufl.edu.
Parking Passes
- Parking restrictions are lifted when check-in starts at 4:30PM on Friday, so no parking passes are needed for the weekend.
- Anyone parking earlier than that will be at risk of receiving a parking ticket.
Self Drivers & County Vans
- Any vehicles parking for the weekend should use the O'Connell Center parking lot.
- Do not back into parking spaces. You will get a ticket regardless of your parking pass.
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Rooming & Team Assignments
ROOMING ASSIGNMENTS
- Rooming assignments will be provided at check-in on Friday.
- Assignments are based on age and gender.
- We do our best to accommodate rooming requests submitted during registration; however, they are not guaranteed.
- Participants are only in their rooms for late night and early morning hours, and will spend most of their time engaged in activities with other youth throughout the event.
TEAM ASSIGNMENTS
Youth will be split into teams on the first night.
- These teams create a smaller group where participants can build connections and stay engaged throughout the weekend.
- Teams will participate in select activities together and travel to and from the dorms.
- Each team is supported by planning committee members and adult chaperones who supervise and guide the group.
You can view your participant's team assignment at Team Colors for iLEAD.
- This document is organized by role (Lead Adult, Adult, Planning Committee, Youth) and last name.
- Teams are organized by color and paired with a decade to match the event theme.
- Each participant will receive an item in their color to wear.
- You're welcome to pack additional items to show team pride, but this is not required.
ASSIGNMENT FINALIZATION
- Nametags and rosters have already been printed, so rooming and team assignments cannot be changed.
- This ensures all participants are accurately accounted for throughout the event and helps us maintain a safe and organized event.
PROMOTING COMFORT, CONNECTION, & BELONGING
- We understand that participants may not always be placed with people they already know.
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The event is intentionally designed to help youth quickly connect with their team and feel comfortable starting Friday night.
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Participants may try to sign up for the same workshops as friends, but this cannot be guaranteed. They will, however, be able to sit together during meals.
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Our planning committee and adult chaperones are prepared to ensure every participant has a positive experience, regardless of who they arrive with.
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Onsite Communication
ONSITE PHONE NUMBER
If you need to contact us throughout the weekend, please call 352-256-1330.
REMIND APP
We will be utilizing the Remind app to help with onsite communication with participants.
- You can join the iLEAD Remind instantly at https://www.remind.com/join/fl4-hilead.
- If that link gives you any issues, you can also refer to iLEAD Remind Instructions.
- Any youth with a smart phone and access to apps can utilize the app to receive communication throughout the weekend.
- Participants should not be far from adult chaperones or a group at any time, so those without cell phones will not miss out on anything.
- Families can also signup if they'd like to keep up with updates throughout the week, but this will not be utilized for family communication. We will utilize 4-H Online emails for family communication.
- Youth under age 13 will need parent permission to use Remind. The process for providing verifiable consent to use Remind can be accessed by clicking on the following link, Remind Help - Parental Permission to Use Remind.
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Supervision
To ensure safety and supervision during the event:
- We adhere to UF's youth protection guidelines, requiring two deep supervision and adequate adult to youth ratios.
- We will call roll anytime we move locations to ensure all participants are present.
- All youth participants have an Adult in Charge (AIC) assigned to them. Participants will be on the same color team as their AIC. They will meet on Friday and stay in touch throughout the event.
- The AIC will touch base with the members they are responsible for throughout each day.
- The AIC will be the first adult contact if a participant is not where they should be, if there is a discipline issue, or a health/safety emergency.
- No one is allowed to leave campus or walk anywhere alone.
- Staff are hired to patrol the building during the night.
- Adult dorm rooms will be labeled with contact information so that participants always know what door to knock on and who to contact if they need help.
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Tentative Schedule, Locations, & Hallway
Access at Tentative Schedule for iLEAD.
- All times and locations are tentative and can change based on a variety of factors.
- Participants and families will be notified of any notable changes that they need to be aware of.
Our dorms will be at North Hall (ufl.edu) for participants and adult chaperones while our planning committee will be in Weaver Hall (ufl.edu).
- These dorms have hallway bathrooms, so please be sure to stay appropriately dressed to and from the bathroom.
Our meals and programming will take place in the Reitz Union (ufl.edu).
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Adult Chaperone Assignments
iLEAD would not be possible without our adult chaperones. We appreciate those that are giving of their time and energy during this weekend to make it a great event for our 4-H'ers!
We will have an adult orientation on Friday to review assignments, explain Adult in Charge (AIC) responsibilities, answer questions, and give you all the support you need to be successful during iLEAD.
- All adults must attend.
- You will receive a folder with printed materials.
- Check out Adult Assignments for iLEAD for your roles during the event.
- Each adult will be assigned a group of youth on your color team to serve as AIC. Please review Guidelines for Adults in Charge (AIC) and Checklist for Adults in Charge (AIC) to prepare.
- You will connect with your team on Friday night and be with them throughout the weekend.
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Signing Up for Workshops
You can access all the workshop descriptions at the bottom of this webpage. Please look at what you may be interested in and notice the special notes that may direct you to pack certain things for that workshop.
Participants will be split into teams for the weekend and select their workshops together on the first night. Each team will receive a certain number of slots per workshop, and they will work together to fill each of those slots. This process helps develop decision making, communication, and teamwork skills while emphasizing youth voice. Everyone may not get their first choice, but the purpose is to create space for teams to work together to ensure everyone gets workshops that they are satisfied with.
During Workshop 3 on Saturday afternoon, every team will go through the same leadership workshop facilitated by their senior 4-H'er planning committee members.
During funshops on Saturday afternoon, participants will have the opportunity to select and explore funshops based on their personal interests. This time is self-directed, allowing participants to move between funshops or settle into one for the entire time.
Workshop Schedule
Session A | 9:00-10:30AM |
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| From Forests to Faucets: Water, People, & Forest Ecology | 2355 |
| Beanie Bash | 2345 |
| Clovers & Code | 2330 |
| Exploring the 4-H Food Challenge | 2340 |
| Habitat Exploration of Florida’s Uplands | Ground Level South Terrace Exit |
| Knowing Your Why | 2315 |
| Laser Lab: How Surveyors Map the World | 2365 |
| Leadership through the 4-H Poultry Project | Level 1 Tabling Area |