- I love the county fair, especially the midway, the magnetic pool of the Ferris wheel, the glow of the carnival games.

Oh, the sound of the rides and people laughing, (people laughing) and don't get me started on the food.

Cotton candy, fried dough, fried everything.

But here's the thing, the fair is so much more than a yearly carnival.

It's where communities come together, where tradition meets innovation, where kids raise animals, run auctions and rock leadership roles like pros.

- On Monday night of the Wyoming County Fair, I was crowned Fair Queen.

This county fair this week, this is the best week of the year for me.

I look forward to it every year.

And this is where we get to come and show off everything we've done throughout the year.

- So this fair has been like my home.

My parents were 4-H leaders.

So ever since a young age, I was always at the county fair, even if I couldn't show.

- Thursday, I'll be showing for confirmation for my cow.

Friday will be open show showmanship and Saturday will be confirmation for my cow open show.

- The Wyoming County Fair is more than a summer tradition.

It's a launch pad for the next generation of farmers and change makers.

This right here is civic life in action.

So come on, grab your wristband 'cause we are headed to the fair.

(bright music) The Wyoming County Fair's been going strong for nearly 170 years.

Yep.

That means it's even older than sliced bread.

And while a lot has changed since the days of top hats and telegrams, one thing hasn't.

The county fair is still a place where people come together to celebrate the best of the best.

And if you look a little closer past the Ferris wheel and Carnival games, you'll see the next generation getting to work.

4-H is the largest youth development organization in the US, reaching nearly 6 million.

Wait, 6 million, is that right?

Dang.

6 million kids and teens through hands-on learning.

Let's check it out.

- [Blake] Hi, I am Blake Neamon.

I enjoy showing cows and doing a meat animal project every year for the Wyoming County 4-H. - Let's talk about milking your time, the time commitment, you're juggling high school, a social life, and serious responsibilities on the farm.

What's that like?

- So in high school you obviously have a lot of extracurricular activities you do after school and before school.

And I kind of, I don't participate in nearly as many as other kids do because I'm here doing chores or taking care of animals or farming.

I'm here doing what I can for this community and this farm.

- What's the hardest part of doing all this work every day?

- It could be 89 degrees out one day, blistering hot, or it could be 20 degrees.

It's snowing with ice.

You still have to do the same thing from day to day.

And it's pretty important that the cows still get care.

It doesn't matter whether you're sick or cold or hot or what you are, but you still got to be out here.

- What does it really take to care for the cows?

You know, see how the cheese really gets made.

- I've been maintaining my animal's health and maintaining its size, trying to keep it from getting too much body fat.

They get milked every day, three times a day, but every once in a while trim their hooves.

When fair starts getting closer, I will start taking 'em outside, walking 'em, getting prepared for public and for other animals to be with them that are with their trainers.

- And it's not just about taking care of animals.

With 4-H, you're stepping into leadership too.

What's a moment that really melted to you?

(cow mooing) - My favorite 4-H project that I kind of contributed to was Little Britches.

It's a bunch of little kids that get to show their cow for the first time and their knee high to a grasshopper.

And it is really cool to see their smiles on their faces.

And I judged that show and it's cool to interact with the kids and the animals at the same time and kind of show the community what it's all about and kind of convince them to want to join the farming community too when they grow up.

- Blake, you've been with 4-H for years now, learning, leading, showing up.

Now that your time is curdling up, how do you feel about what's happening next?

- So coming up on the end with 4-H, it's a sad but happy ending because it kind of is telling me that I'm off to the big world and I'm excited for that.

I'm going to try and participate in this many committees and things to help the 4-H as I get older and when I have the ability to help out as much as possible, I think I'm going to try and do that and jump on making the 4-H community bigger.

- Blake, you are the real deal.

Thanks for showing us what hard work and a whole lot of heart looks like.

It was an udder pleasure.

(audience laughing and clapping) Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to meet some very spirited 4-H participants.

(upbeat music) I don't think you understand just how powerful you really are.

You teach responsibility, you build youth leadership skills.

I mean, you all have been at this for a long time.

You think different, you move different.

You're built different, in the best ways.

I mean, look at you all.

You all are the goats!

(upbeat music continues) Give me love, bro.

Oh look bro, I see you.

I see you.

I see you.

You are seen.

You are heard.

I get it.

They don't like your color.

(upbeat country music) (auctioneer chattering) - So I'm here at the Wyoming County Fair auctioning off my market goat.

So I've been working with my goat since they've been born of like training them how to walk, how to brace, how to show off all of their good parts.

(upbeat music continues) - The county fair tradition is woven into the fabric of nearly every American community.

For many fair goers, it's a place where they could see a cow, a pig, a goat, (tractor rumbling) or even a tractor in person, and talk directly with the farmer and learn where their food comes from.

At its core, it's something much deeper.

It's community in action.

And at the heart of that action, 4-H, a program where young people develop life skills that fuel our communities.

(bright music) - I've learned a ton of leadership skills and how to go up and just talk to potential buyers.

We're supposed to stand by our pens and those buyers will come up and you have to pretty much sell them your goat before the auction starts and explain to them how much work and effort you've put into them and all the benefits of goat meat and how good it tastes and all of these things that we've put into our animals.

It's pretty rewarding, especially because I've paid for college all by myself.

No help from anybody else.

So it's really nice of that.

I've saved all of my auction money to go towards big purchases and not have to rely on other people.

(upbeat music continues) - Man, that Abigail, she's a real one.

You see, Blake and Abigail aren't just raising cows and goats.

They're raising the bar.

Leadership skills, check, public speaking, check, college savings, whew, check.

And it's not just what they learned during the fair.

It's a commitment that continues all year long.

According to the National 4-H Council, 82% of 4-H Youth said it helped them explore careers.

58% said it helped with college decisions.

Nearly half reported that 4-H inspired them to volunteer in their communities.

And youth who were inspired to volunteer also tended to contribute to their community at a greater level.

And many said it gave them a deeper understanding of science, real world problems, and what it means to make a difference.

Every year, thanks to the fair and the families and mentors behind it, new leaders are born.

So there you have it.

The Wyoming County Fair has Ferris wheels and fried dough, but it also has something much bigger, a community in motion, a classroom without walls, a proving ground for tomorrow's leaders.

This is what civic life really looks like.

Neighbors coming together, showing up for each other, building something lasting.

That's the heartbeat of Compact Civics Expansion Pack, finding the big ideas behind everyday spaces because fairgrounds, libraries, barbershops and backyards aren't just places, they are where democracy lives and breathes.

And by spotlighting stories like this one, we're reminding young people, you already belong in the civic conversation.

You've been a part of it all along.

(bright music) I tell you everything I got.

This, my friends, is example of taxes.

This is how taxes happen.

Me and you just hold up.

Let's just talk.

All right, so you tell me what you know about civics, what you know about civics.

Did you know I was the, did you know I was the host of a civic show called Compact Civics?

It's on WED PBS.

I know that's crazy, right?

I know.

(bright music continues) (bright music concludes) (bright musical flourish)