Hundreds of high school students led by scrambled clues scoured UF's campus Wednesday morning for laminated clovers affixed to UF landmarks.
Their campus trek was part of a scavenger hunt featured in this year's annual Florida 4-H Congress, which started Monday and ends Friday. As participants in the Congress, more than 350 high school students compete in skilled activities and learn about sustainable practices, which is this year's theme.
Students attended seminars and workshops about environmentally friendly topics, said Lynnelle Mays, the event's spokeswoman. Some speakers are faculty from UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, which serves as headquarters for the state 4-H office.
At the Congress, students compete in categories such as public speaking, fashion design and cooking demonstrations to showcase their skills.
Students have advanced from county and district level 4-H events to compete at the state level, Mays said.
The event allows participants to meet other high school students from all around the state. Fifty-six of Florida's 67 counties are represented, she said.
Katrina Gaura, an 18-year-old high school senior from Miami-Dade County, made a cornflower-blue-and-white dress for the fashion competition. Gaura modeled her creation, demonstrated how she constructed it and took a test on her skills as a designer and seamstress.
"It's not all fun and games," she said.
