Leatherwork has been a part of Levi Hatch’s life for about as long as he can remember. His family owns and operates Hatch Tack from their home on the TA Ranch, where they handcraft custom leather goods, often made-to-order. 

Levi, the oldest of four children, learned the craft when he was starting school. 

“I started practicing in kindergarten, and I’m going into eighth grade,” Levi said. “I really started making stuff in second grade, when I made a wallet for my mom. It kept getting bigger, and now I do rifle scabbards.” 

Levi earned the 4-H Craftsman Award for his Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Initiative entry,  “Handcrafted Rifle Scabbards,” which he creates in conjunction with Hatch Tack. The Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Initiative is hosted by the Wyoming Enrichment Network, and encourages young people to explore and practice entrepreneurship, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Pitch Challenge for Winter 2021 provided a platform for young people across the state to apply these skills, and Levi got involved through 4-H. 

Hatch Tack is a Platte Valley mainstay, with handcrafted leatherwork for sale at Sweet Marie’s and Koyote Sports in downtown Saratoga. They also have an online store, and Levi has traveled with his mom, Siara Hatch, to places like Texas for the WRCA Finals. They bring along belts, spur straps, saddle bags and more. 

“My husband and I started the business just after we got married,” Siara Hatch said. “We got married in December and that January, I started learning.” 

Siara said her husband Cordell first learned the craft fixing saddles in college, and he built the family’s first saddle bearing the Hatch name when she was pregnant with their second baby. They now have four children, and each one has something to work on.  

“Everybody has a little project that they do, and they each earn a little money from it,” Siara said. Her oldest three children are boys, the fourth a girl. 

“The boys go to football camp, and they have earned enough to pay their own way,” she said. 

Levi learned of the Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge through his participation in Saratoga’s Finest 4-H Club. At the end of each year, 4-H members put together a record book of all the things they are working on, Emily Haver, Carbon County extension educator. She thought Levi would be perfect for the Pitch Challenge while reading his. 

“The record book holds all the things they are doing, with the goals they set and their experiences and project plans, pictures and a 4H story,” Haver said. “I read a couple stories, and they had turned what they are passionate about, their ‘spark,’ into money-makers. I was reading those thinking about the Pitch Challenge.” 

She reached out to the Hatch family, and Levi agreed to enter the next challenge. 

“He’s a quiet, reserved kid, but I met with him every week for a month,” Haver said. “I loved it, seeing his personality come through.” 

Levi and Haver met several Fridays on Zoom to work on his entry, focusing on critical thinking, creativity, teamwork and prototyping — all practices of entrepreneurial thinking.  

“I enjoyed it, and I know he did too,” Haver said. “He is very responsible, and it was neat. It’s hard to find one-on-one opportunities as the 4H coordinator for the whole county. You don’t always have time, and so I really appreciate this opportunity. I am so glad that he won. He deserves it.” 

Levi said his plan is to continue growing his business while saving for college or football camp or whatever might come his way. He recommends the Pitch Challenge, but said that other kids might want to start out with a smaller 4-H project and ease their way in.  

“When I started with 4-H, my first year I did leathercraft. I did a couple of spur straps, which are harder than wallets. Then I did belts and more spur straps, and started getting my stuff to state,” Levi said. Now he and his family routinely travel to ranch rodeos to offer their products for sale.  

WYEN Director Michelle Sullivan said that the Alliance is proud to encourage young people as they develop valuable skills to help them excel today, and into the future. 

“Young people are truly making a difference in their communities. It was wonderful to see the diverse ways they answered the challenge to develop an idea for a business innovation or social solution,” Sullivan said. “It demonstrates that we develop wealth not only by growing our economy but through growing our connection to community.” 

For Levi, work will continue in his family’s workshop on the ranch. 

“I can get away from my brothers,” he smiled. “I pick my designs, or depending on what the client wants, I will make whatever they order.” 

This story is part of the series by Carrie Haderlie. Published August 12, 2021.

Mission: We bridge the gap between Wyoming’s out-of-school programs and the communities they uplift, fueling them with resources, support and opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, growth and connection.

WYOMING ENRICHMENT NETWORK

1472 N. 5th Street, Suite 201
Laramie, WY 82072
Phone: 307-721-8300

Cultivating Community and Growing Leaders 

Today we join the National Summer Learning Association to celebrate the power of Community & Leadership. Learning happens everywhere and young people thrive when they feel a sense of belonging and purpose. That’s why the Wyoming Enrichment Network supports programs and partnerships that build strong relationships and create meaningful leadership opportunities across the state. When we invest in the people and places that help youth grow, we help build a brighter future for all of Wyoming. 

Why is Community & Leadership Important?

Research from the Afterschool Alliance shows that when youth are given authentic opportunities to lead, they gain confidence, build communication skills, and deepen their sense of purpose. Near-peer mentorship is especially powerful. As STEM Next says, “STEM confidence is contagious." When youth see someone just a step ahead, they’re more likely to take that step themselves. 

Leadership in Action Across Wyoming

Wyoming 4-H helps youth explore leadership and civic engagement in fun, hands-on ways. At this year’s Showcase Showdown in Laramie, young people from across the state took part in contests, workshops, and tours—including a stick horse engineering challenge that brought together creativity, teamwork, and lots of laughs. Explore Wyoming 4-H Leadership & Civic Engagement>>  

COWGIRLS in STEM inspires youth to engage with STEM across Wyoming. At their Cheyenne camp this summer, young people worked in teams to imagine AI-powered robots that could help them in their daily lives—an activity that sparked both innovation and connection. Learn more about COWGIRLS in STEM>>

Learning Through Mentorship

At WYEN, we’re proud to support programs like the Summer STEM Fellowship and our High School Fellowship pilot with the Big Horn Basin Boost Program. These efforts empower students—from high schoolers to college undergrads—to design and lead hands-on learning experiences for younger youth in their communities. 

Nicole Porter, a graduate student in counseling at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, continues to apply what she learned as a Summer STEM Fellow and mentor. One key takeaway? The value of “volleyball conversations” that keep ideas moving and invite many voices. “It’s something I still use today,” she says. 

Spotlight: Download the ACRES STEM Facilitation and Learning Models. This simple three-page guide offers excellent ways to think about leading discussions in STEM. But it’s great for any subject! Click here.

When Nicole asked current Fellows what they love most about working with kids, the answers were heartfelt: Ashley and Jada spoke about relationship-building. Aidyn shared the joy of being outdoors and helping kids be themselves. Mia enjoys teaching STEM. Allison loves gardening with young people. Lauren appreciates seeing kids from the YES House unwind and connect. And Maisie? “They think out loud. No filter. It’s real.” 

Nicole Porter, a 2023 Summer STEM Fellow Alum: “I get as much out of this work as the kids do. I learn so much about myself through working with young people—and that’s a beautiful thing.”

The Big Horn Basin Boost Program is helping high school students become role models. Through a WYEN pilot project, high schoolers designed and led weeklong mini-camps for middle schoolers. They choose topics based on their own interests and career goals. One of the participants was John, a sophomore with interests in theater, the military, and video games. He wanted to focus his mini-camp on ways that gaming can foster friendship and teamwork. WYEN connected him with a professional game designer and together they discussed career pathways and strategies to engage middle schoolers through gaming. 

Try This! Activities for Programs and Families

Learn more about Youth Voice! The Afterschool Alliance Youth Voice Toolkit can help you explore the spectrum of youth voice work and tools and examples from partners at each level of youth involvement and best practices. Mizzen’s Ten Tips for Amplifying Youth Voice can help lead to more engaging and effective programs.

SPOTLIGHT: Get To Know You and Establish Group Norms is a 30-minute downloadable activity from the Search Institute designed to build trust between group members by exploring what members have in common and what makes them unique. This activity was popular with the Summer STEM Fellows! Click here.

Dig into the Leadership and Civic Engagement modules from Wyoming 4-H. The invite young people to "get started with a foundation in leadership that you can build upon over a lifetime!"

Learning to Give’s series “Open Doors to Your Community,” helps young people learn about the purpose of public safety while meeting people involved in their community. They have tips for visiting a fire station, a police station, and more! Each guide is a virtual door that leads young people to an actual door with ideas for engagement.   

Build a fort with WY Quality Counts and help young people learn practice collaboration. The instructions note that reflection can help develop those skills: “Talk to them about how they feel working with another person. Did it make them happy? Did they have fun?" The instructions are for younger kids, but the lesson could easily be adapted.

Keep Learning!

Want to see more? Visit wyoenrichmentnetwork.org/summer-sparks to explore other stories. Share your own summer learning experiences using #SummerLearningWeek and #ThriveBeyondTheBell.