BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. -- When you think of a place teaching children life skills like leadership, responsibility and public speaking, you don't typically think of rabbit club, but that's exactly where we found Isabella Fantazzi learning those lessons.

"I've been in 4H for five to six years now," said Isabella Fantazzi.

"It helps them to gain knowledge working with their rabbits, and they are now into doing rabbit agility and its something new to me and the group," said Greg Stevens from Saratoga County 4-H.

Rabbit agility consists of children taking their prized pets and teaching them to run around obstacle courses. And money from the Stewart's Holiday Match will help the Saratoga County students compete in the activity on a national level.

"I just love spending time with the rabbits. I love being able to go out and teach people about the rabbit, especially the Beverin. They are a heritage breed and are extinct in parts of the country. I like to go to the state fair and walk around with the rabbit, and talk with people about the breed and rabbits in general," said Fantazzi.

The children also show their rabbits at the local and state fairs, which includes learning about the breed and rabbit health and working with the animal to teach it how to behave in public.

"We currently have 50 clubs and a little over 900 students youth in Matt doing everything as far as life skills," said Stevens.

For more info, please visit: http://ccesaratoga.org/4-h