FAQs

4-H is an informal education program for young people ages 5-18, where youth ages 5-8 are considered "Cloverbuds" and have custom curriculum/activities for their age. 

4-H programs are designed for youth and led by youth. Program topics generally fall into the 4 Pillars of 4-H: STEM, Agriculture, Civic Engagement, and Healthy Living, but can be about almost anything!

4-H gives youth the chance to learn new things, develop new skills, travel to new places, and make new friends! 4-H programs are led with youth and by youth, both giving young people leadership experience while also making 4-H activities about what youth are most interested in! 

Can't find clubs or programs in town or school that you're interested in? Start your own 4-H Club! 4-H Clubs can be about almost anything -- photography, cooking, skateboarding, finances, gardening, leadership, etc. 4-H is all about finding your spark and building you up! 

A club is a group of 5 or more young people led by a trained adult leader. Clubs meet at least 6 times a year for at least 1-hour long sessions. Clubs can focus on one topic or cover several. Each club member takes on one or more 4-H projects for the year. Members build leadership by electing club officers (President, VP, etc.) and conducting their club business together. Members get to work together on community service activities, meet new friends, and have fun! 

4-H Projects are challenging, but practical planned courses of study with learning experiences centered on a specific subject. 4-H members will usually work on a project (subject area) for a year. Hands-on learning is the most important aspect of a project. Members complete one or more learning experiences related to the project during the year. Club leaders, teen leaders, and parents may tell or show a member how, but members are expected to learn to do things themselves. 

Here are some examples of projects (subject areas) and possible learning experiences that could go into that project: 

Clothing: Learn to sew on a button and teach my club at a club meeting. Do a clothing inventory before school shopping. Begin to do my own laundry and learn how to sort and pre-treat stains. 

Aerospace: Learn the principles of rocket propulsion by experimenting with bottle rockets. Build a level 2 model rocket and have it ready for launch. Learn safety rules for model rocketry and practice them at my bottle rocket and model rocket launches. 

Communication: Do an educational presentation related to [another 4-H project] for my club. Design a 4-H recruitment poster and put it up in a local bank. Write an article about our 4-H club community service project for the local newspaper. 

Visual Art: Create a portfolio of colored pencil sketches to exhibit at a local county fair. Make holiday decorations from natural materials. Lead a club workshop on the elements of design. 

Reach out to your 4-H Agent (contact information on the Join 4-H page) to learn more about our current clubs, or to start a new club. To start a club, you will need at least 5 interested youth and 2 adult volunteers willing to support the club, but you can still reach out to the 4-H office and work together to recruit in the meantime! 

To join 4-H Camp, go to the Programs page for more information/updates, or visit the FAA Camp website.

4-H Clubs are low-cost or no-cost; some clubs have small club dues to help fund club activities, but club members will never be excluded from a club because they cannot pay. Club leaders and your 4-H Agent are happy to work with youth and their parents to make sure they can participate.

4-H Camp is a huge undertaking and does come with a cost to attend. Scholarships for camp are sometimes available -- reach out to your 4-H Agent to inquire.

No! 4-H is for all youth regardless of where they live. 4-H serves youth from all backgrounds and interests, both in urban and rural areas.

Volunteer leaders are the backbone of the 4-H program. They are adults who work voluntarily with a group of 4-H members. Volunteers go through an application and screening process before they are enrolled as leaders. Additionally, volunteers receive training in skills they will need to become successful 4-H volunteers. 

Reach out to your 4-H Agent (contact information on the Join 4-H page) to discuss volunteer opportunities with 4-H. After completing the application process and background check screening, you will be enrolled as a volunteer and trained. 

Yes! 4-H volunteers can serve one time, short-term, or long-term, depending on what you are willing/able to give and what program opportunities are available at a given time.