4-H Clubs

What is a 4-H Club?

• 4-H is a Youth Development program under Cornell Cooperative Extension.4-H provides opportunities through a variety of delivery methods.We offer community & special interest clubs, special interest programs such as 4-H Shooting Sports, and school enrichment.

• A 4-H club is an organized group of boys & girls supported by volunteer leaders. The club conducts meetings & activities throughout the year.All 4-H volunteer leaders are trained & screened by staff.

• Clubs may be categorized in a variety of ways—community clubs, special interest clubs, or after school clubs.

• A typical 4-H club has a minimum of five members from more than one family.

• The club determines how often they meet.Clubs may only have a couple of business meetings per year but have additional meetings where the members work on their projects or go on a field trip.

• Each member MUST complete one project during the course of the year

• Projects are when subject matter skills taught through hands-on experiences.Learning to prepare meals, plant a garden & raise an animal are just a few examples. There are opportunities for building STEM, Healthy Living, Citizenship, & Leadership skills.

• Each club MUST complete a single community service project.

• The annual fee is $5 per youth or $10 per family (these are paid to the Cornell Cooperative Extension office and cover the cost of printing the newsletter and secondary insurance)

• Washington County 4-H program does offer individual membership for youth whose club has disbanded or there is no available club in their area that meets their interests and age level.

• In addition to club participation, Washington County 4-H offers many other opportunities:
  • Animal Sciences skillathons
  • Public Presentations
  • 4-H Tractor & ATV Safety
  • 4-H Shooting Sports
  • 4-H Teen Council
  • State & National trips

• 4-H offers youth the opportunity to form positive relationships with others, develop citizenship, leadership & life skills, build competence & confidence, give back to the community, have fun, and make new friends. All of these create supportive learning environments in which diverse youth can reach their fullest potential.

Last updated November 3, 2022