What is 4-H??

[PeacefulChaos]

I'm sure that sounds ridiculous lol... to not really know what 4H is.  :P

I've looked at the website and I still don't get it.  What IS it?  What do they do?  

I also haven't found much info re: 4-H in our area, which is frustrating.  That's the norm around here, though - no one puts stuff up online because I guess they assume no one will look at it or something.  Idk.  I hate it, though.

Anyway, I'm just really curious.  I see people say that their kids are involved in 4-H and I just don't know what that MEANS lol!!! :lol:  More than anything I'm just trying to figure out if it's something my kids would be interested in!!

Thanks!  :D  :bigear:

[bolt.]

I gather it's a kids/teens group focused on farm-like skills. It's flexible and parent/kid led, so there's a lot of variety.

[kitten18]

I gather it's a kids/teens group focused on farm-like skills. It's flexible and parent/kid led, so there's a lot of variety.

What they focus on depends on where you live.

Where I live, they do surfing, not farming.

[kitten18]

I'm sure that sounds ridiculous lol... to not really know what 4H is. :P

I've looked at the website and I still don't get it. What IS it? What do they do?

I also haven't found much info re: 4-H in our area, which is frustrating. That's the norm around here, though - no one puts stuff up online because I guess they assume no one will look at it or something. Idk. I hate it, though.

Anyway, I'm just really curious. I see people say that their kids are involved in 4-H and I just don't know what that MEANS lol!!! :lol: More than anything I'm just trying to figure out if it's something my kids would be interested in!!

Thanks! :D :bigear:

4-H is usually (always?) run through the county extension department, try the county website.

[LMV]

4-H is a national youth development program. At the local, county level 4-H clubs do projects in pretty much everything from animals, environmental, science & technology, and the more traditional sewing, cooking, etc.  The overseeing body at the state level is usually the state extension service through the state land grant university (ie. Penn State, Purdue, Cornell, etc).  

 

Here is the national link: http://www.4-h.org/

 

If you have more specific questions feel free to ask.  DH and I were both involved with 4-H at various levels ourselves and have both led local clubs and served on advisory boards in a few different states.  

[Jane in NC]

Another fan of 4-H here.  In fact, even though my college aged son has out grown the program, I continue to volunteer.

 

In some areas, 4-H focuses on after-school or in-school programs, but the tradition of 4-H has been the Club. Some clubs have a focus (robotics, rocketry, sewing); other clubs vary their activities over time.  In my area there is a horse club even though few of the members of the club own horses.  My county 4-H office (through Cooperative Extension as previously noted) runs a popular summer fun program.  There are numerous leadership and community service oriented opportunities for teens--many of which are low cost or no cost. 

 

My son was an active 4-Her who won numerous district and state awards--many with cash attached.  He also earned a 4-H college scholarship.

[Word Nerd]

4-H is a youth development organization that focuses on hands-on, project-based learning. It is not only for farm kids or rural families. There are a lot of opportunities for public speaking, leadership, and citizenship. If you do a Google search for "[your state] 4-H" you should find more information and contacts for your county or district Extension Office. You can search for clubs near you as well as find lists of the project areas available in your state (it varies by location). The state 4-H websites usually provide more specific information than the main 4-H.org one.

[J-rap]

We were in it for about a year before I understood it better! haha  :)  I'm sure 4H has a very exact definition they would use to describe what they do, but I'll describe it in layperson's terms. 

 

It is a club for boys and girls that gets them involved in various projects, the community, and the fair.

 

I'm pretty sure it began mostly for farm kids.  But at least in small towns, there are lots of "city folk" involved too.

 

They usually have meetings once/month.  There is usually a club leader, but the meetings are student-run.  Some clubs get involved in bigger, community service-type projects.  But, my understanding is that its biggest emphasis is on independent projects that the student does on their own throughout the year.  They choose these projects based on various categories that 4H has.  Examples of these categories are: fine arts, photography, gardening, machines, animals, cooking and a hundred other things. 

 

Some 4H groups are big enough that they even offer classes to assist in these projects.  Ours wasn't, so our projects were totally independent.  It was great because we could combine school projects with 4H projects.  Examples of projects my kids did:  made brownies, diagrammed the digestive system of a cow on a poster, built a miniature sod house, knitted a dish cloth, planted and maintained a flower pot, planted carrots in our garden, photography, paintings, and lots more.

 

Kids enter their projects in their own county fair (and you can enter as many as you want, I believe; my kids usually did 5 or so each year but we know of kids who would do up to 25!)  to be judged.  If they score high enough, then it is entered in your state's State Fair, if it has one.  There, it will be judged again.  That can be pretty exciting!  Some state fairs have a dormitory where the kids have the option of staying overnight.  Ours did, and it was a wholesome and kind of old-fashioned experience for them;  they enjoyed it.

 

Sometimes 4H groups will prepare little skits for big 4H gatherings (in our area it was called "Share the Fun" I think).  There are also 4H camps kids can attend where they have the opportunity to do lots of fun projects, play games, and meet 4Hers from other areas.

 

There is sometimes an emphasis on keeping up a record detailing your projects, and it is required to turn in those records at some point.  (Our club had that part optional.)  Some clubs have special events yearly.  For example, our club did have a fashion show where the kids who sewed projects would model what they sewed.  It was fun.  It was not at all showy or glitzy, just a nice, simple way for kids to display what they sewed. 

 

Oh I forgot to mention that one of the funnest things my kids did was training their dog and showing him in the 4H dog show that was run in conjunction with our county fair.  Our 4H group did provide dog training sessions to help prepare them for this. 

 

Our kids enjoyed this from about the ages 8-12.  After that, they got too busy with other things.  What I really liked about it is that all five of my kids could be in it together, attend the meetings together, etc.  As opposed to girl scouts or boy scouts where every club is separated according to age and gender, which would have meant a lot more running around for our family!

 

We have fond memories of 4H.  We were town-folks so never had a chance to show crops or horses like some kids did, but my kids always had fun with their projects.

[Aspasia]

I'm sure that sounds ridiculous lol... to not really know what 4H is.  :P

I've looked at the website and I still don't get it.  What IS it?  What do they do?  

I also haven't found much info re: 4-H in our area, which is frustrating.  That's the norm around here, though - no one puts stuff up online because I guess they assume no one will look at it or something.  Idk.  I hate it, though.

Anyway, I'm just really curious.  I see people say that their kids are involved in 4-H and I just don't know what that MEANS lol!!! :lol:  More than anything I'm just trying to figure out if it's something my kids would be interested in!!

Thanks!  :D  :bigear:

My experience has been very similar. The 4-H website doesn't do a very good job of explaining their program, and the local groups are even worse about "divulging" information. I've looked at our extension website and it's just as useless. It's so strange to me that an organization so old and so popular is so bad at getting out information to prospective members.

[Aspasia]

We were in it for about a year before I understood it better! haha :) I'm sure 4H has a very exact definition they would use to describe what they do, but I'll describe it in layperson's terms.

 

It is a club for boys and girls that gets them involved in various projects, the community, and the fair.

 

I'm pretty sure it began mostly for farm kids. But at least in small towns, there are lots of "city folk" involved too.

 

They usually have meetings once/month. There is usually a club leader, but the meetings are student-run. Some clubs get involved in bigger, community service-type projects. But, my understanding is that its biggest emphasis is on independent projects that the student does on their own throughout the year. They choose these projects based on various categories that 4H has. Examples of these categories are: fine arts, photography, gardening, machines, animals, cooking and a hundred other things.

 

Some 4H groups are big enough that they even offer classes to assist in these projects. Ours wasn't, so our projects were totally independent. It was great because we could combine school projects with 4H projects. Examples of projects my kids did: made brownies, diagrammed the digestive system of a cow on a poster, built a miniature sod house, knitted a dish cloth, planted and maintained a flower pot, planted carrots in our garden, photography, paintings, and lots more.

 

Kids enter their projects in their own county fair (and you can enter as many as you want, I believe; my kids usually did 5 or so each year but we know of kids who would do up to 25!) to be judged. If they score high enough, then it is entered in your state's State Fair, if it has one. There, it will be judged again. That can be pretty exciting! Some state fairs have a dormitory where the kids have the option of staying overnight. Ours did, and it was a wholesome and kind of old-fashioned experience for them; they enjoyed it.

 

Sometimes 4H groups will prepare little skits for big 4H gatherings (in our area it was called "Share the Fun" I think). There are also 4H camps kids can attend where they have the opportunity to do lots of fun projects, play games, and meet 4Hers from other areas.

 

There is sometimes an emphasis on keeping up a record detailing your projects, and it is required to turn in those records at some point. (Our club had that part optional.) Some clubs have special events yearly. For example, our club did have a fashion show where the kids who sewed projects would model what they sewed. It was fun. It was not at all showy or glitzy, just a nice, simple way for kids to display what they sewed.

 

Oh I forgot to mention that one of the funnest things my kids did was training their dog and showing him in the 4H dog show that was run in conjunction with our county fair. Our 4H group did provide dog training sessions to help prepare them for this.

 

Our kids enjoyed this from about the ages 8-12. After that, they got too busy with other things. What I really liked about it is that all five of my kids could be in it together, attend the meetings together, etc. As opposed to girl scouts or boy scouts where every club is separated according to age and gender, which would have meant a lot more running around for our family!

 

We have fond memories of 4H. We were town-folks so never had a chance to show crops or horses like some kids did, but my kids always had fun with their projects.

This might be the best, most thorough 4-H info I've ever come across. ;)

 

Honestly, I'm thinking I might start my own club when dd hits age 8. The clubs around us are highly specialized, and we're just not ready to specialize yet. I like the idea of a more general club like jjhat described, where the kids can dabble in lots of different types of projects.

[Jane in NC]

Part of the problem is that there is a sort of 4-H lingo that makes sense once you are involved.  Project Record books were always a basic part of our 4-H experience.  The 4-H website may have general information on that topic, but it does not necessarily clue what is involved for a kid of a certain age.  So ask your agent!

 

Also, each state operates a little differently--same with each county.  The latter is particularly true because the needs of each county vary with geography as well as offerings from other organizations. For example, in some rural counties, FFA might be have more going on for teens that 4-H.  We found 4-H support for our robotics club, a First Lego League group, ten years ago.  At the time, there were some science museums in NC that had First Lego League teams, a few after school groups.  4-H with its focus on science (not just animal husbandry or horticulture!) is a perfect fit for this sort of thing.

[shanvan]

Part of the reason it is hard to find a good definition is b/c the organization is run a little differently in each state.  Then within the state the clubs available vary and the way the clubs are run varies.  My friend's citizenship club meets one evening a month.  Our club meets twice a month and some clubs meet every week.  We know of clubs that only allow new members to join during a specific time of year too, though our club has no such restrictions.

 

Our county has an art club, drama club, robotics, citizenship, many horse and small animal clubs, a shooting sports club, and more.  We are part of the dog club and Dh and I were crazy enough to sign on as leaders this year.  Club meetings are run differently depending on the club too.  We have brief meetings to go over business at each meeting and spend most of our time on dog training.  The horse club we were in for 2 years had meetings strictly for making business decisions, recruiting volunteers, listening to presentations, and planning events and community service.  Every club is required to have a community service project every year.  We collect donations or the animal shelter and have taken our dogs to a local nursing home to perform agility.

 

It took us a good year to understand how it all works and our family has been in the forefront of explaining to new members how everything works.  Kids can be in our club and come and go attending meetings as they are able, but to be eligible for county/state awards and to take part in statewide events they must attend 70% of meetings, submit a record book of their year, and give a public presentation on a topic of their choosing at the club level (which means they do it at a club meeting, though my kids present at the county level at our extension office every year, and Ds who is old enough also presents at a state university every year for state presentations).

 

4H provides a lot of leadership training and practice on many different levels.  Even a shy kid can usually handle being secretary of the club and there are a lot of club leadership roles available.  Ds has been the president of our club for 3 years and Dd has been the club reporter submitting articles to the county newsletter 4 times a year.  In addition to club officer roles, 4H also has many leadership roles on state and national levels and sends many high school kids to Washington DC every year.  

 

The best way to find out what clubs are available is to contact your county extension office.  Then call the leaders of a club you are interested in for more information.

[Bambam]

4-H can be many different things. You can learn (hopefully) parliamentary procedure with the kids themselves running the meetings. There are many different projects and your 4-Her can be involved in as many as they chose - from Fashion, to Livestock, to Photography, to Leadership, to Food/Nutrition, to many more. The kids run for and are elected as club officers. The local 4-H agent may offer workshops in various project areas or the 4-H moms/dads may offer workshops. Many counties (at least in TX) have county contests for different projects before you advance to a district contest. Seniors who place high in those contests are eligible to go to State Roundup. Intermediates (11-13) can go to State Roundup in a few contests. 

 

Kids are encouraged here to complete a record book which lists your accomplishments, goals, story of your 4-H career, a listing of your community service, awards, non-4-H involvement, career/college planning. It is basically a nice record of what you did (also very useful for common college app and scholarship applications).

 

Basically the kids are encouraged to pick a project (say sewing) and learn more about that and try to accomplish real activities with that project. Last year our club had several kids compete in Fashion Showcase in the Construction Category, they made storyboards, did a community service project of sewing tote bags for a local charity that distributes clothes and needed items for adoption placements. The 4-Hers are considering holding sewing camp this upcoming summer to teach kids basic sewing skills as well as offering an advanced sewing skills class. During the camp, the campers would make a project that utilized those basic skills but was also something they would enjoy making and use later.

 

4-H can be great, but I agree that it is tough to get the information in an understandable form. We've joked that it is like a secret society and that if they told us, then they would have to ... you know.

 

Best thing to do to get real information is find someone in your county that is already involved and ask them.

 

[teachermom2834]

We tried to join 4H once and quit because we just couldn't understand it.  Glad we are not alone. I don't feel quite as stupid now.

 

We tried again and floundered around for a year and then my oldest went to a week long 4H activity and then he "got it".  He was hooked and he understood it.  My advice would be that it is one of those things that you kind of have to jump in and figure it out as you go.  Our 4H is very low key and doesn't require a big commitment so it is easy to join and kind of observe and just do a few things.  But, the more things you do the more you will get plugged in and understand.  We started out as reluctant 4Hers because we are city people and we just didn't understand.  Now we really like it.  I would encourage you to give it a try.  Our 4H is very general and most kids can find a project area that fits with activities they are already involved with.  I don't think we even know anyone who does any of the farming projects.  Our group has tech kids and crafty kids mostly and most kids take advantage of the public speaking, leadership, citizenship opportunities. 

 

My high schooler has been to a few overnight conferences and retreats now and he always comes home really inspired and motivated and with a sense of purpose.  I'm still not sure exactly what goes on at those but he comes home happy and motivated.

[happyWImom]

Another fan, here.  We love 4-H.  It has helped with my dc's confidence & leadership skills, and our group is very close.  We have at least 6 homeschooling families in ours, and I know of 2 other clubs that are strictly homeschool 4-H clubs.  As the other ladies have said, they really do vary both because they are different in each state and county, but also each club has their own set of "By-Laws", and they determine a lot.  I'm not sure of the specifics, but I think it is fairly easy to start up your own club if you aren't happy with any that you have access to.  Definitely find out what the reputation is of any club you're interested in.  A lot depends on individual members interests.  For instance we have some in our area that mainly have "horse people" or animals, etc...  If that's what you're into, and you're new, you would want one that have veterans who can help you out.  I could go on & on, but I think everyone else has pretty much covered it.

[Word Nerd]

Part of the problem is that there is a sort of 4-H lingo that makes sense once you are involved. Project Record books were always a basic part of our 4-H experience. The 4-H website may have general information on that topic, but it does not necessarily clue what is involved for a kid of a certain age. So ask your agent!

.

I agree. I don't understand what is so confusing or unclear about the website, but I was in 4-H for 11 years myself. I'm sure there are things that I wouldn't even think twice about that may not make sense to those who are completely unfamiliar with the organization. Maybe you can't really "get it" until you try it out and see how it works from experience.