Mamre Merrymakers

4-H is the largest out of school youth organization in the United States with over 7 million youth members. There is Cooperative Extension staff responsible for 4-H programs in every county and city - so there's probably a 4-H program near you. Whether you live in a city, suburb or rural area, there's something for you in 4-H.

In most states, you can join 4-H if you are between the ages of 8-18. Some areas have special age-appropriate programs designed especially for younger kids. Check with your Cooperative Extension office to find out what projects and activities are available for youth your age.

Your Cooperative Extension office can help you to find a local club or program that's right for you. Or, it's easy to start a new club with some of your friends or other interested young people and a few adults willing to help.

Be a 4-H Volunteer

Adult volunteers play an important role in the 4-H program. Volunteers coordinate local community clubs and help to plan and conduct local, regional, state and national 4-H events. Over 500,000 teen and adult volunteers share their time and talents with 4-H youth. Call your local Cooperative Extension office to learn about how to apply and receive training to be a 4-H volunteer.

Use the CSREES Cooperative Extension System Offices Web page to find the office near you.

See also...
Military 4-H Programs
State 4-H Web sites
4-H Enrollment Statistics

4-H didn't really start in one time or place. It began around the start of the 20th century in the work of several people in different parts of the United States who were concerned about young people.

The seed of the 4-H idea of practical and “hands-on” learning came from the desire to make public school education more connected to country life. Early programs tied both public and private resources together for the purpose of helping rural youth.

During this time, researchers at experiment stations of the land-grant college system and USDA saw that adults in the farming community did not readily accept new agricultural discoveries. But, educators found that youth would "experiment" with these new ideas and then share their experiences and successes with the adults.

So rural youth programs became a way to introduce new agriculture technology to the adults. A.B. Graham started one such youth program in Ohio in 1902. It is considered the birth of the 4-H program in the U.S. When Congress created the Cooperative Extension Service at USDA in 1914, it included boys' and girls' club work. This soon became known as 4-H clubs - Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.

Nearing its 50th anniversary, 4-H began to undergo several changes. In 1948, a group of American young people went to Europe, and a group of Europeans came to the United States on the first International Farm Youth Exchange. Since then, thousands of young people have participated in 4-H out-of-state trips and international exchanges. 4-H began to extend into urban areas in the 1950's.

Later, the basic 4-H focus became the personal growth of the member. Life skills development was built into 4-H projects, activities and events to help youth become contributing, productive, self-directed members of society. The organization changed in the 1960's, combining 4-H groups divided by gender or race into a single integrated program.

You can learn more about 4-H history with this 4-H timeline (PDF). You can also visit the 4-H Centennial Web site history section, which includes historic 4-H photographs and songs.