What is 4-H?
4-H is a non-formal educational youth development program offered to individuals ages 5 - 19. Among the fun things to learn about in 4-H are animals, computers, public speaking, cooking, art, gardening, natural sciences and much more. Youth are involved in hands-on, experiential learning that allows learning by doing. All 4-H programs focus on active involvement and quality experiences which stimulate lifelong learning of values and skills. You can participate in 4-H in many ways - through clubs, camps, your school, and short term mprograms offered through your county or the state office.
Who Can Join 4-H?
Eligibility for 4-H memberhsip begins when a child is enrolled in kindergarten and is age 5 as of January 1 of the current year as Cloverbuds. Eligibility for participation in 4-H projects and competitive events begins when a child is age 8 and in third grade, which begins your 4-H Career as a Project Member. Any youth age 9 or above is eligible for project membership, regardless of grade level. Youth eligibility ends December 31 the year he or she turns 19. Membership begins when an eligible individual is enrolled in a club or group that is under the direction of a trained adult who has completed the Ohio State University Extension volunteer selection process, and that is within the scope of Ohio State University Extension.
What Can You Do in 4-H?
- Learn By Doing With Projects... more than 200 to choose from including rockets, electricity, cats, dogs, fishing, photography, bicycle, fitness, and MORE!
- Develop Life Skills... Leadership, communication, responsibility, time management, teamwork through club and community 4-H experiences.
- Make Friends and memories... at 4-H camp, clinics, workshops, trips, Junior Fair and in your 4-H CLUB!
4-H Membership Expectations
The expectations for 4-H membership are a balance among 4-H project work, involvement in the 4-H club, participation in 4-H activities and events, and working towards improving one's personal growth.
Parents seeking 4-H membership for their child in a county in which they do not reside should complete the Request for 4-H Membership Across County Lines form. It must be submitted to the county Extension 4-H professional in the county of request no later than 30 days prior to their 4-H membership enrollment deadline. That professional then contacts the 4-H professional in the county of residence, discusses the request, and makes a final decision. Please allow 30 days from submission for final notification.
What is a 4-H Project?
4-H projects are planned learning experiences and activities that focus on a particular topic. You can select from over 200 projects to enroll and participate in over the course of the year. The Family Guide gives an overview of each 4-H Project. In addition, you can check out all the 4-H projects online through 4-H Project Central. Families and advisors can purchase books directly in our office. Members select projects when completing their online enrollment. When registering on 4-H Online, take great care in entering the correct project numbers.
Members then complete project judging where they share what they have learned. Pending the project, this may happen in pre-fair judging with an interview or during the Meigs County Fair. Only youth who are enrolled by April 1 and have met all requirements are eligible for fair exhibition.
Overwhelmed by all of the choices? Take the quiz below!
Project Central is an easy way for 4-H members and project helps to preview Ohio 4-H project books and resources. Take a closer look at a book, find out what others have to say, and share your experiences.
Check out Project Central now!
If you cannot find a project for you, create your own! Find information about self-determined projects here.
How Do You Join a 4-H Club?
To participate as a Cloverbud or Project Member, the enrollment deadline is April 1st. The first step in joining is to find a club that works for your family. Contact one of Meigs County's 17 4-H clubs to join or start your own. Visit our Meigs County Club Directory to find contact information, meeting information, and more.
Things to consider when selecting a club is when and where do they meet? Do my children have friends in the club? What is the subject matter expertise of the volunteers? Youth can take any project in any club, but some clubs do have volunteers who have more knowledge in certain areas. Contact our office at 740-992-6696 for specific club information. Once you have decided on a club(s) that might be a possibility for you, call and ask the organizational club advisor if you can visit at their next club meeting. It is okay to visit more than one club before deciding which is the best club for you. Check out the drop down below to get more specific information about joining 4-H in Meigs County.
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The best time to join 4-H is in the fall or winter. The enrollment deadline for Meigs County is April 1, so you must be enrolled before that date to participate in Meigs County Fair and 4-H activities.
- Click here for a list of current Meigs County 4-H Clubs.
- When choosing a 4-H club, look for a club that meets during a time and in a place that works for your family’s schedule.
- If your child will be a Cloverbud (age five as of Jan. 1 of the current year and enrolled in kindergarten), be sure to select a club that accepts members within your child’s age range. 4-H project members must be age eight as of Jan. 1 of the current year and enrolled in third grade.
- Look for a club that supports members taking the types of projects your family is interested in (non-animal projects, sewing, livestock, dogs, horses, shooting sports, etc.).
- Once you’ve found a club that is a good fit for your family, contact the advisor to learn more about the club. For example, you may want to ask about the club’s meeting schedule, meeting location, participation/attendance requirements, club dues and fundraisers, club size, and what kind of involvement is expected from the members’ parents and/or guardians. You even can visit one of the club’s meetings or activities if you’d like.
- Once you’ve selected a club, make it official and enjoy the experience! Be sure to complete the online enrollment by following your club leader's instructions and viewing the 4H Online 2.0 Family Enrollment Guide. The deadline to add any projects is June 13.
If you can’t find a 4-H club that fits your family’s needs, maybe you should consider starting a club of your own! Contact 4-H Educator, Mackenzie Lowe, for more information on how to become a 4-H volunteer club advisor and start your own club. It’s an extremely rewarding experience!
What Does 4-H Cost?
County Activity Fee: $5.00 per Clovebud, Member, and Advisor. This fee helps cover 4-H events, scholarships, clinics, county-level cloverbud events, prefair judging, other awards and trips, and much more. Clubs are responsible for turning in the membership fee for the entire group on April 4, 2024, with all other club forms by check or money order. Please log all members and advisors on the registration fee worksheet linked here.
Project Fees: Minimum $8.00 project book fee with additional costs for supplies, materials, equipment, animals, etc. Project books and resource materials are available at the local extension office for the best deal, or you can purchase them directly from Ohio State University Publishing.
4-H Online Enrollment Help
4-H Online is Ohio 4-H's online enrollment system. This is how the 4-H Educator communicates with advisors and families, knows how many youths are enrolled in the program, and more! It is VERY important that youth and advisors enroll in 4-H Online. If you are not in the 4-H Online system, you are not a 4-H member! Starting in 2024, all enrollments will only be accepted through 4-H Online, we will not be accepting paper enrollments. Please contact the Extension Office for help and to find the email needed to access your 4-H Online account.
Click HERE to access 4-H Online.
Instruction guides for 4-H families and volunteers can be found on our 4-H Online Help Page.
The Winning 4-H Plan
The Winning 4-H Plan (W4HP) assists Extension professionals and volunteers by providing resources to aid them in developing accommodation plans to meet the needs of Ohio 4-H youth with disabilities. As a part of The Ohio State University, Ohio 4-H must make all aspects of 4-H, including programming, projects, facilities, and activities, accessible to people with disabilities. Access and inclusion are created with a combination of accessible programming, events, interactions, and spaces, with the goal of allowing the individual maximum independence and minimal intervention from others (such as advisors and educators). The learning and experiences that a member gains through 4-H are just as important, if not more important, as a “perfect” final project or a blue ribbon at the fair. Creating access is more than ensuring the member can attend 4-H events and fairs, it includes choosing an appropriate project, holding meetings and activities in accessible spaces, and including all members in all activities. To request a Winning 4-H Plan please use this form and contact Mackenzie Lowe at the Extension Office.
4-H Info
4-H Motto
"TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER"
The 4-H Motto refers to each member. It means that each member will do the "Best" that he/she possibly can in whatever is attempted. The member will then strive to improve the next time so his or her initial "Best" becomes "Better." The 4-H motto encourages members to stretch their abilities and capacities to reach greater achievement within their own potential.
4-H Pledge
"I pledge my Head to clearer thinking,
my Heart to greater loyalty,
my Hands to larger service, and
my Health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world."
4-H Colors
Green and White
Green is nature's most common color and represents youth, life, and growth. White symbolizes purity and high ideals.
4-H Emblem
The 4-H emblem is a highly valued mark within our country's history. As such it was granted a very unique status; it is in a category similar to the Presidential Seal and the Olympic emblem. It is protected by the federal government and is under the responsibility and stewardship of the Secretary of Agriculture. The "18 USC 707" marking that appears along the right lower left is coding that protects the use of the clover.
