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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Preparing Youth for Success

In Ohio 4-H, we empower youth with the skills they need to lead for a lifetime! 4-H inspires curiosity, builds lifelong skills, fuels adventure, and grows leaders through fun, hands-on activities, that include clubs, projects, service, and camps. Kids can be a 4-H project member when they are 8 and in the third grade, and they can participate in competitive events like projects and judging at county fairs. 4-H project members select from 200+ projects based on their interest—what we call sparks in 4-H. 

Younger children age 5 and in kindergarten are Cloverbuds who enjoy group-centered, non-competitive activities until they are eligible to be a project member. All 4-H members engage in hands-on learning in clubs, camps, and other settings with approved adult volunteers. 4-H volunteers are critical to the success of the 4-H program and undergo a thorough selection process. 

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the 4-H program and/or would like to talk more about becoming a 4-H volunteer, contact us today! 

You also can learn more about all OSU Extension 4-H youth development programs at ohio4h.org

The Licking County 4-H Youth Development Program serves over 4200 youth through community clubs, school programs, and camp activities with the assistance of more than 530 adult and teen volunteers. Let us help you make the connection with positive youth development opportunities in Licking County!

Please give us a call at 740-670-5315 or drop us an email if you have questions or if we can be of assistance in any way.

Lisa McCutcheon

 

Lisa McCutcheon
Extension Educator
4-H Youth Development

 

The 4-H Pledge:
I pledge...
My head to clearer thinking
My heart to greater loyalty
My hands to larger service
My health to better living
For my club, my community, my country and my world.

Fun Facts:

Head-1902 A.B. Graham had the first club meeting of the Agriculture Experiment Club on January 15, 1902, in Springfield Ohio.  O.J. Kern of Illinois held the first meeting of the Farmer Boys’ Experiment Club on February 22, 1902, 38 days after A.B. Grahams meeting.  

Health-1908 The first 4-H emblem was designed as a three-leaf emblem.  The three H’s stood for Head, Heart, and Hands.  The fourth H was added and stood for Hustle, years later the fourth H stands for Health.  In 2015, 246 4-H members, (12 from Ohio) came together to learn about health at the 2016 National Youth Summit on Healthy Living at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Hands-1929 Seven 4-H Club Pigs were aboard Commander Byrd’s South Pole Expedition, kept aboard for breeding purposes to supply the pork needed for the expedition party during their stay in the South Pole Region.  In 2015 the most popular individual project was Market Hog with over 12,287 youth in Ohio participating, and not one of those pigs went to the South Pole!

Heart-1982 Past Ohio 4-H Foundation Board Member and founder of Bob Evans Farms, Bob Evans was inducted into the Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame.  Once quoted as saying that the “only thing better than sausage is 4-H.”  Bob Evans Farms remains an active supporter of 4-H in the state of Ohio and recently held the Be4Ag community fundraiser.


Ohio 4-H Youth Development Statistics

Special Needs Accommodations

Accommodations can be made for youth with disabilities through our Winning 4-H Plan. Visit ohio4h.org/about/join-4-h#winning-plan for more information and to download the request form.


Extension has been helping all Ohioans build better lives, better businesses and better communities since 1914.