4-H — Mediated Wiki

{{Short description|Youth development organization}} {{Redirect|4H||4H (disambiguation)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Multiple issues| {{more citations needed|date=November 2025}} {{cleanup reorganize|date=November 2025}} {{verifiability|date=November 2025}} }} {{Infobox organization | image = 4H Emblem.svg | image_border = | image_size = 170px | caption = Official 4-H emblem | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | abbreviation = | formation = 1912–1914 | extinction = | type = [[Youth organization]] | status = Federal governmental program administered through [[Land-grant university]] system in each state and territory | purpose = "Engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." | headquarters = [[Washington, DC]] | region_served = United States (affiliated programs worldwide) | num_members = 6.5 million members in the United States, ages 5 to 21 | main_organ = [[National Institute of Food and Agriculture]] (NIFA) | parent_organization = [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) | affiliations = [[Land-grant university]] system, National 4-H Council | num_staff = | num_volunteers = | budget = | website = {{URL|https://www.nifa.usda.gov/4-h}} }}

'''4-H''' is a national youth development program administered by the [[Cooperative Extension System (United States)|Cooperative Extension System]] under the [[National Institute of Food and Agriculture]] (NIFA) and [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=4-H (organization) {{!}} Research Starters {{!}} EBSCO Research |url=https://www.ebsco.com/ |access-date=23 October 2025 |website=EBSCO}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=4-H: USDA's Youth Development Program |url=https://www.nifa.usda.gov/4-h |access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref> 4-H provides educational opportunities for youth related to agriculture, STEM, healthy living, and civic engagement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 September 2025 |title=4-H Learning |url=https://www.nifa.usda.gov/4-h/national-headquarters/learning |access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Brittany |date=5 October 2023 |title=Head, Heart, Hands, and Health: A Short History of 4-H |url=https://www.morningagclips.com/head-heart-hands-and-health-a-short-history-of-4-h/ |access-date=23 October 2025 |website=Morning Ag Clips}}</ref> The name of 4-H refers to the organization's focus on developing four personal qualities among youth: ''Head, Heart, Hands,'' and ''Health.<ref name=":1" />''<ref>{{Cite web |title=4-H Emblem |url=https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/Clover/ |access-date=23 October 2025 |website=4-hhistorypreservation.com}}</ref> The mission of 4-H is "to provide meaningful opportunities for all youth and adults to work together to create sustainable community change."<ref>{{Cite web |title=National 4-H Partners Memorandum of Understanding |url=https://www.aplu.org/wp-content/uploads/ecop-national-4h-partners-mou.pdf |access-date= |website=aplu.org}}</ref> 4-H is the United States' largest youth development organization with over six million members nationwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=4-H Overview |url=https://4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/26143352/2019-Alumni-Study-Findings-1.3.20.pdf |access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref>

4-H operates as a partnership between federal, state, and local authorities. Federal leadership is provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). State-level leadership is provided by each state's land-grant university. Local 4-H programs are facilitated through county-based Extension staff.<ref name=":0" />

==History== [[File:4Hcows.jpg|4-H boys showing prize heifers at a 4-H Fair in [[Charleston, West Virginia]], 1921|thumb]] [[File:University of Florida African American Home Demonstration Agents 1933.jpg|thumb|4-H Home demonstration agents in [[Florida]] in 1933]] [[File:4-H Club Member Storing Food Grown in Her Garden Rockbridge County Virginia.jpg|thumb|4-H Club member storing food she canned from her garden, [[Rockbridge County, Virginia]], c. 1942]]

The foundations of 4-H began in 1902 with the work of several people in different parts of the United States. The focal point of 4-H has been the idea of practical and hands-on learning, which came from the desire to make public school education more connected to rural life. Early programs incorporated both public and private resources. 4-H was founded with the purpose of instructing rural youth in improved farming and farm-homemaking practices. By the 1970s, it was broadening its goals to cover a full range of youth, including minorities, and a wide range of life experiences.<ref>Rosenberg, 2015.</ref><ref>Franklin M. Reck, ''The 4-H story a history of 4-H club work'' (1951) </ref>

[[File:4-H Forestry Program - DPLA - 7c23d0ed7a79bf3fc886a1624ead92ae3379.pdf|page=1|thumb|right|A brochure for the 4-H Forestry Program]]

During this time, researchers at experiment stations of the [[Land-grant university|land-grant universities]] and USDA saw that adults in the farming community did not readily accept new agricultural discoveries. However, educators found that youth would experiment with these new ideas and then share their experiences and successes with the adults. As a result, rural youth programs became a way to introduce new [[Timeline of agriculture and food technology|agriculture technology]] to the adults.

Historians do not credit one sole founder. <ref>The Father of Wisconsin 4-H. The Ransom Asa Moore Story, Author: Gleason, Marjorie and William, Publication: 1989 Accurate Publishing & Printing Inc., pg. 9</ref> Instances of work with rural boys and girls can be found all throughout the 19th century. In the spring of 1882, [[Delaware College]] announced a statewide corn contest for boys, in which each boy was to plant a quarter of an acre, according to instructions sent out from the college, and cash prizes, certificates, and subscriptions to the ''[[American Agriculturist]]'' were rewarded.<ref>The Father of Wisconsin 4-H. The Ransom Asa Moore Story, Author: Gleason, Marjorie and William, Publication: 1989 Accurate Publishing & Printing Inc., pg. 10</ref>

In 1892, in an effort to improve the Kewaunee County Fair, [[Ransom Asa Moore]], the president of the Kewaunee Fair, the Agricultural Society, and Superintendent of the [[Kewaunee County]] Schools in [[Wisconsin]], organized a "youth movement", which he called "Young People's Contest Clubs", in which he solicited the support of 6,000 young farm folks to produce and exhibit fruits, vegetables, and livestock.<ref>Kewaunee Enterprise, 26 February 1941, "Death Takes Prof. Moore"</ref> The fairs were quite successful.<ref name="ReferenceA">The Father of Wisconsin 4-H. The Ransom Asa Moore Story, Author: Gleason, Marjorie and William, Publication: 1989 Accurate Publishing & Printing Inc.</ref> In 1904, while working for the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]] and trying to repeat what he had accomplished in Kewaunee County over a decade before but with different intentions, "Daddy" R.A. Moore convinced R.H. Burns, then Superintendent of Schools of [[Richland County, Wisconsin]], to have the Richland County Boys and Girls organize and assist in a corn-project activity to help market and distribute improved seeds to the farmers in the state of Wisconsin (and beyond).<ref name="ReferenceA" />

[[A. B. Graham]] began one of the youth programs in [[Clark County, Ohio]], in 1902, which is also considered one of the births of the 4-H program in the United States. The first club was called "The Tomato Club" or the "Corn Growing Club". T.A. "Dad" Erickson of Douglas County, Minnesota, started local agricultural after-school clubs and fairs also in 1902. [[Jessie Field Shambaugh]] developed the clover pin with an H on each leaf in 1910, and, by 1912, they were called 4-H clubs.<ref name="longden">Longden, Tom. [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20080626080048/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/FAMOUSIOWANS/41221015 Famous Iowans: Jessie Field Shambaugh.] ''[[Des Moines Register]]''</ref> Early 4-H programs in Colorado began with youth instruction offered by college agricultural agents as early as 1910, as part of the outreach mission of the Colorado land grant institutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lib2.colostate.edu/archives/findingaids/agriculture/acfh.html|title=Guide to the Records of the Colorado 4-H|first=Patricia|last=Rettig|website=lib2.colostate.edu}}</ref>

The national 4-H organization was formed in 1914, when the [[United States Congress]] created the [[Cooperative Extension Service]] of the USDA by passage of the [[Smith-Lever Act of 1914]], it included within the CES charter the work of various boys' and girls' clubs involved with agriculture, home economics and related subjects.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/NALWeb/Agricola_Link.asp?Accession=CAT30984128 |title=Compilation of early correspondence and publications related to Boys' and Girls' Club Work produced by the United States Department of Agriculture |publisher=National Agricultural Library Digital Repository |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614104131/http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/NALWeb/Agricola_Link.asp?Accession=CAT30984128 |archive-date=14 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Smith-Lever Act formalized the 4-H programs and clubs that began in the midwestern region of the United States. Although different activities were emphasized for boys and girls, 4-H was one of the first youth organizations to give equal attention to both genders (cf., erstwhile Boys Clubs of America).<ref>{{cite web|author=Journal of Research in Childhood Education |url=http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ726429&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ726429 |title=Cooperative and Competitive Orientations in 4-H and Non-4-H Children |access-date=28 March 2012}}</ref> The first appearance of the term "4-H Club" in a federal document was in "Organization and Results of Boys' and Girls' Club Work," by Oscar Herman Benson (1875–1951) and [[Gertrude L. Warren]], in 1920.<ref name="reck">{{cite book|last1=Reck|first1=Franklin A.|title=The 4-H Story: A History of 4-H Club Work|date=1951|publisher=National 4-H Service Committee|location=Chicago, IL|url=https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/eMedia/eBooks/The_4-H_Story.pdf|oclc=950057521|pages=166–168, 210}}</ref><ref name="benson-warren">{{cite book |last1=Benson|first1=Oscar Herman|last2=Warren |first2=Gertrude L.|title=Organization and Results of Boys' and Girls' Club Work (Northern and Western States): 1918 |date=February 1920 |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|location=Washington, DC|url=https://archive.org/details/organizationresu66bens|access-date=21 August 2018}}</ref> By 1924, the clubs were organized as 4-H clubs, and the clover emblem was adopted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cals.arizona.edu/aes/mac/ag-ventures/4-H_detailed_history.htm |title=4-H Detailed History |publisher=College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona |access-date=7 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619050447/http://cals.arizona.edu/aes/mac/ag-ventures/4-H_detailed_history.htm |archive-date=19 June 2010}}</ref> Warren expanded the scope of girls' activities under the program (promoting garment making, room decorating, and hot lunches), and wrote extensive training materials.<ref name="history-preservation">{{cite web |title=Folks Who Helped Make 4-H Great: Gertrude Warren |url=http://news.4-hhistorypreservation.com/2016/03/18/folks-who-helped-make-4-h-great-gertrude-warren/ |website=National 4-H History Preservation Program |date=8 March 2016|access-date=8 August 2018}}</ref><ref name="reck" />

The first 4-H camp was held in [[Randolph County, West Virginia]]. Originally, these camps were for what was referred to as "Corn Clubs". Campers slept in corn fields in tents, only to wake up and work almost the entirety of each day. Superintendent of Schools G. C. Adams began a boys' corn club in [[Newton County, Georgia]], in 1904.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commissioner G.C. Adams, 1933 - 1935 {{!}} Georgia Department of Agriculture |url=https://agr.georgia.gov/g-c-adams#:~:text=George%20Claud%20Adams%20was%20born,year%20in%20his%20entire%20life. |access-date=18 February 2025 |website=agr.georgia.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Georgia 4-H |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/georgia-4-h/#:~:text=Hands,%20and%20Health.-,History,and%20canning%20clubs%20for%20girls. |access-date=18 February 2025 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia}}</ref>

4-H membership hit an all-time high in 1974 as a result of its popular educational program about nutrition, ''[[Mulligan Stew (TV series)|Mulligan Stew]]'', shown in schools and on television across the country. Today, 4-H clubs and activities are no longer focused primarily on agricultural activities, instead emphasizing personal growth and preparation for lifelong learning. Participation is greatest during the elementary school years, with enrollment in programs and activities peaking in the 4th grade.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

In the [[Southern United States|American South]] during the mid-1960s, 4-H began to broaden its programming to cover life experiences unrelated to agriculture. It merged its segregated African American and white programs, but full-fledged integration proved elusive. 4-H was successful in removing gender-based restrictions on participation.<ref>Thompson, "The Changing Needs of Our Youth Today" (2012)</ref>

The organization is funded by the USDA and by state and local governments.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How 4-H is Implemented {{!}} National Institute of Food and Agriculture|url=https://www.nifa.usda.gov/how-4-h-implemented|access-date=26 January 2022|website=nifa.usda.gov}}</ref> The National 4-H Council's programs are also supported by a number of corporations including [[Google]], [[Verizon (mobile network)|Verizon]], [[Microsoft]], [[Land O'Lakes|Land O'Lakes Inc.]], and [[Tractor Supply Company|Tractor Supply Co]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Major|first=Derek|date=26 May 2021|title=National 4-H Council Teams With Verizon, Microsoft Digital Skills|url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/national-4-h-council-teams-with-verizon-microsoft-and-others-to-teach-digital-employability-skills-to-over-50000-adults/|access-date=26 January 2022|website=Black Enterprise}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogers|first=James|date=12 June 2019|title=Google makes $6 million grant to bring computer science education to underserved youth|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/google-makes-6-million-grant-to-bring-computer-science-education-to-underserved-youth|access-date=26 January 2022|website=Fox News}}</ref>

Past Honorary Chairmen of Council have included U.S. Presidents [[Calvin Coolidge]], [[Herbert Hoover]], [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Harry Truman]], [[Dwight Eisenhower]], [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], [[Richard Nixon]], [[Jimmy Carter]], [[Ronald Reagan]], [[George H. W. Bush]], and [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name=4H>[http://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/U_S_Presidents/ "U.S. Presidents and 4-H"], 4-H History Preservation. Retrieved 1 February 2017.</ref><ref>[http://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/#Story_30300400 "U.S. Presidents As Honorary Chairmen"], 4-H History Preservation. Retrieved 1 February 2017.</ref> [[File:Newspaper clipping of 4-H club members attending convention, Georgia, 1950 - DPLA - 5bccb7da1776857a3280ab8aa2f795a5-021.jpeg|thumb|A newspaper clipping of 4-H club members attending a convention in Georgia, 1950]]

==Pledge== The 4-H Pledge articulates the organization’s values and goals for its members. 4-H members traditionally recite the pledge at club meetings and other 4-H events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Section 1: About 4-H |url=https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/about/policies-and-procedures/1-about-4-h.html |access-date=26 October 2025 |website=Purdue University - Extension |language=en}}</ref> The 4-H pledge is:

{{blockquote |<poem> 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. </poem>}}

The 4-H Pledge was adopted nationwide in 1927. It was written by Otis Hall, a state 4-H leader from Kansas. In 1973, the pledge was modified slightly when the phrase “and my world” was added to the final line.<ref>{{Cite web |title=4-H Motto, Creed and Pledge |url=https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/M-C-P/ |access-date=26 October 2025 |website=4-hhistorypreservation.com}}</ref>

The official emblem of 4-H is a green four-leaf clover. There is a white H on each leaf to represent the four values of Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The stem of the clover always points to the right. The emblem was initially designed in 1907 by O. H. Benson, the superintendent of Wright County Schools in Iowa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birthplace of the 4-H Emblem Heartland Museum Clarion |url=https://www.heartlandmuseum.org/birthplace-of-the-4-h-emblem |access-date=31 October 2025 |website=heartlandmuseum |language=en}}</ref> Some believe that Benson selected the four leaf clover because it represented the idea of “four-square education," an approach to education that emphasizes the balanced development of education, physical growth, moral character, and fellowship.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=4-H Emblem |url=https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/Clover/ |access-date=23 October 2025 |website=4-hhistorypreservation.com}}</ref>

=== Federal protection === The 4-H name and emblem were previously federally protected under federal code 18 U.S.C. 707, which was enacted in 1939 and amended in 1948.<ref name=":6" /> This act prohibited unauthorized use of the 4-H name or emblem, and entrusted the [[United States Secretary of Agriculture|Secretary of Agriculture]] with its care and protection.<ref>{{Cite web |title=18 USC 707: 4-H club emblem fraudulently used |url=https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2000-title18-section707&num=0&edition=2000 |access-date=4 November 2025 |website=uscode.house.gov}}</ref> This protection was a unique privilege shared by only a few national symbols such as the [[Seal of the president of the United States|Presidential Seal]] and [[Smokey Bear]].<ref name=":6" /> 18 U.S.C. 707 was repealed under the [[Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021|Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021]].<ref name=":02">{{USStatute|116|260|134|2155}}</ref> Title X of this Act, originally introduced as the Clean Up the Code Act of 2019,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chabot |first=Steve |date=23 January 2019 |title=H.R.498 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Clean Up the Code Act of 2019 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/498 |access-date=4 November 2025 |website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> removed certain outdated provisions from the U.S. criminal code, including protection of the 4-H name and emblem.<ref name=":02" />

==Youth development research== Through the program's tie to land-grant institutions of higher education, 4-H academic staff are responsible for advancing the field of [[youth development]].<ref name="ca4h.org">{{cite web |date=Winter 2003 |title=The California 4-H Youth Development Program - Directions for the Decade Ahead |url=http://www.ca4h.org/files/1982.pdf |access-date=7 June 2010}}</ref> Professional academic staff are committed to innovation, the creation of new knowledge, and the dissemination of new forms of program practice and research. Youth development research is undertaken in a variety of forms including program evaluation, applied research, and introduction of new programs.

==Volunteers== Over 500,000 volunteer leaders help to coordinate the 4-H program at the county level. Volunteers plan and conduct 4-H related activities, develop and maintain educational programs, or assist in fundraising. Activities include youth development programs, project groups, camps, conferences, or animal shows. The volunteers' goal is to help youth achieve greater self-confidence and self-responsibility, learn new skills, and build relationships.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.joe.org/joe/2011august/rb2.php |title=Relationships Between 4-H Volunteer Leader Competencies and Skills Youth Learn in 4-H Programs |journal=The Journal of Extension |access-date=28 March 2012}}</ref>

Volunteers are directed by 4-H's professional staff.

==Additional programs==

===Afterschool=== [[File:4-H girl presenting her bunny at Calaveras County Fair 2016.jpg|thumb|A girl presenting her rabbit at the [[Calaveras County, California|Calaveras County]] Fair in California 2016]] 4-H Afterschool helps 4-H and other youth-serving organizations create and improve programs for students in communities across the U.S. 4-H Afterschool is an extension-enhanced program that: *Offers youth a safe, healthy, caring and enriching environment. *Engages youth in long-term, structured learning in partnership with adults. *Addresses the interests of youth and their physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs. 4-H Afterschool programs utilize experimental and cooperative learning activities and provide interaction with competent adults. Results of retrospective pre/post-surveys indicate that children enrolled in the program showed life skill gain over time, and that gains on specific life skills differed as a function of age, gender, and ethnicity.

The life skills gained through 4-H Afterschool give children the tools they need for perceiving and responding to diverse life situations and achieving their personal goals. Participation in these quality programs which use experiential and cooperative learning have all been found to contribute to children's social development and academic success.<ref>{{cite web|author=Child Study Journal |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/13055413/building-life-skills-through-afterschool-participation-experimental-cooperative-learning |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018203132/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/13055413/building-life-skills-through-afterschool-participation-experimental-cooperative-learning |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2015 |title=Building Life Skills through Afterschool Participation in Experimental and Cooperative Learning |access-date=28 March 2012}}</ref>

===Camping=== [[File:Camp Good Luck Marker Relocated (with Debbie McDonald) 2015.jpg|left|thumb|Debbie McDonald, who was the West Virginia state 4-H Leader at the time, poses with the newly relocated Camp Good Luck marker (8 July 2015).]] Each state runs its own camping program. Believed to be the world's first 4-H camp was held in July 1915 on the Crouch family farm along the [[Tygart Valley River]] near [[Elkwater, West Virginia|Elkwater]], [[West Virginia]]. The youth in attendance named the location Camp Good Luck.<ref name="Camp Good Luck">{{cite web |last1=Betler |first1=Bruce |title=Camp Good Luck |url=https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/892 |access-date=20 March 2017 |website=West Virginia Encyclopedia |publisher=West Virginia Humanities Council}}</ref>

The first state 4-H camp was held at [[Jackson's Mill]] outside of [[Weston, West Virginia|Weston]], [[Lewis County, West Virginia|West Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=West Virginia University |date=14 July 2025 |title=Jackson's Mill becomes the location for the first state 4-H camp in the country |url=https://jacksonsmill.wvu.edu/timeline/1921 |access-date=15 January 2026}}</ref> 4-H camping programs in most states are run through [[land-grant institution]]s, such as [[Washington State University]], which runs the [[Washington (state)|Washington]] program, and [[Pennsylvania State University]] runs Pennsylvania's. The [[Orange Crew|Georgia 4-H camping program]] has the largest youth center in the world, called [[Rock Eagle]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 January 2026 |title=Georgia's 4-H Centers |url=https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/dougherty/4-h-youth-development/4HCenters.html |access-date=15 January 2026 |publisher=University of Georgia Dougherty County}}</ref>

On 8 July 2015, to mark the centennial of 4-H camping, youth from [[Randolph County, West Virginia|Randolph County]], West Virginia traveled back to the original Camp Good Luck site for a special commemoration and campfire program. A stone marker honoring Camp Good Luck had been placed adjacent to [[U.S. Route 219|US 219]] near the site but was moved to a spot off of Bell Crouch Rd. for greater safety and accessibility through the efforts of Randolph County 4-H volunteers and the West Virginia Division of Highways.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 February 2025 |title=Camp Good Luck Historic Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=265954 |access-date=15 January 2026 |website=The Historical Marker Database}}</ref>

===Five- to seven-year-old youth=== Some states offer programs for youths in grades K-2 called Cloverbuds<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 January 2026 |title=MSU Extension 4-H Cloverbuds |url=https://www.canr.msu.edu/cloverbuds_ages_5-8/ |access-date=15 January 2025 |website=Michigan State Extension}}</ref>, Cloverkids<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 January 2026 |title=Clover Kids |url=https://4h.unl.edu/delivery-modes/clubs/clover-kids/ |access-date=15 January 2026 |website=Nebraska 4-H}}</ref>, 4-H Adventurers, Primary Members<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 January 2026 |title=Primary Member Projects |url=https://sites.google.com/ucdavis.edu/ca4h-resourcecenter/projects/primary-members |access-date=15 January 2026 |website=California 4-H Resource Center}}</ref>, or Mini 4-H<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title=Mini 4-H |url=https://extension.purdue.edu/county/johnson/4-H/Mini-4-H-Information.html |access-date=15 January 2026 |website=Purdue University Extension}}</ref> to youth ages five to seven. These programs provide a non-competitive learning environment and provide an introduction to a 4-H club experience.

===Collegiate=== [[File:National Collegiate 4-H club emblem.png|thumb|National Collegiate 4-H club emblem]] Many colleges and universities have collegiate 4-H clubs. Usually members are students who are 4-H alumni and want to continue a connection to 4-H, but any interested students are welcome. Clubs provide service and support to their local and state 4-H programs, such as serving as judges and conducting training workshops. They are also a service and social group for campus students. The first collegiate 4-H club started in 1916 on the [[Oklahoma State University - Stillwater]] campus.

===All Stars=== Finding its roots in the early 4-H movement in [[West Virginia]], the 4-H All-Star program strives to recognize and challenge 4-H members and volunteers. State 4-H Club Leader William H. "Teepi" Kendrick sought to develop youth to "be yourself at your best" and to "make the best better" through a fourfold personal development pattern involving the head, hands, heart, and, at that time, hustle. It was with this philosophy, in collaboration with others, that the 4-H emblem was born. In an attempt to harbor further individual growth, Kendrick recognized excellence with pins bearing one, two, three, and four H's. Recognition for outstanding participation was rewarded from 1917 to 1921 with trips to a Prize Winner's Course at [[West Virginia University]]. Members who demonstrated outstanding qualities at these courses were awarded five-pointed red pins with five H's, with this additional ''H'' to symbolize honor. The recipients of these pins were referred to by Kendrick as "All Stars". It was following the pin consecration ceremony in 1919 that the official West Virginia 4-H All Stars organization was chartered, becoming the Alpha chapter of the nationwide 4-H honorary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wv4hallstars.org/History.html |title=West Virginia 4-H All Star History |publisher=West Virginia 4-H All Star Website |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624014959/http://www.wv4hallstars.org/History.html |archive-date=24 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The symbol of the All Stars is a red star enveloping a gemstone chip over the 4-H emblem. Each point of the star represents a pillar of character: "Beauty, Fortitude, Service, Truth, and Love".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Extension Service {{!}} 4-H All Stars|url=https://extension.wvu.edu/youth-family/4h/programs/4h-all-stars|access-date=14 February 2021|website=extension.wvu.edu}}</ref>

Many states have All Star programs, although All Star programs vary from state to state. Selection as a 4-H All Star is a recognition of achievement. In [[California]] for example, it is the highest achievement award at the county level and is a position awarded annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ca4h.org/leadership/allstar/index.asp |title=4-H All Star California |publisher=University of California 4-H Youth Development Program |access-date=7 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620191845/http://ca4h.org/leadership/allstar/index.asp |archive-date=20 June 2009}}</ref> Similarly, the [[capstone award]] in Texas 4-H is the Gold Star Award, which is given to Seniors who have shown outstanding leadership and proficiency in their project areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/4h/4Hpdf/07%20Gold%20Star%20Information%20Packet.pdf |title=Texas Gold Star Award Application |access-date=7 June 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090325045433/http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/4h/4Hpdf/07%20Gold%20Star%20Information%20Packet.pdf|archive-date=25 March 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In [[Virginia]], on the other hand, All-Stars are not simply those who have achieved an All-Star award, but are those who have gained membership into the Virginia All-Stars organization. After reaching the age of 15, 4-H members are eligible to apply for membership into the All-Stars organization, which promotes the continuation of 4-H principles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=4-H All Stars |url=https://ext.vt.edu/4h-youth/all-stars.html |access-date=January 20, 2026 |website=Virginia Cooperative Extension}}</ref>

==Conferences== {{Primary sources|section about the organization's conferences|date=March 2017}} [[File:National_4-H_Youth_Conference_Center_where_Agriculture_Secretary_Tom_Vilsack_spoke_with_National_Youth_Leadership,_on_Monday,_April_8,_2013,_in_Chevy_Chase,_MD.jpg|thumb|left|National 4-H Youth Conference Center in [[Chevy Chase, Maryland]] ]] Many conferences are held at various levels of the 4-H program for youth and adults. The National 4-H Conference, which was held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in [[Chevy Chase (town), Maryland|Chevy Chase, Maryland]], until it was sold in 2021, is the [[USDA]] Secretary's premier youth development opportunity to engage youth in developing recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program. The Conference still meets annually in and around Washington, DC. The National 4-H Conference is held in Arlington, VA.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://4-h.org/events/national-4-h-conference/ | title=National 4-H Conference}}</ref>

The National 4-H Congress is an annual educational conference that brings together 4-H delegates between the ages of 14 and 19 from across America to share cultural experiences and discuss important issues facing youth. This five-day event is typically held during the weekend of [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] and has been hosted in [[Atlanta]], since 1998. Throughout the conference, 4-H delegates attend numerous workshops, participate in community service activities, and listen to speakers in an effort to develop compassion and increase social awareness.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/comm/4h_confs.htm |title=4-H National Headquarters - 4-H Conference and Congress |publisher=National4-hheadquarters.gov |date=22 July 2009 |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607071603/http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/comm/4h_confs.htm |archive-date=7 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.national4-hcongress.com/about/ |title=About National 4-H Congress |publisher=National 4-H Congress |access-date=7 June 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714155239/http://www.national4-hcongress.com/about/ |archive-date = 14 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Citizenship Washington Focus is a week-long conference offered for high school-aged students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://4-h.org/parents/citizenship-washington-focus/|title=Citizenship Washington Focus|website=4-H}}</ref> At the conference, students have the opportunity to learn how to be citizen leaders in their communities. Throughout the week in [[Washington, D.C.]], participants visit monuments, meet with members of Congress, and develop communication, leadership and citizenship skills.

The following national conferences are held yearly, and are focused on specific activities inside of 4-H:

* National 4-H Dairy Conference<ref>{{cite web |url=http://4h.uwex.edu/events/dairyconf/ |title=National 4-H Dairy Conference |publisher=Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development |access-date=1 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010172833/http://4h.uwex.edu/events/dairyconf/ |archive-date=10 October 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> * Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4hroundup.com/ |title=Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup |publisher=Eastern National 4-H Roundup |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref> * Western National 4-H Horse Roundup<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westernnationalroundup.org/ |title=Western National 4-H Horse Roundup |publisher=Western National 4-H Roundup |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref> * National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Match<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.4-hshootingsports.org/national_match.php/ |title=National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational Match Results |publisher=4-H Shooting Sports |access-date=1 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320081803/http://www.4-hshootingsports.org/national_match.php |archive-date=20 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> *National 4-H True Leaders in Equity Institute<ref>{{cite web |title=True Leaders in Equity |url=https://4-h.org/parents/true-leaders-in-equity/ |website=4-H |access-date=27 March 2022}}</ref> *National 4-H Youth Summit Series<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Youth Summit Series|url=https://4-h.org/parents/national-youth-summits/|access-date=14 February 2021|website=4-H}}</ref> **STEM Summit **Healthy Living Summit **Agri-science Summit Other conferences are held by regional and state entities for youth, for volunteer development, or for professional development for staff.

==Use of Native American terminology== For many years, use of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] names and certain themed activities was part of the summer camping programs of some eastern states. However, the practice was considered to be offensive and protests were raised. A complaint to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Civil Rights in 2002 and an ensuing investigation that threatened to cut off funds to the state's program<ref name=25JulyTimes>{{cite web|last=Washington |first=The |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2002/jun/25/20020625-032408-7001r/ |title="Administration probes 4-H Indian themes" Washington Times, June 25, 2002 |publisher=Washingtontimes.com |date=25 June 2002 |access-date=28 November 2013}}</ref> prompted the West Virginia University Extension Service to abandon offensive and stereotypic practices such as face-painting, and use of imagery not a part of the culture of local Native people, such as [[tepee]]s and totem poles.<ref name=25JulyTimes/> They also eliminated the practice of having children wear feather headdresses, and stopped having campers engage in "stereotypical motions and dances," including chanting "Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!". However, the state program deemed the dividing of campers into groups, called "tribes" named after actual Indian Nations, to be respectful and acceptable.<ref>[http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_1c0937b0-c2f4-55c5-9efd-6007f09ac8e1.html "West Virginia 4-H clubs abandoning offensive Indian practices, but will keep tribal names"] Bismarck Tribune, 17 December 2002.</ref> In the same year, the Virginia Extension Service removed all references to symbols or camp "traditions" related to Native Americans, including the decades-long practice of dividing campers into "tribes" using names of nations considered native to [[Virginia]], replacing the group names with animal names.<ref>[https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-87928743 "Virginia 4-H yields; Officials drop terms offensive to some Indians"] by Jon Ward, ''[[The Washington Times]]'', 28 June 2002.</ref>

== International programs == Although 4-H was first founded in the United States in the early 1900s,<ref>{{Cite web |title=4-h club {{!}} Research Starters {{!}} EBSCO Research |url=https://www.ebsco.com/ |access-date=23 October 2025 |website=EBSCO}}</ref> more than 80 countries have since established their own versions of 4-H programs to offer government-supported youth development programming. Over 48 countries use some variation of the 4-H Clover symbol to identify their youth development programs.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=International 4-H History Continuum |url=https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/History/International_Programs/ |access-date=23 October 2025 |website=4-hhistorypreservation.com}}</ref>

4-H's global expansion was supported by foreign and U.S. government officials who saw youth development as a strategy to improve agricultural productivity. Canada was among the first to create their own 4-H program in 1913, although some suggest that 4-H Canada was created as early as 1905. European nations like Sweden and England began implementing 4-H programs in 1918 and 1921 respectively. Programs continued to develop across the globe into the 1930s and 1940s, with 4-H Clubs appearing in Australia, Haiti, and Venezuela. In the years following, 4-H was adopted in Korea (1947), Japan (1948), Kenya (1949), and Ethiopia (1956). In recent years, Iraq and Mongolia have developed their own 4-H programs and adopted the clover symbol.<ref name=":2" />

==Alumni== {{See also|List of notable 4-H alumni}} Some 4-H alumni credit the program with helping them in later life.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Journal of Extension |volume=43|number=6|url=http://www.joe.org/joe/2005december/rb2.php |title=4-H Experiences Contributing to Leadership and Personal Development of 4-H Alumni |date=December 2005 |author1-first=Rama B. |author1-last=Radhakrishna|author2-first=Megan |author2-last=Sinasky|access-date=28 March 2012}}; of 1,254 members in Penn State alumni database, 289 were sampled for a survey and 168 provided useful data; 99% of these said they received some benefit from their participation</ref>

The National 4-H Hall of Fame honors 4-H volunteers, extension professionals and staff employees, donors and others, according to a criterion of "significant impact on the 4-H program and/or 4-H members through the contribution of time, energy, financial resources, etc.".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.4-h-hof.com/|title=4-H Hall of Fame - Welcome|website=www.4-h-hof.com}}</ref> The hall of fame was established in 2002 by the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nae4ha.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708192754/http://www.nae4ha.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=8 July 2009|title=National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals}}</ref>

==See also== *[[4-H Shooting Sports Programs]] *[[Boy Scouts of America]] *[[Girl Scouts of the USA]] *[[International Four-H Youth Exchange]] *[[National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs]] *[[National FFA Organization]] (formerly Future Farmers of America)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==

* {{cite journal | last1 = Buck | first1 = Holly | year = 2004 | title = 'Amusements and Recreations... Makes Our Working Hours Profitable': Utah 4- H, 1940-1960 | journal = Utah Historical Quarterly | volume = 72 | issue = 1| pages = 69–84 | doi = 10.1093/whq/35.3.409}} * {{cite journal | last1 = Holt | first1 = Marilyn Irvin | year = 1992 | title = From Better Babies to 4-H: A Look at Rural America | journal = Prologue: The Journal of the National Archives | volume = 24 | issue = 3| pages = 245–255}} * Holt, Marilyn Irvin. ''Linoleum, Better Babies, and the Modern Farm Woman, 1890-1930'' (U of New Mexico Press, 1995). * {{cite journal | last1 = Keathley | first1 = Clarence R | last2 = Ham | first2 = Donna M. | year = 1979 | title = 4-H Club Work in Missouri | journal = Missouri Historical Review | volume = 51 | issue = 1| pages = 209–220}} * Kern, R. J. and Alison Nordström. ''The Unchosen Ones: Portraits of an American Pastoral'' (MW Editions, 2021). * Rosenberg, Gabriel N. ''The 4-H Harvest: Sexuality and the State in Rural America'' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015) * Thompson, Ellen Natasha. " The Changing Needs of Our Youth Today: The Response of 4-H to Social and Economic Transformations in Twentieth-century North Carolina." (PhD Diss. University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2012). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160418062228/http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/Thompson_uncg_0154D_11047.pdf online]

* Weber, Margaret. "Making the best better: 4-H and rural anxiety in the early twentieth century" (Thesis, Iowa State University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2013. 1540140). online at academic libraries

* Wessel, Thomas R. and Marilyn Wessel. ''4-H: An American Idea, 1900-1980: A History of 4-H'' (Chevy Chase, MD: 4-H National Council, 1982).

==External links== {{Commons category}}  * {{Official website|https://4-h.org}} *[http://www.4-h-hof.com/# Index of National 4-H Hall of Fame] * [http://www.4-h-canada.ca 4-H Canada]

[[Category:4-H| ]] [[Category:Organizations established in 1927]] [[Category:1927 establishments in the United States]] [[Category:Youth development organizations]] [[Category:Learning programs]] [[Category:United States Department of Agriculture]] [[Category:Life skills]] [[Category:Youth organizations based in Maryland]]