4-H Program|An Overview
4-H is an international youth development program. Youths from age 8-18 can participate in any number of projects. Many people don’t know about the wide variety of projects offered in the 4-H program. For instance, I thought it was all about animals until my own kids joined 4-H.
4-H teaches kids life skills. This is the main reason I signed my kids up. I had no idea what I was in for! My first year was overwhelming because there was so much to learn about the 4-H world. I decided I would write about my experience to help others navigate this new world! If you are brand new to 4-H you might want to read my post “Surviving Your First Year in 4-H”
The first year as a 4-H mom can be a tough one. There is so much to learn, especially if you didn’t grow up in the 4-H world. My first year as a 4-H mom could best be described as one of constant confusion and mild panic.
Not new to 4-H? I have some posts for you too! Keep reading for tips on Record Books, Market Letters, Thank You Letters, Fair Exhibits and Leading Projects.
Tools for Parents:
Keeping kids up to date with their 4-H projects can be a real challenge. How many times do we end up panicking right before fair trying to get everything done? I have designed a Animal Project Organizer for parents to help their kids keep good records. This organizer does not replace what each county requires from members. It is not affiliated with 4-H in anyway, it is just something I came up with to help parents and kids with their projects.
Keeping good records is a life skill that we all need! Programs like 4-H provide a perfect opportunity to teach our kids to keep good records. In our county a record book is required as part of the members projects. However, I know that not all counties require a record book. But many parents are looking for a way to help their children stay organized.
Projects:
The projects offered will depend on your county and your club. Because 4-H clubs are run by volunteers not every project is offered in a club. Most volunteers are parents but there are people who volunteer just because they love 4-H. You don’t have to be an expert to lead a project, you just have to be willing! 4-H is all about learning by doing. This approach allows the kids to get as much out their project as they wish. If you want to learn more about being a project leader you can read my post “Planning 4-H Project Meetings”.
So you have found yourself leading a 4-H project, now what? I was roped into leadership during my second year as a 4-H parent with no idea of what I was doing. Luckily for me, I was teamed up with another mom who shares my love of preparation. We found out we make a great team and our year usually runs smoothly because we take the time to plan everything ahead of time. I wanted to share some of the things we do to plan out our 4-H meetings.
Requirements:
Each county has it’s own requirements for finishing projects. Our county requires a record book to be turned in for each project. If you want to know more about record books then you can read my post “How to Rock Your 4-H Record Book”.
It’s summer time and that means all things 4-H! Raising animals and doing 4-H projects is a lot of fun. What’s not fun? Fighting with your kid to get their record books done. I’ve learned a few things since we began 4-H and I’m here to share with you how you can help your child rock their record books!
Fair:
If you are interested in learning more about exhibits you can read my post “4-H Fair Exhibits”.
4-H fair exhibits are the pinnacle of your child’s project for the year. This is their chance to shine! The public walks through the exhibit buildings and admires all the hard work the 4-H kids put into their projects.
Animal Projects:
If your child participates in an animal project then they take their animal to fair as their exhibit. However, some animal projects go back home with you. For instance pet, dairy, and breeding projects you take home when the fair is done.
Youth members also participate in showmanship at fair. During showmanship they walk their animal around a ring with other youth and the judge examines how well they have trained their animal. Then the kids are placed and given ribbons.
If this is your first time taking an animal to fair I have a post you might like “Preparing for Fair|Packing Lists for Your Show Animals”.
School is almost out for us and now it is time to turn our attention to our 4-H season! Fair will be here before we know it! If this is your first year taking an animal to fair I have compiled a packing lists for show animals to make it easier for you. Knowing what to bring to fair is half the battle! My kids raise rabbits, goats, and pigs so that is what I have packing lists for.
Market Animals:
The other type of animal project is a market animal. This animal you raise to sell at an auction. Market animals get sold at the fair and do not return home with you.
Members put a lot of work into their market projects. A key to doing well in the auction is going into the community and inviting buyers to the fair. You can read about marketing letters in my post “How to Write a 4-H Buyer Letter”.
Each year the community comes out to attend the 4-H auction and spends thousands of dollars supporting 4-H kids in their projects. Without the support of local businesses there would be no stock sale for your kids to sell their animals at. Getting out and delivering market letters to these local businesses is a great way to keep your auction going and to get new buyers to the fair!
Thanks You Letters:
Each year as fair wraps up the youth sit down and write thank you letters. Writing a thank you letter teaches the kids both writing skills and good manners! If you are looking for an example of a good Thank You letter you can read “4-H Buyer Thank You Tutorial”.
A well crafted thank you letter can be a thing of beauty! Just like writing a nice buyer marketing letter is important so is thanking the buyer once they have purchased your animal. At our auction local businesses and community members spend thousands and thousands of dollars buying the kid’s project animals. Not to mention the trophies, belt buckles, and extra incentives. They deserve a nice thank you!
If you are looking for a program that teaches life skills, community engagement, and leadership then the 4-H program is for you! The kids have so much fun learning new things and making great friends along the way.
You can check out the National 4-H website here for more information about the program.
Have any comments, questions or ideas? I’d love to hear from you. You can comment below. Let’s get a conversation started!
3 Comments
Christina
Just… thank you. lol
Rhonda
Thank You
Never in 4-H, no knowledge of it and now I’m a leader!
Jennifer
That’s how I got roped in!