Find out what 4-H can offer you and your family!
About 4-H
4-H is a youth education program. It uses a learn-by-doing approach to help youth develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to become competent, caring, contributing citizens.
4-H staff work with adult volunteers to offer 4-H activities that help youth explore, learn, and grow. Youth can be club members and meet regularly with friends or enroll as independent based upon their interests.
New members are accepted into 4-H throughout the year. To enroll in 4-H, return the 4-H Member Enrollment Packet along with the $5 enrollment fee.
4-H Club & Project Areas
Animal Science – Dairy/Beef Cattle, Sheep, Dairy/Meat Goats, Llamas, Rabbits, Poultry, Horses, Dogs, Cats.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) – Robotics, Model Rockets, Geocaching/ Geospatial Science.
Family & Consumer Science – Healthy Living, Food Science (Baking,
Cooking, Canning), Textile Design (Sewing, Knitting, Crocheting,
Spinning, Tie Dying), Crafts.
Environmental Science – Wildlife, Outdoors, Shooting Sports/Archery, Plant & Soil Science.
What do 4-Hers do?
4-H youth can give public presentations, grown in NY cooking demonstrations, enter projects at Holiday Faire in December and the County Fair in July, participate in Clothing Revue, exhibit in animal shows, go on trips like Cornell Career Exploration Days, and win awards. Youth ages 13+ can be Senior Council members and participate in leadership activities. 4-H offers opportunities for everyone!
4-H’s Core Values
Head, Heart, Hands, and Health are the four Hs in 4-H. These four values represent:
Head – Managing, Thinking
Heart – Relating, Caring
Hands – Giving, Working
Health – Being, Living
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.
How to Enroll
Enrolling is easy – just fill out a couple forms and submit them with $5/youth to the 4-H Office. Our 4-H staff will connect you with a 4-H Club that matches your interests.
4-H Ages and Stages*
Cloverbuds: 5 – 7 years old
Junior 4-Hers: 8 – 13 years old
Senior 4-Hers: 14 – 18 years old
*Age is as of January 1 of the current 4-H year, which is October 1 – September 30.
Contact
Robert Batt
Executive Director / Orleans County 4-H Fair
rpb23@cornell.edu
585-798-4265 ext. 130
Last updated December 23, 2021
Why 4-H?
Youth in 4-H are 4x more likely to contribute to their community, 2x more likely to be civically active, 2x more likely to make healthy choices, and 2x more likely to participate in science programs outside school than their peers who aren’t in 4-H. For more information about a recent national study of 4-H members, see the Comprehensive Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development reported by Tufts University.
For more research on 4-H, see:
Iowa State 4-H Life Skills Model
Mission Mandates
Civic Engagement - Civic engagement is the broadest mission mandate; it incorporates youth voice, leadership, respect, history, community youth development, SET, and Healthy Lifestyles.
Healthy Lifestyles - "Choose Health" is an initiative of the Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program intended to help all of us confront and take action to change the statistics of childhood obesity. This link includes project resources, promotional materials, and more!
Science, Engineering and Technology- Kids who participate in science activities outside of the classroom are more likely to be comfortable with science. This link takes you to numerous 4-H Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) projects that give families science enrichment opportunities and connect kids to Cornell’s science outreach programs.
