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How to Join
Join 4-H
It is easy to be part of 4-H. Just call or email the UW-Extension, 4-H Youth Development Office in your
County.
Anyone who is in third grade to one year past high school graduation
can be in 4-H. Younger children can join 4-H as Cloverbuds. Cloverbuds
are in first or second grade. Some counties may offer Cloverbud
membership to 5 year old Kindergartners. Your county Extension 4-H
youth development staff member can answer your specific questions.
They can also help you find a club in your area or help you start
a new one.
More Information
What do 4-H members do?
4-H clubs have regular meetings and officers, but that is just
the start. 4-H members get involved in their communities as volunteers
and youth leaders. They learn new things by completing dozens of
different kinds of projects, They go on trips, have parties, host
international students, participate in local government, experiment
with science, make art, go to camp, learn to canoe or take care
of an animal.
The list seems almost endless. With so many choices, 4-H is what
you want it to be.
What projects are available?
4-H gives you a chance to try a lot of things that might help you
decide on a career or a life-long hobby. For example, you can explore
- Arts: Express yourself by drawing, painting, sculpting, shooting
photos, making videos, acting, singing or writing.
- Animals: If you love animals, 4-H has projects for you, whether
it's dogs and cats or cows and horses.
- Citizenship: Plan and carry out a community service project
with your 4-H friends.
- Clothing: Fashion is fun. Create your own style, while you stick
to your budget.
- Computers: You can learn to use new software or design your
own website.
- Environment: 4-H can take you outside to learn about wetlands
and wildlife or to plant a garden.
And there's lots more to choose from. See
all the projects you could do!
How do 4-H youth make a difference
in their communities?
4-H offers lots of encouragement and support for kids who want
to organize and carry out volunteer projects. They clean up river
banks, adopt a stretch of highway to keep litter-free, work with
older adults, mentor younger students or get involved in other kinds
of volunteer and service learning. In some communities, older 4-H
youth serve as youth representatives in city or county governments
or as panelists on teen courts.
What does it cost to be in 4-H?
Some clubs have small annual fees to cover costs of postage and
some materials. It's usually less than $5 a year. In some counties,
an additional fee is charged to offset costs for things like project
literature, postage and insurance. Sometime clubs will hold fund-raising
events to raise this money. To find out if 4-H clubs in your counties
have dues or fees, just call the UW- Extension, 4-H Youth Development Office
in your County and ask. Depending on the projects you choose,
there could be some costs for materials. For example, if you do
the photography project, you'll need a camera and film, and you'll
have expenses for having your photos printed. If you raise an animal
to show at the fair, you'll have expenses, but you may also have
some income if you sell your animal at auction.
Does it matter where I live?
4-H is everywhere. 4-H started out 100 years ago as an organization
for kids who lived in the country, but that was a long time ago.
Now 4-H is in big cities, in small towns and suburbs and in rural
areas. 4-H clubs meet in community centers, members' homes, Extension
offices, afterschool program sites -- just about anywhere.
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Welcome to Wisconsin 4-H
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