About 4-H Youth Development
4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults through hands-on and research-based experiences.
In 4-H we believe in the power of young people. We recognize that every child has valuable strengths and can have real potential to improve the world to show what it means to be a true leader. 4-H gives young people experiences where they can learn by doing, grow from failure, express their ideas, and lead. We tap into their potential and empower them to become true leaders.
4-H members have fun with friends at meetings, social activities, tours, camps, and fairs. They learn to do interesting things like growing plants, raising animals, fixing their bikes, taking pictures, practicing cooking, and much more!
About Us
Who can join?
4-H is for youth between the ages of 5 and 19 during the current calendar year. It is open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, or place of residence.
Access, equity, and opportunity cut across every 4-H program as 4-H seeks to reach out to and welcome youth and adults from varied backgrounds. We strive to serve all communities in the state, create a culture within every program that embraces all youth and adults, and celebrate the diversity of knowledge and experiences that our members, volunteers, and staff bring to the 4-H youth development movement.
A University Partnership
Virginia 4-H is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Services of Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia and led by 4-H extension agents within each institution. Nationally, Virginia 4-H is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The 4-H Pledge
Head, Heart, Hands and Health form the 4-H member’s 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."
(Promesa 4H)
"Prometo usar mi mente para pensar con más claridad,
mi corazón para ser más leal,
mis manos para ser más servicial,
mi salud para cuidarme más,
por mi club, mi comunidad, mi país y mi mundo."
Represented by the Clover
Our logo is a green four-leaf clover with a white “H” on each clover leaf, representing the Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. Please note that this logo is copyrighted and may be used only as approved by 4-H. Brand guidelines and official marketing resources are available on the National 4-H website.
Frederick County Virginia Legacy
Youth who participate in 4-H get what all young people need to succeed in life: confidence, compassion, connections with caring adults, and skills and opportunities to make contributions to their communities.
Youth gain life skills such as:
- Communication
- Citizenship
- Decision making
- Leadership
- Interpersonal relations
- Community and global awareness
4-H helps students be successful in the classroom. For more than 10 years, 4‑H has partnered with Tufts University to study the effectiveness of its youth development programs. For the complete study, click here
4-H History
Since 4‑H began more than 100 years ago, it has become the nation’s largest youth development organization. The 4‑H idea is simple: help young people and their families gain the skills needed to be proactive forces in their communities and develop ideas for a more innovative economy.
Late 1800's: Making Connections
In the late 1800’s, researchers discovered adults in the farming community did not readily accept new agricultural developments on university campuses, but found that young people were open to new thinking and would experiment with new ideas and share their experiences with adults. In this way, rural youth programs introduced new agriculture technology to communities.
The idea of practical and “hands-on” learning came from the desire to connect public school education to country life. Building community clubs to help solve agricultural challenges was a first step toward youth learning more about the industries in their community.
1902: Youth Clubs are Formed
A. B. Graham started a youth program in Clark County, Ohio, in 1902, which is considered the birth of 4‑H in the United States. The first club was called “The Tomato Club” or the “Corn Growing Club”. T.A. Erickson of Douglas County, Minnesota, started local agricultural after-school clubs and fairs that same year. Jessie Field Shambaugh developed the clover pin with an H on each leaf in 1910, and by 1912 they were called 4‑H clubs.
1914: Cooperative Extension System is Created
The passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914 created the Cooperative Extension System at USDA and nationalized 4‑H. By 1924, 4‑H clubs were formed and the clover emblem was adopted.
The Cooperative Extension System is a partnership of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 100 land-grant universities and more than 3,000 county offices across the nation. Cooperative Extension combines the expertise and resources of federal, state, and local governments and is designed to meet the need for research, knowledge and educational programs.
4-H Today
Today, 4‑H serves youth in rural, urban, and suburban communities in every state across the nation. 4‑H’ers are tackling the nation’s top issues, from global food security, climate change and sustainable energy to childhood obesity and food safety. 4‑H out-of-school programming, in-school enrichment programs, clubs and camps also offer a wide variety of STEM opportunities – from agricultural and animal sciences to rocketry, robotics, environmental protection, and computer science – to improve the nation’s ability to compete in key scientific fields and take on the leading challenges of the 21st century.