What is 4-H?
4-H is the youth development education program of University of Nevada, Reno Extension.
It's a community of young people across the United States, learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. 4-H began a century ago as an educational program for the nation's rural youth. Today, the program meets the needs of and engages all young people in positive youth development experiences.
4-H is the largest out-of-school youth organization in the United States with over 7 million members. There are over 49,000 young people engaged in 4-H programs across the state of Nevada alone. In Nevada, the 4-H program promotes life skills development through an expanding number of delivery modes:
- 4-H community and project clubs
- In-school and after-school programs
- Recreational and community center partnerships
- Camping opportunities
- Special interest groups
- Library programming
- And much more!
4-H participants are all youth, ages 5 to 19, taking part in programs provided as a result of actions planned and initiated by Extension personnel in cooperation with volunteers and families.
4-H is characterized as being community-centered, volunteer-led, Extension-staff supervised, research-based, home and family-oriented, publicly and privately funded, and responsive to change.
It offers youth opportunities in:
- Communications, civic engagement and creative and expressive arts
- Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
- Healthy living, career development and agriculture
- And more!
Background
4-H strengthens and promotes healthy youth development to give young people the capacity to act as responsible citizens and agents of community change.
By understanding the complex experiences that youth face and promoting high-quality youth leadership development, 4-H helps youth meet the challenges of adolescence and transition to adulthood. Through youth-adult partnerships, 4-H connects youth and adults to their communities, preparing youth for work and life. 4-H engages both youth and adults in intentional, experiential and inquiry-based learning. The program also provides emerging research and policy to highlight positive youth development. 4-H partners with the Land-Grant University System to support America’s youth.
Guiding principles
The four guiding principles of 4-H Youth Development Programs are:
- Positive youth development
- Partnerships
- Learning
- Youth potential
Experiences
4-H’ers are often involved in long-term learning experiences with peers and adult volunteers. Active, hands-on learning is a staple of the program. Youth choose topics that interest them, ranging from the broad areas of science, healthy living and citizenship/civic engagement. Community service, leadership and public speaking are typical opportunities.
4-H is about having fun, learning, exploring and discovering. In 4-H, young people make new friends, develop new skills, become leaders and help shape their communities.
The essential elements of the 4-H Program include creating an environment where youth:
- Feel a sense of belonging
- Have an opportunity to master skills
- Practice independence
- Develop a spirit of generosity
Benefits
4-H is a learn-by-doing life-skills program that teaches youth:
- Self-concept
- Team-building
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Self-responsibility
- Community leadership
- Aspiration-building
- Career development
- Conflict resolution
- Goal-setting
For more than 90 years, Extension has administered a 4-H Program in Nevada, part of one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S. Many 4-H alumni have become elected state officials, legislators and teachers, contributing greatly to the state and their communities.
Studies have shown that youth who participate in 4-H are:
- Twice as likely to make healthier choices
- Twice as likely to participate in out-of-school-time science programs
- Four times more likely to make a positive contribution to their communities
- Twice as likely to feel positive about their well-being
- Three times more likely to feel competent
