About 4-H Youth Development   4-H History   Become Involved

4-H helps kids to do better in school, learn to help others, feel more capable and responsible.

In settings like clubs, camps, after-school programs, and trips, the 4-H Youth Development program helps diverse youth and adults reach their fullest potential. Members have opportunities to connect to Cornell University, learn through hands-on activities, lead, be inspired, inspire others, and...so much more.

 

Want to get involved? Join 4-H with thousands of other New York State members, volunteers, staff, and funders. Find your potential, meet awesome kids, and accomplish things you never thought possible.

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4-H is the largest out of school youth organization in the United States with over 7 million youth members. There are Cornell Cooperative Extension staff responsible for 4-H programs in nearly every county and city - so there's probably a 4-H program near you!

4-H got its start around the beginning of the 20 th century through the efforts of youth-oriented people in several areas of the United States. The “learning by doing” model came from the desire to make the education provided by public schools more available and relevant to youth living in rural parts of the country. In recent years the program has further emphasized its devotion to life skills development in youth, and does so through 4-H’s traditional hands-on learning approach.   We pride ourselves in being the youth organization in New York State that connects kids Cornell.

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Why join 4-H? Research shows that 4-H helps kids to do better in school, learn to help others, feel more capable and responsible.

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Want to get involved? Please visit our ‘ Join Us’ page or contact us.

 

Why 4-H?

Camps [.pdf] [publisher]

Fairs [.pdf] [publisher]

School Enrichment [.pdf] [publisher]

Afterschool [.pdf] [publisher]

Clubs [.pdf] [publisher]

Set of 5 documents above [.pdf]

Why 4-H Cover [.pdf] [publisher]