Youth

Here’s the first thing you need to know about 4-H: it’s fun. When you go to 4-H meetings, events and other activities, the number one thing you hear is laughter, and the number one thing you see is smiles.

It’s hard to explain what 4-H is because it’s…well…EVERYTHING!

• It’s making biofuel from used cooking oil and using it to run a school bus.
• It’s learning to play chess and how to debate.
• It’s releasing butterflies into a garden you helped design, plant and manage.
• It’s learning about budgeting and marketing for your own business.
• It’s feeding the calf you’re raising for the first time.
• It’s fishing for salmon or trout in a Great Lake and testing the lake’s water quality.
• It’s making music.
• It’s climbing a cliff.
• It’s wearing something you made, using something you built and eating something you cooked.
• It’s finger-painting and cool crafts and reading a new book.

See what I mean?

You might join a club. You might participate in an after-school program. You might go to events in your county or other parts of the state. You could show your “stuff” at a summer fair. You could earn some money.

Know what else?

Maybe, you’ll make a difference in your town or neighborhood. Maybe, you’ll help make someone’s life better. Maybe, you’ll discover that even kids have a say in what’s going on around us.

So take some time to look around on this website. Read the Michigan 4-H Today feature stories and subscribe to the 4-H News RSS feed to see what 4-H’ers are doing around the state. Visit the 4-H Events page for a great list of upcoming statewide activities. Explore the world through 4-H International Exchanges. Teen leaders have the opportunity to attend 4-H volunteer training workshops. Opportunities also exist for 4-H members to gain recognition and scholarships.

After you’ve done a little exploring, click on the Join page and get started having fun and making a difference.