How Does 4-H Work?

The network of families that grows great kids

Raising great kids is a challenging task, but it’s easier when you have a team of people behind you. 4-H clubs are groups of families that do just that. Through working together, families share knowledge and interests to help kids learn practical skills and important values.

Age to join

4-H had its beginnings in rural America, but it now serves youth in urban and suburban as well as rural communities. Kansas 4-H is open to youth between the ages of 7 and 19. The new 4-H year starts in October, so many prefer to join 4-H at the start of the school year. 4-H enrollment, however, is open year round, so youth can join any time. In order to show at the county fair you must be enrolled by May 1.

Join a Club! 4-H clubs generally meet monthly, and nearly every community in Kansas has at least one. These meetings give youth opportunities to share their project work (speak), plan community service activities, and practice running meetings. They have many ‘sub-clubs’ for individual projects, led by adults or teens within the club. For specialized projects like shooting sports, many counties have county-wide project clubs that operate in a similar fashion.

Enrolling in 4-H Online

The 4-H year runs from October 1, 2023 thru September 30, 2024

Enroll: Click Here

4-H Online: Family Resources

List of Projects: http://www.kansas4-h.org/projects/.

Welcome to 4-H: New Families Guide

Members choose from a wide range of individual projects, based on their interests and the availability of a knowledgeable adult in the community to serve as a mentor/leader (matching facilitated through clubs). Through these projects, members set goals, learn the skills needed to achieve goals, and exhibit/demonstrate their skills at events like county fairs, speaking contests and other competitions.