4-H grows confident, capable, and caring kids with the life skills to thrive in today’s world and succeed in their boldest dreams for tomorrow.  Working in partnership with 110 universities, 4-H programs are research-backed and offer life changing experiences to youth around the world and right here in Wayne County.

In Ohio, 4-H is administered through a partnership between the United States Department of Agriculture, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension, which is part of the OSU College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and local county commissioners.

For more than 100 years, 4-H has stood behind the idea that youth is the single strongest catalyst for change.  What began as a way to give rural youth new agricultural skills, today has grown into a global organization that teaches a range of life skills.

4-H is dedicated to positive youth development and helping youth step up to address challenges in a complex and changing world.  4-H is cultivating the next generation of leaders and tackling the nation’s top challenges such as maintaining our global competitiveness, encouraging civic involvement, and becoming a healthier society.

4-H is the largest youth development organization in the United States with 6.3 million youth.  There are more than 532,000 adult volunteers and 60,000,000 4-H alumni around the world.

There are more than 200 different projects that youth can choose from ranging from animals to rocketry, cooking, sewing, woodworking, photography, robotics, and much more.  After completing their 4-H projects, youth participate in countywide project juding and have the opportunity to exhibit and/or show them at the Wayne County Fair.

To join 4-H youth and/or their parents should contact the Wayne County Extension Office for assistance in finding a club that is accepting new members in their area of the county.  The deadline to enroll in 4-H for 2015 is April 1st.

4-H also offers youth the opportunity for summer camp experiences.  This year Wayne County 4-H will offer Junior Camp at 4-H Camp Ohio near Utica for youth ages 8-13 and Teen Camp at Kelleys Island 4-H Camp for youth ages 14-18. Both camps offer many different activities that will engage youth in problem solving and fun hands-on experiential learning activities.  Junior Camp will be held June 29th through July 3rd and Teen Camp will be held July 23rd through July 26th.

Sources: National 4-H Council Factsheets

Doug Foxx is an OSU Extension 4-H Youth Development educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722.