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4-H

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4-H in the United States is a youth organization in the United States administered by the Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension System with the mission of "empowering youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults." 4-H serves over 9 million members in the United States from ages 8 to 21 in almost 100,000 clubs. 4-H clubs and related organizations now exist in many other countries as well, but the organization and the administration of it varies from country to country.

Sign announcing 4-H membership on a ranch in Larimer County, Colorado.

History

The foundations of 4-H began around the start of the 20th century, in the work of several people in different parts of the United States who were concerned about young people.

The seed of the 4-H idea of practical and 'hands-on' learning came from the desire to make public school education more connected to country life. Early programs tied both public and private resources together for the purpose of helping rural youth.

During this time, researchers at experiment stations of the land-grant university system and USDA saw that adults in the farming community did not readily accept new agricultural discoveries. But, educators found that youth would "experiment" with these new ideas and then share their experiences and successes with the adults.

So rural youth programs became a way to introduce new agriculture technology to the adults. A. B. Graham started one such youth program in Clark County, Ohio in 1902, which is considered the birth of the 4-H program in the United States. When Congress created the Cooperative Extension Service at the USDA in 1914, it included within the CES charter the work of boys and girls clubs. These soon became organized as 4-H clubs.

Newton County, Georgia, is known as the "Southern Home of the 4-H Club." Superintendant of schools, G. C. Adams began a boys corn club there in 1904.

The 4-H motto is "To make the best better".

4-H pledge

The 4-H pledge is as follows:

I pledge
My head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service, and
My health to better living,
For my club, my community, my country, and my world.

Some states such as Minnesota add "For my family" in the last line of the pledge.

4-H emblem

The 4-H emblem is federally protected under Section 18 US Code 707 and belongs to the Congress of the United States. The official emblem is a green four-leaf clover with a white 'H' on each leaf standing for heart, head, hands, and health. White and green are the 4-H colors. The white symbolizes purity. The green represents nature's most common color and is emblematic of youth, life, and growth.

The 4-H program

The program aims to educate youth in arts and sciences, and encourage fellowship and service opportunities. With continued urban sprawl, 4-H continues to develop new projects for its members to study beyond agriculture and animal husbandry, including photography, conservation, cooking, public speaking, history, art, and other pursuits.

Though it is a common belief that 4-H is centered around agriculture and animals, it is not. Showmanship is a very large part of the foundation. However, 4-H is a community of young people across America learning citizenship, leadership, and life skills.

The organization is often associated with summer camps, county fairs and state fairs. 4-H has spread out across the world, and regularly awards and sponsors the International Four-H Youth Exchange (IFYE), trips, and cultural events (see external links).

While having embraced many new fields of endeavor over the years, 4-H retains a strong connection to its roots in agriculture and associated values of thrift, invention, education, compassion, conservation, encouragement, service, and general happiness and well-being.

Camping programs

Every U.S. state runs their own camping program independently of other states. Most states' 4-H programs are run through land-grant institutions. Washington State University runs the Washington program, as Pennsylvania State runs their program. The Georgia 4-H camping program boasts the largest youth center in the world, known as Rock Eagle.

Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center is a program of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and has been offering youth affordable programs for 25 years. All the programs are designed to get kids outdoors, exploring nature in a safe and nurturing environment. Tanglewood specializes in traditional camp activities while presenting youth with additional opportunities in leadership development.

Collegiate 4-H

Many colleges and universities have Collegiate 4-H clubs. Usually members are students who are 4-H alumni and want to continue a connection to 4-H, but any interested students are welcome. Clubs provide service and support to their local and state 4-H programs, such as serving as judges and conducting training workshops. They are also a service and social group for campus students.

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