What is 4-H?

• 4-H is fun.
• 4-H is learning.
• It’s making new friends and doing new things.
• Sometimes it’s even going new places.
• 4-H is a club…a really big club!
• The 4-H Club is the largest youth organization in the United States!
• Louisiana has more than 200,000 4-H members in more than 1,700 clubs.
• 4-H is conducted by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service of the LSU Agricultural Center.

What is a 4-H Club?

A 4-H Club is a group of young people in your school or in your community who want to improve their heads, hearts, hands and health. Each 4-H Club has its own officers. They are supervised by Extension agents and volunteer leaders. A leader may be anyone interested in helping young people. Volunteer leaders who supervise clubs are “organizational” leaders.

What do 4-H members do?

“Learn by doing” is the 4-H Club slogan. 4-H members don’t just read about things; they do them. They make things. They take part in club meetings. They learn interesting new things. They learn to follow, and they learn to lead. They help their neighbors and their neighborhoods through club activities.

What activities can you do?

4-H members choose the activities they want to do. Would you like to…

• Visit interesting places
• Win awards
• Learn photography
• Raise animals and plants
• Prepare food
• Use a computer
• Make better speeches
• Collect insects
• Learn to sew

4-H members can choose to do these activities and many more. In most parishes you can do a demonstration, make exhibits, design posters and participate in animal shows. These are just a few of the ways 4-H'ers learn by doing.

What is a project?

Every 4-H member selects at least one 4-H project. “Completing a project” means doing everything the activity book suggests. The activities in project books provide you with the experience of learning by doing. Animal projects, for example, require you to have an animal. Please check with your Extension agent if you have a question about any project.

What can I do with what I learn in 4-H?

4-H is a great way to acquire lifelong skills such as:

• Self-esteem
• Communication skills
• Commitment to others
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Managing resources

4-H Mission

Through nonformal, research-based, experiential education activities, 4-H participants gain knowledge and life skills enabling them to become positive, productive, capable and compassionate members of their communities.