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| 4-H'er showing a baby goat to preschool children at the SW District Petting Zoo. Community service is a big part of 4-H. |
4-H is fun, it is learing and it is making new friends and doing new things. Sometimes it's even going new places. The 4-H Club is the largest youth organization in the United States! Louisiana has more than 85,000 4-H members in more than 1,700 clubs. 4-H is conducted by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service of the LSU AgCenter.
4-H is open to anyone. It's for rural and city boys and girls between the ages of 9-19. It's an educational program based on the principle of learning by doing.
Rather than merely reading about things, boys and girls actually do them. 4-H provides opportunities to develop such life skills as self-esteem, decision making, social interaction, practical knowledge, etc.
Complete a 4-H enrollment card. 4-H enrollment usually coincides with the beginning of school (August) in Calcasieu Parish through November 1.
If you attend a public or private school in Calcasieu, there is probably a 4-H club in your school. Each club has an enrollment meeting in August that is open to everyone between the ages of 9-19. These enrollment meetings are usually announced in school. Each school club has a local 4-H leader who helps organize the club. Please contact this person in your school about 4-H.
If you do not have a club in your school or are a home schooled student, you may join our 4-H Community club. For more information on a community club in your area, please contact the 4-H office.
4-H clubs meet once a month, beginning in October and going through April. They usually meet during school for about one hour. 4-H is a co-curricular activity in Louisiana and has permission from the local school board to meet for one hour during class. Each club meeting has an educational program based on science-related material that coincides with the La. Department of Education Science Standards
"Learning 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 l
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| 4-H'er shooting a shotgun during a shooting sports activity day. 4-H offers about 50 projects for youth. |
earn to follow, and they learn to lead. They do community service for their community and school. They learn to take responsibility in project work.
4-H members can choose the activities they do. You can visit interesting places, win awards, learn to baby-sit, raise animals and plants, prepare food, learn about health and fitness, use a computer, go to summer camp or learn about the environment. In all activities, they learn by doing.