It’s National 4-H Week and this year’s theme “Beyond Ready” is encouraging families to discover how 4-H can help young people build leadership, career readiness, and life skills through hands-on experiences, according to University of Illinois Extension 4-H Youth Development Educator Shelby Carlson:
“We have a place for any young person from 5 to 18 in 4-H. I would encourage to reach out to your local Extension office and ask about getting your young person connected. We are able to do that for no more than $20 per member. Most of our clubs have some sort of an agreement where they cover at least part of that cost. We always have fee waivers as well, so cost is not a barrier to participating in 4-H. We most of the time meet once a month, so that is not going to be a huge time commitment for your family,” says Carlson.
“This is something your whole family can do together because those 5 to 18 year olds are really meeting on that same schedule. Fall is just the perfect time to get them involved so they can participate in the most experiences throughout the year,” Carlson adds.
National 4-H Week brings together 6 million youth, 3,500 Extension Educators, 500,000 volunteers, and 35 million alumni to celebrate the impact of preparing today’s youth for the future.
