4-H Youth Development and Outreach

4-H is a youth development program for kids ages 5 to 18 that empowers youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults.

4-H members participate in local 4-H clubs, 4-H school programs or 4-H outreach programs where they learn new skills, make new friends and have fun. Within community clubs, youth attend meetings, complete projects, practice public speaking and do community service.

Youth who are 8-18 years old are welcome to join 4-H. A youth’s “4-H age” is determined by how old they are on December 31 of the current school year.

Youth who are 5-7 years old are eligible for the 4-H Cloverbuds program.

Research shows that young people who participate in 4-H clubs:

• Do better in school
• Are more motivated to help others
• Develop skills in leadership, public speaking, self-esteem, communication and planning
• Make lasting friendships

Through real-life situations, 4-H helps youth develop life skills such as: communication, citizenship, decision-making, leadership, interpersonal relations and community and global awareness. Youth learn these practical skills through hundreds of projects like cooking, wildlife, livestock, model rocketry, sewing, archery and shooting sports, art, photography, computers, leathercraft, outdoor adventure and many more.

A 4‑H project is a structured, hands-on learning experience that a 4‑H member chooses to work on, in depth, over time, guided by caring adults and built around real‑world skills. In addition to the project itself, youth share what they’ve learned through demonstrations, exhibits, presentations, or community service. 4-H projects help young people gain knowledge, skills, and confidence by actively exploring a topic they care about. Key features of a 4‑H project include:

• Youth‑chosen: Members select topics that match their interests.
• Experiential: Youth learn through doing, practicing, and reflecting—not just listening.
• Goal‑oriented: Projects involve setting goals, keeping records, and working toward improvement.
• Skill‑building: Projects develop technical skills as well as life skills like responsibility, problem‑solving, leadership, and communication.
• Ongoing: Projects are typically worked on over several months or a year, with increasing levels of challenge.

For information on types of projects, see 4-H Projects and Programs.

4-H community clubs serve as a home base for youth in 4-H. In their monthly meetings, youth make new friends, plan community service activities, have business meetings, and learn leadership skills. Club leaders are trusted adult volunteers who support youth in learning life skills and building a sense of belonging in the community. 4-H clubs are required to charter each 4-H year, which begins on October 1 and runs through September 30 of the following year. A 4-H community club member must:

• Be of the appropriate 4-H age (8-18 as of December 31 of the current 4-H year)
  • Note: Cloverbuds are 5-7 years old as of 12/31 of the current 4-H year.
• Enroll in 4-H via 4-H Online.
• Enroll in at least one 4-H project per year.
• Sign a 4-H member Code of Conduct.
• Pay state and local 4-H fees.
• Complete any additional county level requirements.

Enrollment fees may be paid by check made out to your 4-H Club, cash or other method as specified by your club leader. Credit card payments will not be accepted.

New Member Fees

• New 4-H members (ages 8 – 18) pay an enrollment fee of $50 per member and must enroll by April 1 but are encouraged to enroll sooner.
• New Cloverbud members (ages 5 – 7) pay an enrollment fee of $40 per member and must enroll by April 1 but are encouraged to enroll sooner.

Returning Member Fees

• Returning 4-H member (ages 8 – 18) pay an enrollment fee of $50 if enrolled by December 1.
• Returning Cloverbud member (ages 5 – 7) pay an enrollment fee of $40 if enrolled by December 1.

Leader Fees

• All leaders, new and returning pay an enrollment fee of $5.  New leaders have until April 1 while returning leaders are encouraged to enroll by December 1. Enrollment deadline for returning leaders is January 31.

Late Enrollment Fees

• There is a $25 late fee for all returning members who enroll after December 1 ( for a total payment of $75 per 4-H member, $65 per Cloverbud member). Returning members will NOT be accepted after January 31.

Method of Payment

All members and leaders need to submit payment to the Organizational Club Leader.  There are two ways of paying for enrollments.

• Check or Cash Payment
• Credit Card Payment

Check or Cash Payment

If members are paying by check or cash, they will need to submit the payment to the Organizational Club Leader.  Members will make checks out to the club if the club has a bank account.  If the club does not have a bank account, members should make checks out to “Arapahoe County Extension” and give payment to the Organizational Club Leader.

Credit Card Payment

Our office is unable to accept credit card payments for enrollment. Check with your Club’s Organizational Leader to see if they offer credit card payments.

If you have any questions about enrollment fees please contact our office.

1. Go to the 4-H Online site
2. Scroll down and select “I have a profile” if you are a returning family, or “I need to set up a profile” if you are a new family.
3. Role should automatically be set to “Family”

Returning Families
Your username is your family email address. Your password is the one you created last year. Once you are logged in, click the orange “Continue to Family” button.

New Families
Enter profile (family) information using the email address of the person in your family who will manage your 4-H Online account.  Click “Create Login” and enter more family information as requested.  To make it easier, select the box that says, “Update member records with same address” and then click “Continue”

Troubleshooting 4-H Online

• Forgot your password? 4-H Online can send you a new temporary password. Just select “I forgot my password” and then type in your family email address to have it emailed to you. If you no longer have access to that email account, please contact your Club Leader and ask them to reset it for you.
• “Email does not exist for the selected role”: If you get this error message then it means that you are not using the “Family Email Address” that 4-H Online has listed for you. DO NOT create a new account! This will cause huge problems in the system. Try to identify what your Family Email Address might be by attempting to log in using your other email addresses. If that does not work, contact your club leader as they can provide you with your “Family Email Address.” If the family email address they provide you with is wrong or outdated and you no longer have access to it, ask your club leader to change it for you.

Yes, dozens of college scholarships are available to local 4-H youth, with many application deadlines falling between January and May. To view more information on available and future scholarships, visit the Colorado 4-H Scholarships page

The Arapahoe County 4-H Foundation is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide financial resources and program support for Arapahoe County 4-H youth and leaders on a sustaining basis. For more information, visit the Arapahoe County 4-H Foundation page.