4-H Projects and Programs

The Gunnison County area offers a range of 4-H projects for youth members. Project work is typically done in the spring and summer, either in small volunteer-led project groups or at home with family.

Contact the Gunnison County Extension office for more information about 4-H projects.

Colorado 4-H Animal Science Projects

Through 4-H Animal Science, youth gain real experience working with animals and learn how to properly care for and raise them. From cattle and goats to poultry, rabbits, and pets, members explore many species as they develop confidence and practical life skills.

Note: The following project links will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website to find additional information and resources.

A happy light-brown dog is being examined by two people, one wearing a blue VOLUNTEER shirt and face shield, and the other in dark scrubs with gloves and a stethoscope.

Animal Science

4-H Beef Project

Colorado 4-H Communication & Leisure Arts Projects

The 4-H Communication, Arts, & Leisure Sciences project category focuses on developing life skills like self-expression, creativity, and public speaking through hands-on activities in areas such as visual arts, performing arts, journalism, and public presentations. These projects help youth gain confidence and learn how to organize and present information effectively in written, oral, and visual formats.

Note: The following project links will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website to find additional information and resources.

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Visual Arts Project

a notebook full of notes and photos on a grey carpet

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Scrapbooking Project

A smiling teen holding a DSLR camera stands outdoors near a building with bright red and orange structural beams, wearing a coral sweatshirt and a black camera bag across his shoulder.

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Photography Project

Three individuals are seated and standing behind a table in a meeting room decorated with 4-H banners and flags. The table has small American and 4-H flags, a gavel, and notebooks.

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Leadership Project

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Global Citizenship Project

A child wearing large over-ear headphones smiles while looking through the viewfinder of a professional camera mounted on a stabilizer.

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Filmmaking Project

A young girl wearing an apron carefully shapes small clay bowls at a pottery table, with shelves of ceramic pieces and tools in the background.

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Ceramics Project

Two youth sit at a table working on leathercraft projects. One uses a yellow mallet and stamping tool to create designs on round leather pieces, while the other carefully carves patterns into a larger leather panel.

Communication, Arts & Leisure Sciences

4-H Leathercraft Project

Colorado 4-H Family & Consumer Science Projects

4-H Family and Consumer Sciences is a program that teaches youth practical life skills for managing homes, family, and careers through project-based learning. Projects cover areas like food and nutrition, clothing and sewing, heritage arts, and design and décor. Key outcomes include developing decision-making skills, learning to manage resources, and gaining skills for success in life and future careers.

Note: The following project links will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website to find additional information and resources.

An adult and a child sit on the floor smiling while reviewing assembly instructions, with wooden furniture pieces and hardware spread out in front of them.

Family Consumer Science

4-H Home Design & Decor Project

Four youth lie on a colorful heart-patterned blanket arranged in a circle on a wooden floor, smiling up at the camera while wearing 4-H themed shirts.

Family Consumer Science

4-H Heritage Arts Project

A young child smiles while standing in a kitchen, holding a measuring cup filled with chopped vegetables and a knife over a cutting board as part of a food preparation activity.

Family Consumer Science

4-H Food and Nutrition Project

A child concentrates while sewing fabric on a sewing machine, guiding the material carefully with both hands.

Family Consumer Science

4-H Clothing Construction Project

Young girl wearing a chef hat and striped apron carefully piping colorful frosting onto a cake in a kitchen setting.

Family Consumer Science

4-H Cake Decorating Project

A smiling young girl pins a sewing pattern onto pink fabric at a craft table, surrounded by colorful thread spools, fabric swatches, and sewing tools, while an adult sits in the background holding a cup and watching her work.

Family Consumer Science

4-H Artistic Clothing Project

Colorado 4-H Mechanical Sciences Projects

4-H Mechanical Sciences projects help youth explore how machines, tools, and technology work through hands-on learning and problem-solving. Members develop practical skills in areas such as small engines, woodworking, robotics, electricity, and metalworking. By working on projects like repairing engines, assembling simple circuits, or designing and programming robots, youth gain confidence, learn to work safely, and better understand the mechanical systems that power everyday life.

Note: The following project links will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website to find additional information and resources.

A young person wearing safety goggles sands a piece of wood, leaning in with focus while working on a woodworking project in a workshop filled with lumber.

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Woodworking Project

An adult and a young boy work together in a workshop, examining and assembling parts of a small engine on a workbench surrounded by tools and equipment.

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Small Engines Project

A youth wearing a green 4-H shirt concentrates while using a hand tool to assemble or adjust a small wheeled project at a worktable indoors.

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Robotics & Engineering Project

A model rocket launching off grass with people in the background

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Model Rocketry Project

An adult and a youth wearing protective welding helmets work together on a metal welding project in a dimly lit workshop, with sparks visible from the welding torch.

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Metalworking Project

Close-up of children’s hands working together on a small electrical circuit, holding a battery-powered light bulb with red and black wires during a STEM activity.

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Electricity Project

Two students sit side by side at a table in a classroom, smiling as they work together on a laptop, with other students using computers in the background.

Mechanical Sciences

4-H Computer Science Project

Colorado 4-H Natural Resources Projects

4-H Natural Resources projects help youth explore the environment and learn how to conserve and care for the world around them. Through hands-on activities, members study ecosystems, wildlife, and the natural processes that support life, while developing an appreciation for outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship. Key areas include wildlife and ecosystems, shooting sports, gardening, and entomology.

Note: The following project links will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website to find additional information and resources.

Couple Crown Crane Birds facing each others

Natural Resources

4-H Wildlife Project

A smiling girl stands beside a lake holding a large rainbow trout with both hands after catching it outdoors.

Natural Resources

4-H Sportfishing Project

A bundle of colorful arrows standing upright in front of an archery target with concentric rings of blue, red, and yellow.

Natural Resources

4-H Shooting Sports Project

A boy wearing a safety harness and helmet climbs a rock wall, gripping the holds with determination.

Natural Resources

4-H Outdoor Adventures Project

Three youth work together in a raised garden bed, digging in soil and using small tools.

Natural Resources

4-H Gardening Project

An adult and a young boy examine a small frog resting in the boy’s gloved hands during an outdoor nature activity.

Natural Resources

4-H Entomology Project

A child and an adult in full beekeeping suits examine a honeycomb frame covered with bees outdoors on a sunny day, standing beside a beehive in a grassy area.

Natural Resources

4-H Beekeeping Project

Self-Determined Project

A self-determined 4-H project allows youth members to build and pursue a project of their own design, either as an advanced phase of an existing project or in a new area where no formal project exists.

This option encourages autonomy and creativity, supports personal interests, and provides experience in goal setting and decision-making.

Note: The following link will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website.

Learn More

Cloverbuds Program

Cloverbuds are 4-H members ages five, six, or seven years old by December 31 of the current 4-H year. Unlike older 4-H members, Cloverbuds focus on activity-based learning and cooperative, non-competitive experiences. These supervised programs are designed to be age-appropriate and offer more variety.

The unique Cloverbuds 4-H program helps to support the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth of kindergarteners, 2nd graders, and 3rd graders while providing an engaging, unique educational experience.

Note: The following link will direct you to the Colorado 4-H website.

Learn More

A young girl writes in a notebook at a table

Gunnison County 4-H Clubs

The Gunnison County area has several community clubs that coordinate events and help mentor youth members through a variety of 4-H projects. Most clubs meet once a month.

Find a Club