4-H Youth Development

The 4-H program empowers young people to reach their full potential by working and learning in partnership with caring adults. In a 4-H Club Program, young people get the opportunity to join a community, learn problem-solving and decision-making skills by exploring more than 60 hands-on projects, and have fun together.

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.

If you live in the Park County area, we can help you join 4-H! Follow these steps to get started:

1. Explore projects and find what sparks your interest! Usually, we recommend that new 4-H members choose one project. Project work mostly takes place in the spring and summer.
2. Browse available 4-H clubs and talk with your local Extension staff about which 4-H club might be a good fit for your family. Clubs usually meet once a month during the school year. Smaller project groups host workshops and experiential learning opportunities throughout the year.
3. Create an online 4-H profile. Once registered, your new 4-H club will provide additional information about project materials, meetings, events, and other opportunities.
4. Pay annual 4-H enrollment fee. Fees can be paid at your local Extension office.

Questions? Contact us for more information. Our staff is ready to help.

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.

A 4-H club is a group of youth with similar interests. Groups meet to learn a new skill in a 4-H project area and have fun. They can be neighbors, friends and family members. The club determines when, where and how often they will meet and what projects they will work on.

Clubs are located in Bailey, Fairplay and Lake George. We recommend that if multiple clubs are available in your area that you visit all of them to see where you feel your family would best fit it. Each club has project leaders that specialize in a specific area of 4-H. If a club does not have a leader for a specific project you are interested in, projects can be self-led or parent led.

4-H clubs and groups 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).
• 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.

Ready to get started? Explore 4-H clubs in Park County.

The annual fee for 4-H is $45.00 plus any 4-H project costs. The annual fee for Cloverbuds (age 5-7) is $25.