Join 4-H

Interested Youth

   The 4-H Youth Development Program focuses its efforts on providing life skills and opportunities for youth to be involved in decisions that affect them. Youth may be involved in 4-H as either 4-H participants or 4-H members.

4-H Participants

    4-H participants are youth in grades K–12 who take part in educational programs provided by Oregon 4-H, but who are not enrolled as members. In most cases, this includes nonmember youth participating in educational programs provided by the Extension Service or other programs that may not actually use the 4-H name and emblem with the participants. Youth participating in these programs should be aware that they are involved in a program sponsored by OSU Extension Service, even if the programs are not labeled as 4-H.

4-H Members

    For youth to be considered Oregon 4-H members, they must be enrolled in grades K-12. Youth are considered to be in the grade in which they are currently enrolled, or in the grade they have just completed. Youth in grades K–3 are eligible for membership only in the 4-H Adventures Program or other specially designated programs.  Youth in 4th through 12th grades are eligible for membership when enrolled in appropriate projects or activity clubs.

How do I become a 4-H member.....

• Visit the Crook County Extension office for more information on available clubs and projects
• Fill out a Crook County 4-H Member Enrollment Form
• Pay the $10.00 enrollment fee
• Turn the form into the Crook County Extension Service

Interested Adults

    Adult volunteer leaders are the mainstay of the 4-H program.  Each year more than 7,000 adults volunteer their time and talents to help Oregon 4-H members. In addition, nearly 1,000 teens are involved in leadership projects.

    Leaders learn along with 4-H members as Extension faculty members keep them informed about new information. Not only do leaders learn more about the project they are teaching, but they learn about teaching techniques and working with people. For this reason, 4-H is often referred to as an adult education program as well as a youth education program.

    Although most volunteers lead clubs, there are other leadership roles in Oregon 4-H. Some volunteers might serve as community coordinators, assisting Extension staff in recruiting and organizing 4-H work in a particular geographic area. Others serve as resource leaders sharing their skills with club leaders, while still others share their talents as activity leaders for camps and special programs or committee members involved in program planning with professional staff.

How do I become a 4-H leader.....

• Fill out a New Leader Application, including 3 references
• Attend a new leader training session
• Pass a criminal background check
• If interested, pay an insurance fee