4-H Is The Largest Youth Organization In Alabama

Four-H is the largest youth organization in Alabama and in the United States. In Alabama, more than 85,000 young people between the ages of 9 and 19 are involved in 4-H clubs. National 4-H Week is October 6-12. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the more than 5.4 million American youth involved in 4-H throughout the country. The basic goal of all 4-H programs is the same: to help young people be the best they
can be. In fact, the 4-H motto is "To Make The Best Better."


The four H's stand for head, heart, hands and health. 4-H'ers pledge their head to clearer thinking, their heart to greater loyalty, their hands to larger service and their health to better living for their club, community, country and world.

Organized clubs in every county in the state, provide educational experiences for young people through competitive and non-competitive activities. Four-H clubs are organized neighborhood or school groups. There are several types of clubs, including school enrichment programs, community or neighborhood summer clubs, special interest clubs, year-round community clubs, school clubs and after-school
clubs.

School Enrichment Programs meet during school hours. They add to what youth learn in school. Leaders may be Extension staff, trained volunteers or schoolteachers. Community or Neighborhood Summer Clubs meet during the summer, usually in members' homes.

Special Interest Clubs focus on areas of interest to 4-H'ers such as environmental stewardship, aerospace, beef cattle food preservation, etc. Year-round Community Clubs are usually organized by parents, members or adult leaders and are open to young people in a given community. Meetings are often held in members' homes, at schools, in clubhouses or at other meeting places in the community.

School Clubs may meet at the elementary, middle, junior high or high school. Meetings are held regularly during the school year.  After-school Clubs meet after school hours or on Saturdays. Meetings may be held
in school buildings, members' homes or other meeting places. Each county offers a variety of 4-H programs. Four-H leaders can help the 4-'Her select the program that best suits him or her. Additional programs can be added each year.

Program categories include citizenship and civic education, communications and expressive arts, consumer and family sciences, environmental education and earth sciences, healthy lifestyle education, personal development and leadership, plants and animals, and science and technology.

Four-H is a part of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System which is made up of Alabama A & M University and Auburn University. Tuskegee University is also a cooperating agency.