Why participate in a 4-H club?

    Today’s youth have a wide variety of activities available to them. Whether youth are interested in athletics, music, dance, community service activities, etc., there are many options available for them to choose to get involved in. For many youth, the activities they choose to participate in will provide a foundation in which they develop their personalities and life skills.
    4-H club participation is one option for youth to choose to participate in. Research shows the youth who choose 4-H are more likely to be educationally motivated, have higher self-esteem and communicate more maturely than their peers. 4-H membership improves responsibility, confidence, leadership and presentation skills. Members also learn how to handle competition.
    Youth and early adolescence is a time of rapid change among young people. 4-H clubs have the opportunity to strengthen family ties and create good citizens.
    The four H’s of 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands and Health) represent four basic human needs: independence, belonging, generosity and mastery. Research indicates that youth whose basic needs are met in positive ways are likely to grow into active citizens and contributing members of their families and communities.
    By combining various project-related activities with opportunities to go to 4-H camps/conferences, showing their project work at county fair, travel and other 4-H-related activities, 4-H provides a framework on which young people can build confidence, responsibility and generosity.

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