Join Allen County 4-H

Who Can Join?

Ohio 4-H membership is based on a child's age and grade as of January 1 of the current project year. Eligibility for Cloverbud participation begins when a child is enrolled in Kindergarten and is five years old. Eligibility for participation in 4-H projects and competitive events begins when a child is age 8 and in the 3rd grade. Any youth age 9 or above is eligible for project membership, regardless of grade level. Membership requires enrollment in an authorized Ohio 4-H club or group under the direction of an OSU Extension professional or an approved adult volunteer. A youth’s 4-H eligibility ends December 31 the year he or she turns 19. Joining Ohio 4-H is a privilege and responsibility for individuals and is subject to the Ohio 4-H Code of Conduct and applicable policies of The Ohio State University.

How to Join?

Join a club in your county near your home or school. Experience 4-H with a friend, invite them to join with you. If you would like more information about the clubs that are available in your area, please click HERE to complete a short survey so we can assist you better. 

Click HERE for a listing of Allen County 4-H Clubs, where they meet, and what projects they offer.

When to Join?

 Most clubs start up in late winter or early spring. Join by April 15th ,the county's 4-H enrollment deadline, to take advantage of all 4-H opportunities including participation in Fair.

What is There to Do?

Members may select 4-H project(s) to explore through club and county activities. Use the 4-H Family Guide to learn about each and every one. Cloverbud members, age 5 and in Kindergarten until age 8 and in 3rd grade participate in non-competitive activities exploring a variety of fun, hands-on interest areas.

Preparing Youth for Success

4-H is a non-formal educational, youth development program offered to individuals age 5 and in kindergarten to age 19. Ohio 4-H youth development reaches more than 240,000 youth each year – helping kids “learn by doing” through hands-on activities.

All 4-H programs focus on active involvement and quality experiences which stimulate lifelong learning of values and skills. 4-H members learn valuable lessons in leadership, communication and collaboration while increasing their knowledge in math, science, technology and a variety of other topics.

4-H creates fun while learning in a variety of ways. Kids can participate in 4-H through community clubs, camps, in-school and after-school activities, and summer programs. They increase their self-confidence and personal life skills while learning about specific subjects - anything from animals or computers to public speaking, cooking, art, gardening and environmental sciences, just to name a few project topics.

A total of 220 volunteers developed educational opportunities for 998 youth in 40 clubs for 2021. Volunteers also assisted youth to help complete  2,645 projects. Our 4-H programming reached over 2,000 youth through traditional clubs and school programming. In addition, 4-H Volunteers and Youth along with community businesses continued to raise funds for the 4-H program.

Special Needs Accommodations

Accommodations can be made for youth with disabilities through our Winning 4-H Plan. Visit https://ohio4h.org/about/join-4-h#winning-plan for more information and to download the request form.