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| 4-H'er participating in Chicken Queing Contest at Annual Poultry & Pet Day. |
What is 4-H?
4-H is fun, it is learning and it is making new friends and doing new things. Sometimes it's even going new places. The 4-H Club is the largest youth organization in the United States! Louisiana has more than 85,000 4-H members in more than 1,700 clubs. Lafourche Parish has over 1,300 4-H’ers in 32 clubs. 4-H is conducted by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service of the LSU AgCenter.
Who can Join 4-H?
4-H is open to anyone. It's for rural and city boys and girls between the ages of 9-19. It's an educational program based on the principle of “learning by doing.”
Rather than merely reading about things, boys and girls actually do them. 4-H provides opportunities to develop such life skills as self-esteem, decision making, social interaction, practical knowledge, etc.
When do you Join 4-H?
Complete a 4-H enrollment card each year. 4-H enrollment usually coincides with the beginning of school in Lafourche Parish through November Club meetings.
If you attend a public or private school in Lafourche, there should be a 4-H club in your school. Each club has an enrollment meeting in September that is open to everyone between the ages of 9-19. These enrollment meetings are usually announced in school. Each school club has a local 4-H leader who helps organize the club. Please contact this person in your school about 4-H.
If you do not go to a public or private school and you are home schooled you may join 4-H, just contact the 4-H office in Lafourche.
What is a 4-H Project?
Every 4-H member selects at least one 4-H project. “Completing a project” means doing everything the project book tells you to do. All new members in 4th & 5th grade choose the “Discovering 4-H” project book and may pick one more if they wish. Returning members may select one or two project books. If you have an animal, you can choose from the “Raising Animals” list. These special projects help you learn more about your pet or livestock animal.
What do 4-H members Do?
"Learning by Doing" is the 4-H club slogan. 4-H members don't just read about things, they do them. They make things; they take part in club meetings. They learn interesting new things. They learn to follow, and they learn to lead. They do community service for their community and school. They learn to take responsibility in project work.
What Activities Can 4-H Members Do?
4-H members can choose the activities they do. Do you want to…visit interesting places, win awards, learn to babysit, raise animals and plants, prepare food, use a computer, collect insects or learn to sew? 4-H members can choose to do these activities and many more. In Lafourche Parish you can do demonstrations, design posters, make exhibits and participate in animal shows. These are just a few of the ways 4-H’ers learn by doing.