The Ohio 4-H Youth Development Program seeks to provide positive educational experiences for youth, volunteers, parents/gaurdians, and community members. To creat and support this positive environment, Ohio State University Extension has adopted specific policies, procedures, and best practices. As an organization, we believe in the important role that policies and procedures play in ensuring a positive and safe learing experience for youth, parents/guardians, volunteers, and community members.
What is a 4-H Club?
4-H clubs are a team of young people led by a club advisor(s) (coaches) engaged in positive youth development experiences. Your coaching challenge is to develop and manage a well-rounded 4-H club team. To accomplish this, your club management playbook will need to include goal-setting, community service, public speaking, leadership and decision making, fundraising, teambuilding, social and recreational activities and a variety of hands-on learning experiences. Successful 4-H clubs empower their members to help shape the 4-H club programs.
How Can You Develop and Manage Your 4-H Club for Success?
The 4-H Advisor Handbook has many resources available to help make your 4-H club successful.
Who is On Your 4-H Club Team?
Each member in your 4-H club is unique and special…coming to your club with characteristics, needs, and interests reflective of their age, project knowledge and skill level and support network. Your 4-H club team may include Cloverbuds and teens, first timers and veteran members, leaders and followers. Your coaching challenge is to create a club environment where all members are “green and growing”.
Whether you have just five or more than thirty members, you are helping each of them become competent, caring, contributing and capable citizens. Your members are part of the Ohio 4-H Club Team of nearly 100,000 youth, which continues to grow stronger.
Why do Members Join 4-H?
Whether you were a 4-H member or are brand new to the program, you will need to be able to answer this question to be a successful 4-H coach. Fun, friends, camp, fair, projects and new experiences are some of the common reasons cited by 4-H members. If you probe a little deeper, members may share with you answers such as “to develop leadership skills, to be a part of a team, or to make a difference in my community”. However, what the reasons have in common is the opportunity for members to grow individually and as part of a group – The 4-H Club.
How Do Member’s Benefit From the 4-H Club?
Your club’s ability to meet members’ individual and group needs and interests can be the catalyst for member self-motivation, initiative and creative expression. Research has shown the self-motivation, when coupled with challenge is an effective way to encourage youth initiative. Many believe developing initiative helps youth solve problems, achieve goals, and overcome life’s challenges. Some even consider initiative to be the foundation for leadership, creativity, altruism and civic engagement. How are your 4-H club experiences helping to shape member’s lifestyles, daily decisions and career choices?
Ohio 4-H Club Advisors Handbook
4-H Coaches On-Line Playbook to A Winning 4-H Season
Club Management Resources, Policies, and Procedures
The Ohio 4-H Youth Development program seeks to provide positive Educational experiences for youth, volunteers, parents/guardians, and Community members. To create and support this positive environment, Ohio State University Extension has adopted specific policies, procedures, and best practices.
As an organization, we believe in the important role that policies and procedures play in ensuring a positive and safe learning experience for youth, parents/guardians, volunteers, and community members. Visit the Ohio 4-H website for relevant policies and procedures adopted by Ohio State University Extension.
Club Leaders
Club leaders provide the necessary organization and structure for 4-H members to reach their full potential and grow into future citizens and leaders. Club leaders strive to achieve this goal by helping 4-H members learn skills that include learning by doing and giving back to the community, while making new friends along the way.
Club leaders take on many responsibilities that help to encourage the members to participate, learn, and grow throughout the 4-H experience. For more information regarding the roll of club leaders, please visit the Ohio 4-H website Club Leaders resource page.
4-H for Youth
4-H is the ultimate youth development experience and is what you make it. Through trips, activities, projects, leadership roles, working in teams and new levels of responsibility, youth learn the skills necessary to be successful in an ever changing world. “Join the revolution of responsibility” and prepare yourself for greatness in 4-H! You may visit the Ohio 4-H Website 4-H for Youth page for more information on what 4-H has to offer the youth of Ohio.
Officer Resources
Congratulations on being an officer in your 4-H club! You deserve a lot of credit for taking on the responsibility of keeping your club organized and moving it forward. Below is a link to publications and tools that you will find very helpful. Click on the ones that interest you, print them out, and continue playing an active role in your club. Good luck!!!! Officer Resources
Making the Best 4-H Clubs Better