What do the 4 “H’s” stand for?
Head, Heart, Hands and Health
The 4-H pledge incorporates this as “I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.”
What value does 4-H provide?
Children benefit when they can learn in diverse environments. Kids in 4-H pursue their interests and develop life skills like leadership, teamwork, goal-setting and communication, while having fun and engaging with the community.
What age does my child need to be to participate in 4-H?
Your child can participate as young as 5 and continue into adulthood! Our club aims to have projects that will appeal to the various age groups so nobody is left out.
- Primary members (a.k.a. Cloverbuds) are ages 5-8
- Junior members are ages 9-10
- Intermediate members are ages 11-13
- Senior members are ages 14-19
What is a parent or guardian’s role in 4-H?
As a parent or guardian of a child in 4-H you support them and the club by attending our monthly club meetings, asking about what they did in their projects (or attending project meetings with them when appropriate) and choosing a volunteer role. We’d love to see you at every monthly meeting, but we know schedules are jam-packed, so we ask that you and your child attend a minimum of 7 out of the 9-10 meetings in the school year.
Our club is powered by the energy of the kids and the parents that support them. Lead or co-lead a project or recruit someone with a special skill to lead one. If leading a project isn’t for you, our club still needs help in a variety of ways to keep going strong. At least one parent or guardian should sign up for a minimum of one volunteer job or role in the year.
Why do we have monthly meetings?
Monthly club meetings are led by the club’s officers with support from the club’s leaders. We cover club business, build community, develop leadership abilities and have fun! Read more about club meetings here.
What are the projects?
4‑H programs are grounded in the belief that kids learn best by doing. Kids complete hands-on projects in a positive environment where they receive guidance from Project Leaders. Projects can be led by adults or teens, which provides a unique leadership opportunity for our older members. Specific projects for our club will be revealed at the September and January club meetings, and can be found here after they are announced.
How do I sign my child up for a project?
After our first meeting of the year in September as well as the club meeting in January, a GoogleSheet sign-up document will be emailed to you. The document will contain short descriptions of the projects, dates, age requirements and other details. You will sign your child up for whichever projects you want on the first tab in the document. Before participating in projects, members must have completed all their enrollment steps, which can be found here. Project leaders will communicate any other details about the project with you directly after you sign up.
What is a project leader?
Simply put, a project leader is the person who runs the project. The leader can be an adult or an Intermediate or Senior club member who has expertise to share. This entails deciding on the project, getting certified by the county, planning out the curriculum, dates, times and scope of the project, communicating details to the parents of the children confirmed in your project and confirming a co-leader to help you run the project (usually a club parent). 4-H has tons of resources to help you get started so you won’t be starting from scratch.
What is a project co-leader?
All projects are required to have at least two adults present at each meeting. A project co-leader is an adult who helps run the project. The co-leader is not expected to have expertise related to the project, but is there to help the leader in any way needed to ensure the project runs smoothly.
How do I become a project leader, co-leader or recruit one?
Our children thrive when there is a wide array of projects from which to choose. Leading a project is rewarding and flexible. You choose the project, you choose the time commitment, you choose how many kids you can lead! If you have a skill that lends itself to a project, know someone who does, or just want to help out on a project, contact us at admin@emeryville4h.club, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Where does the 4-H annual fee go?
A portion of the fee goes to 4-H at the state level and a portion goes to the county level to help pay the operational costs of the program.
Where does the suggested donation to our club go?
Your donation helps pay for supplies and recognition items for projects and club events, and covers any other club operating costs.