UW Cooperative Extension Service
Brynn Berg, 4-H/Youth Educator
4-H and Youth Development
4-H educators work with local volunteers to deliver opportunities for youths to foster positive youth development while being engaged in project leraning. Extended participation in the program results in youths becoming caring, condident, and competent adults who contribute to the communiteis in which they live. Oportunities for young people include:
- Clubs, camps, clinics, competitions
- Setting goals and creating lasting friendships
- Learning citizenship, leadership, and life skills
- Character development
- Positive relationships with adults and other youths
4-H is an informal, practical, learning-by-doing educational program for youth. The purpose of 4-H is to help youth acquire knowledge, develop life skills, and form attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, productive members of society.
Professional and volunteer staff provide educational projects and activities in livestock, agriculture, family and consumer sciences, natural resources, and handicrafts, as well as leadership and citizenship.
4-H is America's largest out-of-school educational program for youth. Nearly 4.5 million youth nationwide now participate in 4-H, under the guidance of 600,000 extension-trained adult volunteer leaders. An estimated 36 million American adults are former 4-H members.