4-H Youth Development
Parents have a tough job to raise children in a world that is constantly changing. No matter where you live or what your circumstances, all parents want for their children to be happy and successful.
4-H is a place that provides youth with the skills and opportunities to pursue their passions, and parents' hopes and dreams for their children can become a reality.
WELCOME TO GORDON COUNTY 4-H
Gordon County 4-H is a positive youth development organization that offers educational programs to K-12 school-age children. The mission of 4-H is to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing life skills, and forming attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, productive, and contributing members of society.
There are nearly 1,800 youth enrolled in Gordon County 4-H and 60+ screened and trained adult volunteers actively support the program. There is no cost to be a member, though some optional activities and trips may have a small fee. 4-H members meet monthly, either during school or at one of our after school club meetings. Outside of that, you choose the activities you want to do, and each one has a specific schedule. The time commitment is entirely up to you, but like most things, you get out of 4-H what you put into it.
The 4 H’s stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, and the 4-H pledge below shows how each of these H’s are relevant.
4-H Pledge
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.
Gordon County 4-H’ers get to learn, compete, serve, lead, travel, and excel in a variety of ways. Programs offered through Gordon County 4-H include:
Clubs
- Cloverbuds (K-3rd)
- In-School Programs (4th-8th)
- Senior Club (9th-12th)
- Homeschool Club: open to all homeschool youth
Project Achievement
- Cornerstone program of Georgia 4-H
- An individual show-and-tell presentation on a topic of the student’s choice
- Over 50+ project categories
Camps/Conferences
- Summer Camp
- Cloverleaf Camp: 4th-6th Grade
- Junior Camp: 7th-8th Grade
- Senior Camp: 9th-12th Grade
- Cloverleaf Camp: 4th-6th Grade
- State Conferences/Rallies
- Junior Conference
- Junior Rally
- Weekend in the Classic City
- Fall Forum
- Senior Conference
- State Council
Agriculture & STEM
- Judging Teams
- Livestock Show Teams and Record Books
- Cattle
- Goats
- Sheep
- Swine
- Horse
- See also Gordon County 4-H Livestock Show Team Manual
- Plant Science
- Technology
- Environmental Education at 4-H Centers
- Zoom into Science - virtual science education series
Healthy Living
- Cotton Boll and Consumer Judging – learn about consumer goods and services and rank them on how well they satisfy a particular consumer’s need in a given scenario; understand the importance of cotton.
- LifeSmarts — consumer quiz bowl competition
- Foods and Nutrition Contests
- Egg Preparation
- Chicken BBQ
- Turkey BBQ
- Food Challenge
- Pantry Pride
- MilkMake
- Peanutrition
- Egg Preparation
- SAFE (Shooting Awareness, Fun, and Education) Program
Civic Engagement
- Community Involvement and Service Learning
- Club Officer Elections/Training – County, District, State
- 4-H Ambassadors - issue-based teen educators
- Leadership in Action Projects – for 7th-12th grade 4-H’ers to be recognized as leaders in their community, choose an issue and execute an action plan
- 4-H Day at the Capitol – tour the State Capitol while the General Assembly is in session, meet and page for legislators
- Certified Teen Leader Program
- My Preparedness Initiative (MyPI) - emergency preparedness training for teens
- State/National/Global Opportunities
- Community Service Activities – Rivers Alive cleanup, drives for clothing, school supplies, and pop tabs, ringing the bell for Salvation Army, visiting nursing homes, etc.
- Communication & Fine Arts
- Fairs/Festivals – Northwest Georgia Regional Fair,Georgia National Fair
- Arts Contests – Photography, Holiday Card Design, etc.
- Music Education Matters Summit
- Clovers and Company – traveling music performance group of Georgia 4-H
- Military Programs - for youth in military families
- 4-H Days at UGA - recreational and sporting events
Awards and Recognition
- Dean’s Award – a cumulative portfolio of 4-H career in one of five project areas
- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- Citizenship
- Communications and the Arts
- Family and Consumer Sciences
- Leadership
- Key Award – overall 4-H participation from 7th grade forward
- Graduating Senior Scholarships
Collegiate 4-H Experiences
- 4-H Camp Counselor Program
- 4-H Collegiate Scholarships
- Collegiate 4-H Program
- Collegiate 4-H Conference
Opportunities for Adults
- Coach a competitive team
- Lead a project club
- Chaperone youth as they travel to 4-H events
- Volunteer at a local service or competition event
- Serve as a member of the Gordon County 4-H Program Development Team
- Donate either financially or in-kind through goods or services. 4-H is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization
- National 4-H Volunteer Conference
- Find open volunteer positions
4 STEPS TO 4-H
- WATCH INTRODUCTION VIDEO
- COMPLETE REGISTRATION FORM
- DOWNLOAD 4-H APP
- Download 4-H Now in the App Store then search for Gordon County 4-H
- CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR:
- Welcome to Gordon County 4-H email
- Weekly e-newsletter sent every Sunday with upcoming events and activities; you will register for each activity as you choose to participate
- Activity consent form and medical release form once your child is registered for their first activity
United Way of Gordon County website
Gordon County 4-H is funded in part by United Way of Gordon County. Your contribution made to United Way stays in Gordon County unless you specifically request it to go elsewhere. Your contribution can even be designated to go directly to Gordon County 4-H.
For more information on how you can contribute, visit the United Way of Gordon County web site at www.gordoncountyunitedway.org.
Thank you for your financial support to United Way of Gordon County and Gordon County 4-H.