4-H Youth Development

What is 4-H?

4-H is the largest youth-serving organization in the country. It is a volunteer-driven organization that reaches boys and girls through a variety of interactive programs. Experiential learning is the key to providing 4-H youth with positive experiences to “learn by doing.”

What Types of 4-H Opportunities are Available?

4-H Clubs co-ed groups with at least five members, ages 5-19 years. The club is led by one or more volunteer leaders with the help of parents and other adults.

Cloverbuds are 4-H members who are in grades K-3. A 4-H club may entirely consist of Cloverbuds, or the clubs may include mixed ages.

Family 4-H is for families that consist of one or more adults and any children in the family who wish to participate in 4-H.

After-School Programs are sites where 4-H projects are being taught. The Albany County 4-H Program currently employs a part-time instructor who teaches youth hands-on project material at various sites throughout Albany County. There are also a number of teaching kits available to after-school sites wishing to find meaningful programs to deliver to their students.

What Types of 4-H Projects are Available?

There are over one hundred 4-H projects that members can choose from.

Topics include:

Are There Any Special Events?

There are many special events that members of 4-H can participate in:

• Public Presentations
• Workshops
• Conferences
• Contests and Other Competitions
• County and State Fairs
• 4-H Camps
• Trips and Tours
• Teen Groups
• Scholarship Offerings

Volunteer Opportunities with 4-H

There are many ways that caring adults can volunteer to work with youth in the 4-H Program:

Organizational Leader – this person is the main leader for the 4-H Club. S/he is responsible for getting the group together, completing necessary paperwork, and being the main liaison between the club and the 4-H Office.

Assistant Leader – this individual helps the organizational leader in the operations of the 4-H Club. S/he may assist with paperwork, may be the person responsible for a meeting in the event that the organizational leader is not available, and may work with other volunteers to plan programs and activities.

Activity Leader – some clubs have an activity leader that plans field trips or other special activities for the club members.

Project Leader – this person may have a specific expertise or interest in a particular 4-H project and is in charge of helping the club complete the project. An example may be someone who loves to do holiday crafts and would therefore be in charge of making sure crafts are completed and taken to the 4-H Holiday Fair in November/December.

Advisory Committee Member – there are several advisory committees that give guidance to the Albany County 4-H program. Examples include the 4-H Horse Advisory Committee, the 4-H Dog Advisory Committee and the 4-H Shooting Sports Advisory Committee. An adult who has a specific interest in an advisory capacity can contact the 4-H Office for more information.

Mentor for the Teen Moms Program – the Albany County 4-H Program is fortunate to conduct a support program for teen moms and their children. The Mentors and Moms Program promotes a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult for pregnant and parenting adolescents, to help the teens reach their goals and become productive and contributing citizens. The Mentors and Moms Program is always in need of volunteers who are willing to be matched with a teen mom to give her guidance and support.

Click here to learn more

What is the 4-H Pledge?

How do I Find Out More Information?

Call us at the 4-H Office at 518-765-3500 and ask for Joan, Eileen or Barb. We’re here to help!

4-H After-School Program

The 4-H Program is pleased to provide a traveling after-school instructor who brings 4-H projects to life in the after-school setting. Topics related to foods and nutrition, physical fitness, environmental education, science and technology, and character education are some examples of the many projects available. In addition, there are a number of teaching kits available for after-school sites to use to enrich their program. The kits are free of charge and contain the necessary materials to conduct hands-on activities with youth.

Please click on the after-school brochure to find out more about our kit program.

Altamont and State Fair

Altamont Fair
“See you where? At the Altamont Fair!!!” The Fair provides a wonderful opportunity for 4-H members to showcase what they’ve learned throughout the year. Not only can youth be involved in showing their animals, but there is also an entire building devoted to 4-H, located just inside Gate 1 of the Fair. There you will find hundreds of exhibits related to Foods and Nutrition, Mechanical Science, Woodworking, Clothing and Textiles, Home Improvement, Environmental Education, Shooting Sports and Creative Arts. Each 4-H member presents their exhibit to a judge the Saturday before fair opens, and is given both encouragement and constructive criticism to learn how to improve their skills. Plenty of hands-on activities are also awaiting the young fairgoer in the 4-H Building! 4-H Junior Superintendents are available to help young children with the activities and to answer questions about 4-H.

In addition to the above, there are a number of 4-H Animal Shows that go on throughout fair week. 4-H members can participate in the Poultry Show, Rabbit Show, Sheep Show, Goat Show, Dairy Show, Beef Show, Horse Show, Dog Exhibition, and even a Guinea Pig Show! The members are judged on how well they take care of and show their animals, which is a tremendous learning experience that proves to be helpful in mastering critical life skills later on.

State Fair
Youth who participate in Altamont Fair may be asked to go on to represent Albany County at the New York State Fair. Outstanding projects are chosen to be on display in the Albany County booth of the Youth Building at State Fair. In addition, 4-H members may also compete in the animal shows at State Fair. Over the last several years, many Albany County 4-H youth have participated in such state-sponsored horse events as Hippology and Horse Judging.

4-H County-Wide Events

Public Presentations
This program is one of the most popular of all of the 4-H Programs. All 4-H members are encouraged to develop a demonstration or illustrated talk based on some practice, skill or knowledge learned, preferably through a 4-H project. Youth then give a presentation or demonstration in front of a team of judges who evaluate the young person and provide constructive criticism. Youth who graduate or “age out” of 4-H have commented that the Public Presentations Program is an experience that has helped them with successful job and college interviews.

Winter Carnival
This has been an annual event over the last three years (snow or no snow!!) The day is filled with games and activities for 4-H members, parents and leaders alike. It’s a great time for 4-H’ers to get together across the county, have some food and fun, and “chase away the winter blues!!”

Fashion Revue
This event is also open to all 4-H members in Albany County. Members make or buy an article of clothing, have it evaluated by a judge, and then model it at the Fashion Revue in front of a crowd of onlookers. At this event, members are selected to represent Albany County at the State Fair Fashion Revue. This is terrific experience for the young people as it builds their self-esteem and provides a framework for promoting positive youth development.

Holiday Fair
This event gives 4-H members another opportunity to “show their stuff” as they once again have their work evaluated in front of a judge. The project is then placed on display for three days during the holiday season. This gives the general public a chance to see what the 4-H’ers have made and provide an avenue to market the 4-H Program. 4-H’ers can exhibit projects related to foods, indoor gardening, fabric items, woodworking and small craft items. Each year, over 200 exhibits are on display for everyone to enjoy.

Younger Member Recognition
This is an annual event for members age 12 and under, and is sponsored by the 4-H Leaders’ Association. Activities have included: a tour of the Empire Aerospace Museum, a Halloween Party, a hayride, roller skating and bowling.

Achievement Night
This event is held to celebrate the completion of a job well done and to recognize 4-H members for their accomplishments during the year. Awards are made and certificates of completion and achievement pins are also distributed.

4-H Horse Program

A volunteer 4-H Horse Advisory Committee meets every other month to give guidance to the program and make recommendations for educational efforts.

Albany County has done well at many of the Regional and State events. We have also been able to send some of our 4-H members on to the National Horse Competition in Louisville, Kentucky. Youth have given public presentations, and have competed in other events at the National Horse Round-Up.

4-H Dog Program

What better way to foster a healthy relationship than a youth and her dog having fun and working as a team! This type of teamwork promotes responsibility and companionship between the child and the family pet. Both the pet and child benefit! 4-H offers a program with various events throughout the year to promote these beneficial results. The 4-H Dog Program offers obedience classes and a variety of performance events at different times of the year. In addition, 4-H and the Albany Obedience Club co-sponsor a Dog and Kid Summer Camp for one week. This camp is a “pawsitively great” experience for kids and dogs alike. Agility and many other learning activities take place for one week in July. Space is limited however. Dog Shows and Exhibitions are also a large part of the program, and 4-H youth who do well at the Albany County Dog Show may go on and enter the State Fair Dog Show. Other opportunities are offered throughout the year that don’t require a dog and may be of interest to any youth. Watch this web site for information on what is offered and how to sign up.
www.akc.org.

4-H Shooting Sports

Shooting Sports is for young people who are interested in shooting and the conservation of natural resources. The Shooting Sports project fosters responsibility and helps youth acquire knowledge, skills, abilities and the opportunity to develop social skills, leadership techniques and community service opportunities. Certified volunteer instructors supervise each 4-H Shooting Sports program. Safety is a primary concern. Youth and adults are trained to know, practice and adhere to the tenets of firearm safety and handling. The Albany County 4-H Shooting Sports program is open to youth age 12 – 19 years. Currently the program offers three archery sessions at the William Rice, Jr. Extension Center in May, July and September. An air rifle session is offered at the Helderberg Rod & Gun Club. Our program also includes the Living History project as well. The program offers participants workshops during the year to make various projects related to 4-H Shooting Sports. For more information please contact Eileen DePaula, Albany County 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator, at 518-765-3500.

www.nys4hshootingsports.org

Teen Action Group

The Albany County 4-H Teen Action Group, or TAG, exists to promote 4-H teen activities within the county in addition to the local clubs. All teens ages 13-19 who are currently enrolled in the 4-H program are eligible for membership. The group does at least one community service project each year and has many social opportunities. They are also responsible for making the milk shakes at the 4-H Milk Shake Booth for the Altamont Fair! The proceeds from the booth help to support TAG’s activities and community service projects. So stop in during the Fair and have a wonderful, old fashioned milk shake or root bear float from 4-H’s Teen Action Group!

Albany County 4-H Teen Ambassadors

The NYS 4-H Teen Ambassador program was started in 1974 as part of a public information program organized by the NYS 4-H Agents Association. Albany County has had a Teen Ambassador program since the late 1970’s. These teens are both spokespeople and salespeople for the 4-H program. They accomplish this through a combination of public speaking and community service. They are asked to provide leadership within 4-H and their communities. As leaders, they are role models to other 4-H members as well as other youth. The group has spoken before the Albany County Legislature and given presentations about the 4-H program to various community groups. They have been involved in a wide range of community service activities as well. Some of their community service projects include: organizing a county wide food drive, providing meals for a homeless shelter, assisting at the Regional Food Bank, Troop Mail, and helping with fundraisers for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In April 2007, the 4-H Teen Ambassadors hosted a Mother & Daughter Tea to benefit the American Cancer Society’s fight against breast cancer. Over ninety women attended the event which included speakers, educational displays and a silent auction. The event raised $1,775.00 which was donated to the American Cancer Society. The requirements to become a 4-H Teen Ambassador in Albany County are: the youth must be at least 13 years old, have been a 4-H member for at least three years and have done two or more 4-H Public Presentations. For more information regarding the 4-H Teen Ambassador program or to schedule a Teen Ambassador to speak to your community group, please contact Eileen DePaula at 765-3500.

4-H Vet Science Program

The 4-H Vet Science Program has become quite popular over the last few years as more and more youth are exploring what they would like to do for the rest of their lives. The Vet Science Program is usually offered during the fall, and features a number of local vets who explain their specific roles and veterinary medicine practices. The jobs range from working with small or large animals, to being a vet technician or a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The program is open to any youth who might be interested in pursuing this career.

In recent years, the Vet Science Program has expanded to include a bus trip to the Cornell University Vet School Open House. This is an annual event that is held in April, and exposes youth to the many facets of veterinary medicine. Participants can take a virtual tour of the Cornell Vet School Emergency Room, view a number of exhibits, observe a horse on a treadmill, watch dog agility demonstrations, and take part in several hands-on education activities led by the Cornell Vet School students. The trip has grown in popularity over the last three years!

Mentors & Moms

4-H Summer Scene