The 2023-2024 4-H year officially kicks off September 1, with early enrollment under way. Gillespie County 4-H of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service welcomes new and returning members to another year of 4-H programming and opportunity.
Gillespie County 4-H will be having a New Member Night on at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30 at the Extension Office, 38 Business Court in Fredericksburg, and invite local families interested in 4-H to join and “Explore 4-H.”
4-H is a club for youth ages 8 to 18 in grades 3rd through 12th. All youth can join 4-H for $25 each and will select one or many projects to participate in from the categories of agriculture and livestock, family and community health, leadership and citizenship, natural resources and STEM.
Clover Kids, who are youth from kindergarten up to 3rd grade can join for $10 each, and it gives them a chance to explore what 4-H has to offer. Community service, leadership, and scholarship opportunities are also included in the offerings of this program that reaches more than 550,000 youth in Texas each year.
“The start of the new 4-H year is such an exciting time in our program,” Texas 4-H Youth Development Program Director Dr. Montza Williams said. “We hope to see members take advantage of every opportunity that 4-H has to offer this year, and we hope to see new members begin their journey in this life-changing program.”
Not only do youth gain knowledge in the topic area of their choice, but life skills like communication, teamwork, citizenship, giving back, and working hard are obtained along every step of the way.
“According to past members, one of the most common 4-H benefits is friendship,” Williams said. “Friendship in your county, your district, your state, and even your nation. 4-H is rich in the opportunity to make friends who are interested in the same things you are.”
The new 4-H year is exciting for members and for 4-H volunteers as well. The Texas 4-H program thrives on adult volunteers, with more than 30,000 registered and background-check-approved volunteers, annually.
“The volunteers are what make this program accessible to all youth,” Williams said. “We are incredibly thankful for the work our volunteers do across the state and encourage adults that have a skill to share to reach out to their County Extension Office about becoming a 4-H volunteer.”
CONTACT
The Gillespie County AgriLife Extension Office, or Emily Grant, 4-H & Youth Development CEA, can be located at 38 Business Ct. in Fredericksburg, or via email at emily.grant@ag.tamu.edu or by phone at (830) 997-3452. More information about 4-H enrollment or events can be found at https://gillespie.agrilife.org/4h/ OR texas4-h.tamu.edu.
