National 4-H Week

October 4-10, 2026 was declared National 4-H Week. 4‑H is America’s largest youth development organization—empowering nearly six million young people with the skills to lead for a lifetime! In 4‑H, we believe in the power of young people. We see that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around us. 4‑H is delivered by Cooperative Extension—a community of more than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experiences where young people learn by doing. For more than 100 years, 4‑H has welcomed young people of all beliefs and backgrounds, giving kids a voice to express who they are and how they make their lives and communities better. In 4‑H programs, kids and teens ages 5-18 complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. Kids experience 4‑H in every county and parish in the country through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs and 4‑H camps. 4‑H’s reach and depth are unmatched, reaching kids in every corner of America – from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities. Our network of 500,000 volunteers and 3,500 4‑H professionals provides caring and supportive mentoring to all 6 million 4‑H’ers, helping them grow into true leaders today and in life. So, you may ask if 4-H is really making a difference in the lives of our youth and our communities. These are some of the latest statistics: 4-H’ers are four times more likely to give back in service to their communities. They are 2 times more likely to make healthy decisions, based on information they have learned in their 4-H programs. They are 2 twice as likely to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) based activities, because they have learned by doing hands-on activities through their local 4-H. Unlike many extracurricular activities, there is no cost to join 4-H and most activities are free or very low cost. We know that families are busy! 4-H clubs usually meet once or twice per month. If you don’t feel like you can make a monthly commitment, we also offer special programs throughout the school year and during the summer. You can choose the activities that work for your family’s schedule. If you are interested in finding out about 4-H Clubs and programs offered in Surry County, contact Amanda Gann at (336)401-8025 or agann@ncsu.edu.