OGLE COUNTY — One out of every seven adults in the U.S. is a former 4-H member. Clubs are accepting new members this month to grow that number even higher.
4-H youth development programs provide hands-on learning activities for youth in Illinois and throughout the country. 4-H youth programs focus on leadership, citizenship and life skills.
Every county in Illinois has a 4-H program which is operated through University of Illinois Extension. 4-H club membership is open to youth aged 8 to 18. Youth 5 to 7 years of age may join the 4-H Cloverbud program.

There are several ways to participate in 4-H. Youth may join 4-H community clubs, coordinated by local certified adult volunteers. Each club decides how often it meets, the location of its meetings and the activities held during the meeting. Members may select from over 100 different project areas to study while they build leadership, teamwork, cooperation, decision-making and communication skills.
Youth may also choose to focus on a very specific project area and join a club specifically related to that one project, said Jodi Baumgartner, University of Illinois Extension 4-H Program Coordinator.  Robotics, photography, shooting sports, visual arts, and horses, are just a few of the popular topics for special interest clubs.
One may also participate in 4-H through short term projects held during school or at after school youth organizations. Some of these popular groups teach youth about caring for the environment, preparing for a career, making healthy choices or other priority issues which build a person’s life skills.
If you are interested in learning more about 4-H or want to get involved, visit the Ogle County 4-H web site at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/bdo/, or call the Extension office at 815-732-2191.   If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in 4-H, just let us know.
4-H is the youth development program of University of Illinois Extension.  University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.