Where Can Your Members Learn the 4-H Way?
4-H members' first learning experiences occur in your club. However, like all great coaches, encourage your members to learn beyond your practice and playing field. You can help members reach their fullest potential by encouraging them to:
Encourage your players to seek training and conditioning beyond your playing field.
- Attend training camps, workshops and clinics to help master skills and knowledge.
- Participate in county, regional and state contests including judging, quiz bowls, hippology, and public speaking to share knowledge with others while learning as individuals or on teams.
- For animal science projects, complete quality assurance training, equine safety and ethics instruction, and, sportsmanship and ethics programs to meet project and industry standards.
- Apply for an intra-state, inter-state, or international exchange opportunity to develop greater cultural awareness.
- Develop self-improvement plans including a mentorship, course work, or designing project experiences through the Self-Determined Project.
How Can You Help Members Learn More?
Begin by understanding more about the learning opportunities available to your members. Read your county 4-H newsletter, visit your county’s and the Ohio 4-H websites, talk to your County Extension Educator(s) and other 4-H volunteers. Review this list of opportunities to help your members’ access all 4-H has to offers:
4-H Camp: Outdoor fun, learning, and adventure combined with meeting new friends’ makes 4-H Camp one of member’s favorite 4-H summer experiences. Explore one of Ohio’s fourteen 4-H camps while participating in dramatic play, adventure challenges, nature exploration, recreational games and campfire fun. Other camping opportunities include: project specific camps, cloverbud camps, day camps and state camping experiences.
Exchange Programs: Do you have a 4-H member that would enjoy traveling to another country or hosting a 4-H member from around the world? Learn how your members can take advantage of this cultural experience by participating in the 4-H International Exchange Program. Exchange programs may also take place within Ohio and the U.S. Contact your County Extension Educator to learn if your county is currently involved with an intra or inter state exchange program.
Public Speaking Contests: Demonstrations, illustrated talks, speeches and skits help members develop essential public speaking skills. You can help members go one-step further with a club demonstration or talk by participating in 4-H public speaking contests. Assist members in preparing for these contests by utilizing Demonstrations for 4-H Members and Tools for Public Speaking and Tools for Teaching Public Speaking. Use these simple power point presentations to teach How to Create Health & Safety Speeches and Skits as well as How to Create Winning Demonstrations.
Project Related Programs & Contests:
- Equine Safety & Ethics: Every 4-H horse member and their parent/legal guardian must complete this program. Requirements include: reading Horse Safety Circular 191R, viewing Every Time Every Ride and Horses, Kids and Ethics, and signing the Permission to Participate In 4-H Horse Activities Disclosure and Release of Claims.
- Judging Contests, Quiz Bowls, and Hipplogy: Encourage your members to participate on judging teams, in quiz bowls and hippology contests. Members can sharpen project selection skills, acquire project knowledge and learn as a team.
Youth Food Animal Quality Assurance: 4-H members enrolling with food animal projects must annually complete a quality assurance program. Members may attend programs at the club, county, multi-county, or state level to meet attendance requirements. However, your fair board along with your County QA coordinator/team determines the qualifying program requirements for your county.
