4-H, Youth & Families

 The WSU Yakima County Extension 4-H program helps young people learn and develop life skills and form attitudes that enable them to become self-directed, productive members of society.  In 2007, a total of 1,564 young people participated in traditional 4-H clubs and special-interest 4-H groups.  Nearly 900 youths, directed by 170 trained, adult 4-H volunteers under the guidance of WSU Yakima County Extension faculty and staff, participated in "learning by doing" life skills projects in animal sciences, environmental stewardship, expressive arts, family living, mechanical sciences or social sciences. The Yakima County 4-H program continues to serve youth from culturally diverse backgrounds.  For 28 years, the 4-H Crystallettes Club has provided approximately 450 migrant youth with positive experiences in performing and expressive arts under the guidance of volunteer club leader Sonia Rodriguez.

How Do I Join?
To find out more about joining a club or regarding programs, call WSU Yakima County Extension at (509) 574-1600.  We can tell you what clubs are already formed in your area and which clubs have projects in which you are interested.

4-H is for Everybody.
4-H is for kids in the country, kids in the city and kids everywhere in-between!  You can learn to ride a horse, bake a loaf of bread, or grow vegetables in 4-H, or you can train a dog, take photos, raise a rabbit, work with wood or be a babysitter.

4-H welcomes both boys and girls and all races and religions.  More boys and girls belong to 4-H than to any other youth group!  It's the biggest youth group in the nation.  At least 80 other countries have 4-H.

Vision
Washington State University 4-H Youth Development is developing young people to become productive citizens who are engaged in positive change, meeting the needs of a diverse and changing society

MIssion
4-H youth development education creates supportive environments for all youth and families to reach their fullest potential.  This will be accomplished through a systemic approach of foundation and mission driven science to meet our goals to:

• provide formal and non-formal experiential learning
• develop skills that benefit youth throughout life
• foster leadership and volunteerism in youth and adults
• build internal and eternal partnerships for programming and funding
• strengthen families and communities
• employ research-based knowledge and the land grand university system, and
• embrace and expand the traditions of the 4-H Youth Program