Welcome new employee: Kathy George, 4-H Program Coordinator
Kathy can be reached by phone at (810) 667-0343 or by email at george92@msu.edu
LAPEER COUNTY 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Join 4-H for fun, friends, and family.
To get involved in a 4-H club please call Lapeer County MSU Extension at 810-667-0343
For kids, 4-H offers fun learning opportunities through 4-H clubs, after-school programs, and local, state and international events.
For older teens, 4-H offers opportunities to set goals, develop strategies to reach those goals, and take leadership for sharing their skills, knowledge and talents to make their communities stronger.
For adults, 4-H offers research-based support and training in age-appropriate learning methods and materials to help plan activities and projects for young people in safe, nurturing environments.
Who is involved in 4-H?
4-H Youth Development programs are located in all 83 counties in Michigan. Each year, nearly 250,000 youth and 24,000 adult and older teen volunteers from major cities, suburbs, towns and rural communities participate in 4-H. Nationally, 4-H youth programs involve more than 5 million young people from all 50 states and many U.S. territories.
How do you join 4-H and how much does it cost?
Contact the 4-H staff at your county Michigan State University Extension office. The phone number is listed in the county government pages of your local telephone book. The MSU Extension 4-H staff can guide you to 4-H groups and 4-H opportunities in your community. For the Lapeer County MSU Extension 4-H Program contact Kathy George, 4-H Program Coordinator, at (810) 667-0343.
There is a ten dollar annual participation fee for each 4-H member. The fee is only paid once regardless of the number of clubs the 4-Her joins. The maximum annual fee per family is thirty dollars. In case of financial hardship, a family may request a scholarship. The administrative leader of the 4-Her's primary club collects the fee and turns it in to the Extension office along with the member's enrollment form. Individual clubs may also charge dues to cover expenses, and some project areas may require extra financial investments for supplies, equipment and travel. Explore the Web for more information about 4-H, starting 4-H clubs or becoming a 4-H volunteer in your county.
How old do you have to be to join?
4-H programs are open to youth aged 5 to 19. Adults aged 19 and older are encouraged to join 4-H as volunteers.
Who operates 4-H? 4-H Youth Development is delivered locally and operated at the state and national levels through a partnership among county governments, Michigan State University Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This partnership ensures that what 4-H promises in outcomes for young people is backed by the research and knowledge base of the nation’s premier land-grant university and the support of county, state and federal governments.
A 4-H club is a place where young people and adults come together to do things that help them:
Be what they want to be.
Think and learn about what interests them most.
Share how they feel about their activities and their lives in general.
Do fun things that also help them learn more.
Relate to peers and the adults in their lives in positive ways.
A 4-H Club Would Have:
At least five members from two or more different families.
One or more caring adult volunteers working with the members ( A minimum of 2 adult volunteers is encouraged.)
A format in which youth members decide what the club does and how it operates. This can, but doesn't have to be, done through club officers.
A club program (link to Starting the Year Off Right: Tips and Tools for Volunteers) planned by members, volunteers and parents that will help the group achieve their goals.
Six or more meetings a year.
Learning experiences that use the community.
Ways to evaluate and recognize the growth and learning of those involved.
Individual county programs might have different or additional criteria for starting a 4-H club, but these minimal guidelines should provide the foundation for your new club.
Are There Dues?
4-H clubs do not pay county, state or national membership dues. A local club may decide to generate funds to meet club goals either through dues or fund-raising activities.
What Types of 4-H Clubs Can You Start?
Although all 4-H clubs include the basic elements listed above, there are three common club formats.
Community Club: This type of club involves members of a variety of ages and interests. This club holds a general club meeting that may be held monthly throughout the year. Each member also is part of a project group or club that meets at other times to explore the specific project interests of the group. An administrative volunteer leader usually manages the club. This person provides support to the individual club and groups and to their volunteer leaders. Community clubs are formed within geographic areas, schools or housing communities.
Project Club: The activities of this type of club focus on one project or interest area. All members participate in the same project or interest. Club meetings can be held on a regular basis, usually weekly or monthly.
Explorer's Club: This club meets a minimum of six times a year to explore one or two projects or activities. These clubs are not usually ongoing clubs and are often limited to specific or limited timeframe based on the needs and interests of the members and their adult partners.
What Do You Need to Start Your 4-H Club?
Once you've recruited your adult and youth members, contact your Lapeer County MSU Extension office to find out how to register your new 4-H club. Volunteers who work with youth in 4-H are required to go through the Child-Well Being: Volunteer Selection Process before engaging in direct, in ongoing and unsupervised work with young people.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
4-H Youth Development Program MSU Extension-Lapeer County
Kathy George, 4-H Program Coordinator - Phone: 810-667-0343
New Policy: We hare happy to continue to accept registrations and enrollments and to sell bulletins before or after evening meetings at the Extension office, however we are no longer able to accept cash payments. For financial transactions outside office hours, payment must be made by check. Please make checks payable to Lapeer County MSUE 4-H. Official receipts will be mailed to you the next business day. Thank you for your cooperation.
4-H Horse Program
4-H Announcements:
Lapeer County 4-H Horse Show 2013
Results of 4-H Surveys
"A Study To Determine The Educational Needs And Effective Delivery Methods For The Education & Training Of 4-H Volunteers."
Click here to see the results of the survey conducted by Patricia Waugh.
4-H Forms
Many 4-H forms are now available online. Download them to your computer, or print them off for your convenience. Please click on the form you would like to view from the list below:
4-H offers two camps. An overnight camp (click on link for flyer and registration form) for children who have completed grades 2nd - 6th as of July 1st. The overnight camp begins on Wednesday, July 17 at 6 p.m. through Saturday, July 20 at 10:00 a.m.
The 4-H Day Camp (click on link for flyer and registration form) is 2 days of Fun! Monday and Tuesday July 15th and 16th for children ages 5 - 7 who have completed grades K - 1 as of July 1st.
You do not have to be a 4-H memeber to participate! Call the office today to receive more infomation.
*Come get a view of the camp at an Open House/Registration. Everyone is invited! This gives you a chance to meet some camp counselors, see the camp, overview activies and meet the camp director. Visit the camp on Satruday, May 11, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
On-line 4-H Leader Training
The first module of on-line training for 4-H leaders is ready! All leaders are invited to view the training.
20th Annual Celebrity Autographs Auction and the 4-H annual Spring Auction were a success. Thanks to all of you who particiapated to make it a HUGE Success!!!
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
