Citizenship and Leadership

Leadership, Emerald & Ruby Stars

Junior and Teen Leadership
The minimum age/grade requirement for a Junior Leader is 12 years old or 7th grade by December 31st of the program year. Teen Leaders must in 9th grade or 14 years old by December 31st of the program year. Only the age criterion applies for home schooled members. 4-H Leaders are encouraged to carefully select their Junior and Teen Leaders. Selections should be made on factors such as skills, knowledge and experience in the project area and should not be based family relationships. Junior Leaders should act as assistant leaders; they should help plan and run meetings and assist members in learning new skills. Teen Leaders should serve as the primary leader for their project group, with the assistance, guidance and supervision of their adult volunteer leader.

Junior-Teen Leader Manual.2024 This resource will help you and your project leader plan for a great year as a Junior or Teen Leader! Take a look!

Emerald & Ruby Star Projects
The Emerald Star Award Program was revised in 2022 by the California State 4-H Office with the development of the new Record Book Awards. The new program encourages 4-H youth to further explore their "Sparks" while setting personal development goals. The new program consists of Emerald Star I and Emerald Star II.   

For additional information, guidelines, forms, and details please reference the CA 4-H Resource Center.  

Fresno County 4-H Ambassadors (formerly called All Stars)

To learn more about this Leadership opportunity click here

National 4-H Conference

The National 4-H Conference is the Secretary of Agriculture's premier youth development opportunity to engage youth in developing recommendations for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

The National 4-H Conference is a working conference in which youth and adults develop recommendations to help guide 4-H Youth Development Programs nationally and in their communities. This event brings together youth, volunteer leaders, and state and county extension staff members from across the United States, the U.S. territories, and the Canadian provinces.

As the sponsor for this conference, the National 4-H Headquarters is charged with sharing the recommendations that emerge from the conference with the Secretary of Agriculture, national extension program leaders, and others who determine 4-H programs. At the same time, the National 4-H Headquarters ensures that the conference is a meaningful experience for youth and adult participants. More information can be found:  http://4h.ucanr.edu/4-H_Events/N4-HC/

Conferences
There are lots of leadership and citizenship opportunities in 4-H such as Citizenship Washington Focus & Leadership Washington Focus.  For additional details click on the following link: http://www.4hcenter.org/youth-conference-center-overview/educational-programs/citizenship-washington-focus/