Whether you’re brushing up on skills, diving into a new project, or planning the ultimate club meeting, we’ve got you covered. We want to provide you with as much 4-H—tools, tips, and resources to help you grow, lead, and make the most of your 4-H adventure.
Let’s make this season one to remember—full of learning, leadership, and a whole lot of fun!
Types of Involvement in SLO County
We have three types of 4-H Involvement in San Luis Obispo County.
4-H Community Clubs: Organized in local communities and are open to all youth and families. They provide opportunities for youth to learn valuable skills with lifelong benefits and contribute to their communities through “hands-on” 4-H Project Proficiencies guided by appointed 4-H adult volunteers. 4-H community clubs are a safe place where youth can learn record keeping, practice decision making and participate in diverse educational activities related to club projects and governance.
4-H Afterschool Clubs: Organized in afterschool settings or existing programs that serve youth in a specific school, program or setting and are administered by U.C. Cooperative Extension staff as part of our 4-H Outreach. They provide opportunities for youth to learn valuable skills with lifelong benefits and contribute to their communities through “hands-on” project-based learning. 4-H afterschool clubs are a safe place led by caring adult volunteers.
4-H In-School Clubs: organized in school settings during the school hours. Youth are under the direct supervision of the school. Cooperative Extension staff, appointed 4-H adult volunteers or 4-H members provide educational content and lessons designed to complement, meet and/or enhance the school’s core curriculum. The clubs meet over a sustained period of time, are focused on positive youth development and provide opportunities for youth to learn valuable skills with lifelong benefits through “hands-on” project-based learning.
4-H Special Interest (SPIN) Clubs: Organized in local communities and are open to all youth and families. 4-H SPIN clubs engage youth in experiential exploration of a topic of interest. They focus on specific content and offer youth the opportunity for mastery and decision-making in an environment that fosters belonging. The level of mastery is dependent on the developmental ability of the youth. 4-H SPIN clubs are a safe place led by caring adult volunteers that are content experts. 4-H SPIN clubs appeal to the special interests of youth and adults and allows youth to investigate topics that may not be offered by 4-H projects in other club models.
See the below files for more details about the different types of involvement:
4-H Group Enrollment Form(7.2023)
Core elements of the California 4-H Youth Development Program By Mode
4-H Ventures Podcast
"This podcast examines the fun, but sometimes confusing, role of the 4-H volunteer. Each episode will explore a specific aspect or challenge volunteers face and offer best practices to improve the experience. Join your hosts, Kelly and Laura, as they discuss current trends, share resources, and offer tips and tricks learned from their own volunteer experiences."