Welcome to 4-H!
The University of California 4-H Youth Development Program promotes hands-on, experiential learning for all youth ages 5-19. Youth members and adult volunteers from all backgrounds and locations are welcome.
4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning citizenship, leadership, and life skills. In California, 4-H is a nonformal educational youth development program administered by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE). Each county has local Extension staff who administer the program and provide guidance for volunteers who work directly with youth in their communities. 4-H is co-educational and available to all young people ages 5 through 19 regardless of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, or mental or physical handicaps.
Our over 70 adult volunteers work together with youth to help them reach their fullest potential, while strengthening the community as a whole. We have 11 separate 4-H clubs each of which operates under the direction of a Community Club Leader (CCL), Project Leaders and a team of 4-H officers.
In Addition, we have several community partners in San Luis Obispo that include local libraries, non-profits, and schools. See more information here.
What the 4-H's stand for
| HEAD | Problem solving: ability to sort out complex problems. |
| HEART | Emotional development: developing good attitudes toward work and learning; developing acceptance and appreciation of other people. |
| HANDS | Skills development: ability to do, skill in doing and habit of doing. |
| HEALTH | Physical development: understanding and appreciating a growing and changing body. |
Types of Involvement in Santa Barbara County
We have three types of 4-H Involvement in Santa Barbara 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