National Initiatives

4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. For more than a century, the four H’s on the well-known 4-H clover—representing Head, Heart, Hands and Health.   Today’s 4-H focuses on the following three national initiative areas:

Science, Engineering and Technology:

• Provides youth with opportunities to engage in a process of discovery and exploration in science, engineering and technology that will prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
• Offers curricula with an extraordinary range of engaging and challenging activities for youth of all ages and abilities that can impart science literacy while also serving the fundamental developmental needs of youth.
• Draws upon a rich and diverse set of research-based curricula and activities that provide hands on, real world experiences delivered in both informal and formal settings.
• Taps into 4-H’s direct access to technological advances in agriculture and life sciences, family and consumer resource management, human development, nutrition and related areas, which result from land-grant university research.

Healthy Lifestyles:

• Teaches nutrition and promotes physical activity among youth.
• Helps youth work to bring about systemic change on good health for their families, their communities and themselves.
• Supports the physical, mental, and emotional health of our Nation’s youth.
• Programs address critical issues like childhood obesity, substance abuse and physical safety

Citizenship:

• Infuses youth into decision-making bodies and processes—both within 4-H and in the broader community—at local, state and national levels.
• Identifies best practices, resources and training modules for organizations and communities interested in positive youth development and strengthening communities and democracy in general.
• Is a catalyst for new research and new programs and leverages existing efforts, skills and knowledge.
• Identifies programmatic expertise and links successful current efforts to the infrastructure of 4-H.