About Us
The Tuolumne County 4-H program serves approximately youth ages 5-19 years through the volunteer efforts of local 4-H clubs, and through our school enrichment programs. Projects include animal care, arts & crafts, science education, teen leadership and much more!
Mission
Our mission is to engage youth in reaching their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development.
Tuolumne 4-H Office Hours
Monday-Friday
8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Gillian Garrett
Admin Assistant II
Phone: 209-533-5695
Physical Address: 52 S. Washington St. Sonora, CA 95370
Mailing Address: 2 S. Green Street, Sonora CA 95370
Email: gigarrett@ucanr.edu
History of the 4-H Youth Development Program
Late 1800's: Making Connections
In the late 1800’s, researchers discovered adults in the farming community did not readily accept new agricultural developments on university campuses, but found that young people were open to new thinking and would experiment with new ideas and share their experiences with adults. In this way, rural youth programs introduced new agriculture technology to communities.
The idea of practical and “hands-on” learning came from the desire to connect public school education to country life. Building community clubs to help solve agricultural challenges was a first step toward youth learning more about the industries in their community.
1902: Youth Clubs are Formed
Graham started a youth program in Clark County, Ohio, in 1902, which is considered the birth of 4-H in the United States. The first club was called “The Tomato Club” or the “Corn Growing Club”. T.A. Erickson of Douglas County, Minnesota, started local agricultural after-school clubs and fairs that same year. Jessie Field Shambaugh developed the clover pin with an H on each leaf in 1910, and by 1912 they were called 4-H clubs.
1914: Cooperative Extension System is Created
The passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914 created the Cooperative Extension System at USDA and nationalized 4-H. By 1924, 4-H clubs were formed and the clover emblem was adopted.
The Cooperative Extension System is a partnership of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 100 land-grant universities and more than 3,000 county offices across the nation. Cooperative Extension combines the expertise and resources of federal, state, and local governments and is designed to meet the need for research, knowledge and educational programs.
4-H Today
Today, 4-H serves youth in rural, urban, and suburban communities in every state across the nation. 4-H’ers are tackling the nation’s top issues, from global food security, climate change and sustainable energy to childhood obesity and food safety. 4-H out-of-school programming, in-school enrichment programs, clubs and camps also offer a wide variety of STEM opportunities – from agricultural and animal sciences to rocketry, robotics, environmental protection and computer science – to improve the nation’s ability to compete in key scientific fields and take on the leading challenges of the 21st century.