Afterschool and Enrichment Programs

4-H Afterschool and School Enrichment Programs is a special focus area within the California 4-H Youth Development Program. We partner with community youth-serving agencies to support quality afterschool environments. We provide support to existing afterschool programs in the following ways:

• Conducting staff development opportunities for afterschool line staff

• Providing research-based “hands on” curriculum

Afterschool 4-H 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 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.

Staff Training and Development

4-H staff provides training for afterschool staff in the following topics

• Guidance and discipline
• Program management
• Parents as partners
• Teens as teachers
• Utilizing 4-H youth curriculum

School Enrichment Programs

4-H can partner with your local school and provide hands on learning experiences. We can also train staff in a variety of activities.

School enrichment programs allow youth to receive 4-H Youth Development Program curricula or other educational materials in a group or classroom during school hours. 4-H also provides training for teachers in a variety of topics, ranging from positive youth development to effective learning models and methods to specific curriculum.

'Ag in the Classroom,' a 4-H School Enrichment Program, is a program coordinated with school personnel that uses select 4-H learning materials as well as California Ag in the Classroom curriculum as part of the school curriculum during school hours. The program includes one or more sessions with activities led by 4-H Youth Development Program staff, volunteers, and teachers.

4-H Youth Curriculum

4-H provides research-based hands-on youth curriculum that can be used to provide enrichment activities in afterschool and enrichment settings. 4-H Curricula

The San Luis Obispo County 4-H office owns many of these curricula and are willing to lend them out upon request. Please also see SLO 4-H Curriculum_Resources page.

For more information:

For more information about 4-H afterschool and enrichment programs in San Luis Obispo County, see Contact & Location tab for contact information.