Santa Cruz County 4-H Youth Development Program
4-H offers youth limitless opportunity for friendship, growth, fun, and life skills. By engaging youth and adults in a meaningful partnerships, 4-H helps youth to reach their full potential as competent, confident, leaders of character who contribute and are connected to their communities. To learn more about what the 4-H program has to offer our youth, check out the 4-H New Family Handbook.
4-H age 5 to 18 years old as of December 31st the year of participation
For clarification on 4-H age click this tab.
Youth will need to complete their 4-H online enrollment & pay their enrollment fee to show at county fairs by August 31st!
4-H adult Leaders will need to complete their 4-H enrollment & online 4-H leader training by August 31st. The youth are counting on you for your guideance and support at our county fairs.
4-H enrollment fee for 2025-2026
4-H year is July 1st to June 30th
$80.00 per youth member & $35.00 per adult volunteers enrollment fee
Paper enrollment forms available to complete and submit to the 4-H office or your 4-H community leader.
Enrollment steps for youth & adult leaders:
STEP 1: CHOOSE A 4-H CLUB
List of Santa Cruz County 4-H Clubs
STEP 2: Enrollment
- Youth & adult Volunteers enroll in 4-H On-line Zsuite registration system
- Additional Support Instructions for 4-H on-line registration
- Youth PAPER enrollment forms.
- Adult volunteer PAPER enrollment form.
Step 2: Youth & Volunteer registration payment options:
- Cash/check discount -Pay directly to your 4-H community club leader.
- On-line credit card payment survey system! - Additional $4 processing fee will apply for credit card transactions.
- Fee waiver assistance is available for families to cover the 4-H enrollment in financial need. A family will need to complete the 4-H fee waiver form. After completing the 4-H fee waiver form, turn it into your 4-H community club leader or 4-H office staff.
Step 3: Returning or New adult Volunteer requirments:
- ON-LINE TRAINING - Extension
- Returning leaders complete the training course:
- 2025-26 California 4-H Returning Volunteers
- Enrollment key: SantaCruz
- New Volunteer leaders complete the training course:
- 2025-26 California 4-H New Volunteers
- Enrollment key: SantaCruz
- New leaders also will complete the following steps:
- New Leader interest survey will need to be completed online
- Complete the Live Scan request form after all steps 1 through 3 have been completed
- Complete Live Scan form request survey.
- Once the live scan request is completed the 4-H office will send you the form
- Live scan locations
- 4-H office will email you the form.
- The 4-H office will send you the live scan form once you have complete the steps 1 through 3 as live scan process is the last step. After all the step are complete then the 4-H office will review your enrollment. You cannot work with the youth until your enrollment as an adult leader has been completed and approved by 4-H staff.
Just a reminder to all youth, parents and leaders. A 4-H member needs to be in good standing to be eligible to show livestock at the county fairs and state fair! A member in good standing is current 4-H enrollment, 4-H registration paid, minimum of 6 hours completed in project plus 80% of the additional meeting required by project leader, members APR (Annual Project Report) completed.
Santa Cruz 4-H program fair participation requirements
The fair livestock show Agreement between 4-H, Grange, FFA & Independents
Livestock exhibitors will need to complete the fair requirement of YQCA online training.
New YQCA website for online training is yqcaprogram.org.
If you have any questions call your 4-H office at (831) 205-3180 or email Julie Katawicz at jkatawicz@ucanr.edu for assistance.