4-H Exploration Days lets Michigan youth explore possibilities for their future

Michelle Neff<hydemich@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Updated from an original article written by Judy Ratkos and later edited by Jodi Schulz.

MSU pre-college programs like 4-H Exploration Days provide education, personal development and fun for ages 12 and up – make summer plans for your youth early!

teens working at a science lab wearing gloves.
Teens participate in a hands-on activity at 4-H Exploration Days. Photo credit: Michigan State University Extension

4-H Exploration Days is Michigan State University’s largest annual pre-college event, attended by 900 youth and adult chaperones from across the state. This summer, the event will be held June 24-26 with a theme of “Growing together stronger than ever.” Held on the campus of MSU, 4-H Exploration Days features more than 100 hands-on classroom and field trip sessions in wide variety of content areas such as animal and veterinary science, business and entrepreneurship, careers, environmental education, food, nutrition and fitness, international language and culture, money management, performing and visual arts, and science, engineering and technology.

This Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development program gives youth ages 12 to 19 an authentic collegiate experience as they live in MSU residence halls and explore interest areas and career options, increase their awareness and readiness for college, and develop decision-making, independence and teamwork skills. They also have fun and make friends with people from different backgrounds and areas!

Past participants shared:

  • "I learned the importance of making friends and connections with others."
  • "I learned about what jobs I might want to do and different opportunities I might have."
  • "I learned a lot but most importantly I learned what campus life is like, maybe not exactly, but pretty close."

Registration for this exciting opportunity is now open! The fee to attend is $250. Be sure to check out the session descriptions before you register online and register by April 17.

Following their involvement, participants are eligible for nomination to apply for a $2,000 MSU Pre-College Scholarship, based on criteria such as attitude, behavior and active participation. The scholarship is applied toward each recipient’s first-year at MSU as a degree-seeking student.

For more information about 4-H Exploration Days, contact your county MSU Extension office.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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