MSU Extension 4-H

Key Figures 

• 96,000 youth engaged in Michigan 4-H programming in 2021-2022
• 6,800 individuals volunteered with Michigan 4-H in 2021-2022

Priority Areas

4-H Youth Development is a program of Michigan State University Extension. Each year, more than 100,000 Michigan young people participate in 4-H through various activities, clubs, groups, programs and events. As they engage in these unique learning experiences, 4-H’ers explore their passions and interests while growing confidence, leadership skills and a sense of responsibility.

Michigan 4-H youth are supported by caring volunteers who give their time in a variety of ways – as club or group leaders, mentors, chaperones, professional skills trainers and more!

Impacts

In the 2021-2022 program year, nearly 100,000 youth engaged in 4-H programming with:

• 75,500 experiences related to science, engineering and technology.
• 26,000 experiences related to citizenship, leadership, civic engagement, community service, communication and expressive arts.
• 66,000 experiences related to food, nutrition, health and personal safety.

From the farms to the towns, and from the suburbs to the cities, 4-H youth come from every corner of the state:

• 39% are rural nonfarm residents or come from towns of less than 10,000 people.
• 35% live in cities and suburbs of more than 50,000 people.
• 14% live in towns and cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
• 12% live on farms.

For more information about Michigan 4-H, visit our website or connect with your county 4-H program by visiting extension.msu.edu/county.

"4-H has given me so much. There are things that I have had the opportunity to experience and learn that I never would have if I was not in the program. Both leaders and members have helped to shape my life into what it is today and I am forever grateful." -Michigan 4-H youth participant

Lessons for a Lifetime

As she wrapped up her senior year of high school in Alger County, 17-year-old Alexzandria reflected on her 4-H experience. After five years of 4-H, taking part in a variety of cooking, leadership, natural resource and special interest (SPIN) programs, Alexzandria shared her thoughts in her own words:

“I have had the privilege of being a member of Alger County 4-H for the past five years. This inspiring organization has changed my life in more ways than I could ever count. Most importantly it has helped me overcome my fears, taught me how to be myself, and helped me become prepared for life after graduation.

When I first joined 4-H, I was a shy, young teen who was scared of everything and anything new. Just the act of joining 4-H scared me, even though I had seen so many in my class affiliate themselves with its many clubs. However, when I finally mustered up the courage to join the small cooking SPIN club, I immediately knew I had to at least try to be more involved. At first, it was just a new SPIN club here and there, but by my third year in 4-H I was given the opportunity to try the Teen Leadership Wilderness Hike.

At first, I was adamant that I could not do it. But after some convincing, I agreed to go and had the time of my life. The hike was the first time in my young adult life that I had been independent and felt capable of doing anything. After I got home, I realized that if I could backpack through 40 miles of backwoods, then I had no right to be scared to try new things. Since the hike, I have conquered many fears including that of heights, meeting new people, and being different.

As I said, I have been in 4-H for five years. This means I joined at quite possibly the most awkward time of a young adult's life… also known as eighth grade. It was a time of life where all you wanted was to fit in and be “normal.” However, I was a nerdy, book-reading, theater kid in a school that seemed full of athletic popular kids. At my 4-H clubs, I was able to be myself and not worry about being seen as lame or an outcast.

Slowly this attitude permeated everyday life too, instead of just when I was at club meetings. The friends I made at the clubs also made their way into everyday life. Suddenly, I had friends who liked the same things as me and made me feel less awkward for wanting to be the dorky girl I am.

This support that 4-H introduced me to is one of the main reasons that I am exactly who I want to be today.

As I take my next step into adulthood, I will use the lessons that 4-H has given me and utilize them to be more prepared. I will use the team-building seminars that I attended through National 4-H Congress to help guide my way through new groups of people at college. I will use the endurance and independence I discovered during the Teen Leadership Wilderness Hikes to help adjust to living alone. Finally, I will use the kindness and compassion that everyone in 4-H has shown me to remember what really matters at the end of the day.

4-H has affected my life in so many ways that any action I take in the future will be influenced in part by what I have learned. I am eternally grateful for 4-H teaching me how to overcome my fears, become my own unique person, and by giving me the skills and lessons I need in order to successfully transition into the next phase of my life."