Preparing Youth for Success

4-H is a non-formal educational, youth development program offered to individuals age 5 and in kindergarten to age 19. Ohio 4-H youth development reaches more than 240,000 youth each year – helping kids “learn by doing” through hands-on activities.

All 4-H programs focus on active involvement and quality experiences which stimulate lifelong learning of values and skills. 4-H members learn valuable lessons in leadership, communication and collaboration while increasing their knowledge in math, science, technology and a variety of other topics.

4-H creates fun while learning in a variety of ways. Kids can participate in 4-H through community clubs, camps, in-school and after-school activities, and summer programs. They increase their self-confidence and personal life skills while learning about specific subjects - anything from animals or computers to public speaking, cooking, art, gardening and environmental sciences, just to name a few project topics.

Hardin County 4-H provides young people with the opportunities to gain specific subject matter knowledge and build their leadership, citizenship, and other life skills. Locally there are 32 clubs that involve 870 traditional 4-H youth.  The 4-H program goes beyond just having projects at the fair.  We partner with community stakeholders on collaborative county based programs that meet the needs and interests of young people in our county and prepares them for the future.

Extensive effort has been given to expand the 4-H in-school and after-school programming in Hardin County. Since 2012, 245, students in 4th through 7th grade have participated in 4-H STEM programs. Three 4-H Tech Wizard after-school sites reach 46 youth in Hardin County using robotics, circuits,  film making, art, GIS, and 3-D printing as a part of the National 4-H Mentoring grant.  

Hardin County 4-H has 20 Netbooks, 10 iPads, 12 NXT & 5 EV3 Lego Robotics Kits, 20 Arduino Circuit Boards, 3 windmill kits, 8 Livestock learning Labs, 10 GPS units, water testing kits, 2 bottle rocket launchers, 1 ESTES rocket launcher, 1 roller coaster and one 3-D printer available for programming from our SPARK LAB.

You can also learn more about all OSU Extension 4-H youth development programs at http://ohio4h.org.

Special Needs Accommodations

Accommodations can be made for youth with disabilities through our Winning 4-H Plan. Visit https://ohio4h.org/about/join-4-h#winning-plan for more information and to download the request form.

Extension has been helping all Ohioans build better lives, better businesses and better communities since 1914.