4-H Club Leader: Charleston, Berkeley, & Dorchester Counties

Volunteers are the key to providing 4-H Club opportunities for local youth. We ask that a new volunteer club leaders work with the 4-H Agent to plan a minimum of 6 one-hour 4-H club meetings. After the initial trial run the volunteer and agent will meet and discuss the continuation of the club and the volunteer's needs.

What is 4-H? 4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. The South Carolina 4-H Youth Development Program uses a learn-by-doing approach, the involvement of caring adults, and the knowledge and resources of Clemson University and the land grant university system to empower youth to become healthy, productive, and contributing members of society.

What is a 4-H club? 4-H clubs are the foundation of the 4-H program. A 4-H club is a group of five or more youth (ages 5-19yrs) guided by one or more adult volunteer leaders. Clubs meet for a minimum of 6 hours a year. Clubs can focus on Natural Rescores, Health Lifestyles, STEM, Animal Projects, Personal Development, and Leadership/citizenship.

What happens in a 4-H club? A 4-H club usually concentrates on one or two main projects a year. 4-H members build leadership by electing officers and conducting the club meetings. Clubs can works towards competing in local shows or fairs, or they may select one or two projects that are of interest to the club members.

Interested in volunteering? Contact your local 4-H office or visit https://4honline.com to get started! It's completely FREE for volunteers to register. You can also fill out the form below, and your local agent or a state 4-H representative will contact you to go over the logistics of starting a club and completing your background check and volunteer forms. No previous experience is necessary; we will work with you to get the club started and keep it going! 4-H volunteers are supported by Clemson Extension staff, including a county 4-H agent who is a faculty member of Clemson University.

As a club leader, you pick when, where, and what focus areas and projects to do as a club with input from your club members. The youth officers help with topic sections and project ideas.

In short, 4-H club leaders encourage children to try new things, develop knowledge of 4-H topics, and become active members in their communities.