Virginia 4-H Youth Development

Virginia 4-H Youth Development is the youth development education program of Virginia Cooperative Extension. Through 4-H, young people participate in a variety of activities that follow a “learning by doing” philosophy, working with caring adults and volunteers in organized groups and events. Leadership, citizenship, and life skills are taught through learn-by-doing projects, local club programs, 4-H camps, and county, district, state, and national events.

• Ages: 5–18 years old

Community 4-H clubs for ages 9 through 18 offer a variety of 4-H projects, generally meet in homes or public buildings, meet 9 to 12 months of the year, and have elected youth officers. Project 4-H clubs for ages 9 through 18 focus on a single project or subject area, also generally meet in homes or public buildings for 9 to 12 months of the year, and have elected youth officers. In-school 4-H clubs for ages 9 through 18 meet during school hours, are approved by the school system, and have elected youth officers. After-school 4-H clubs for ages 9 through 18 meet after school hours, usually from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., in a school or public building, use 4-H materials, and may or may not have elected youth officers. 4-H School Enrichment clubs for ages 9 through 18 meet during school hours and are designed to strengthen members’ knowledge of school subject areas. Special Interest 4-H groups for ages 9 through 18 offer short-term learning experiences in a subject area, are used to learn about 4-H, and do not have elected youth officers. Cloverbud 4-H groups are for youth ages 5 through 8, use special learning activities for that age group, and do not have elected youth officers or competitive events. The age designation of 5 through 18 years includes youth who will turn five during the 4-H year, which runs from October 1 through September 30, and eligibility for 4-H membership ends on December 31 of the year a member has his or her 19th birthday.

Virginia 4-H Youth Development is part of Virginia Cooperative Extension, which is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments. With a direct connection to research at Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, 4-H is the first experience many young people have with higher education. 4-H is described as community-centered, volunteer-led, Extension-staff supervised, research-based, home- and family-oriented, publicly and privately funded, and responsive to change. 4-H uses more than a century of experience in youth development programming to build strong, confident leaders. Virginia Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity employer.

Last updated July 16, 2026.