Saturday, August 31, 2024
The 2024-2025 4-H year officially kicks off Sept. 1, with early enrollment beginning in August. Coryell 4-H of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is excited to welcome new and returning members to another year of 4-H programming and opportunity with 15 different clubs available for membership.
4-H is a club for youth ages eight to 18 in grades third through 12th. All youth can join 4-H for $25 each and will select one or many projects to participate in from the categories of agriculture and livestock, family and community health, leadership and citizenship, natural resources, and STEM. Community service, leadership, and scholarship opportunities are also included in the offerings of this program that reaches more than 550,000 youth in Texas each year.
“When I think of 4-H, I think of opportunities - opportunities for members, for families, for growth, for building upon interests, and more,” Dr. Montza Williams, Texas 4-H Youth Development Program Director said. “One of the most exciting parts of the new 4-H year is new opportunity.”
Not only do youth gain knowledge in the topic area of their choice, but life skills like communication, teamwork, citizenship, giving back, and working hard are also obtained along every step of the way.
“I always want to see us grow – grow in numbers, spirit, development of opportunities, development of our kids,” Dr. Williams said. “I also hope to see our members grow in their friendships and connections. 4-H is rich in the opportunity to make friends who are interested in the same things you are.”
The new 4-H year is not only exciting for members, but for 4-H volunteers as well. The Texas 4-H program thrives on adult volunteers, with more than 30,000 registered and background-check-approved volunteers, annually.
“The volunteers are what make this program accessible to all youth,” Dr. Williams said. “We are incredibly thankful for the work our volunteers do across the state and encourage adults that have a skill to share to reach out to their County Extension Office about becoming a 4-H volunteer.”
The Coryell County AgriLife Extension Office, or Becky Coward, 4-H Youth & Development Agent, can be located at 303 Veteran’s Memorial Loop in Gatesville, via email at becky.coward@ag.tamu.edu or by phone at 254-865-2414. More
Information about 4-H enrollment or events can be found at coryell.agrilife.org or texas4-h.tamu.edu.
Coryell County 4-H will be having a kick-off event on Sept. 7 from 9-11a.m. at the Gatesville Civic Center and invite local families interested in 4-H to join for the fun as we showcase clubs, project and offer Ag Olympics obstacle course.
For more information, contact Coward at the County Extension Office at 254-865-2414.
