The Jefferson County 4-H Youth Development Program invites all Jeffco youth ages 5-18 to attend the annual 4-H Open House on Monday, October 13, 2014. The Open House will be held in the Event Center at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 15200 W. 6th Avenue, Golden.
Members and leaders of 4-H will be sharing what they have worked on throughout the year at the 4-H Open House. There are 16 4-H clubs that meet throughout the county in Arvada, Conifer, Evergreen, Golden, and Morrison with projects such as archery, clothing construction, dog obedience, gardening, horse and horseless horse, livestock (large and small animal), natural resources, outdoor skills, pet rabbit, robotics, shooting sports, sport fishing, veterinary science, and wildlife to name a few.
More than 6 million young people across the country will celebrate National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October. Jefferson County 4-H will leverage National 4-H Week this year to showcase the great things that 4-H offers young people and highlights the incredible 4-H youth in the community who work each day to make a positive impact on the community.
Research has proven that participation in 4-H has a significant positive impact on young people. Recent findings from the Tufts University4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that, when compared to their peers, young people in 4-H are:
- Nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities,
- Two times more likely to pursue healthy behaviors, and
- Two times more likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs in the out-of-school time.
In Jefferson County, more than 300 4-H youth and 90 volunteers from the community are involved in 4‑H.
About 4-H:
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more about Colorado 4-H at www.colorado4h.org and 4-H in Jefferson County at jeffcoextension.org. Enrollment for the 2014-2015 4-H year begins October 15. For more information, call Lisa Sholten, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, at 303-271-6620 or email at lsholten@co.jefferson.co.us. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.