4-H battles decreased enrollment since COVID-19

Since its inception more than a century ago, 4-H has grown to become the largest organization in the United States to focus on youth development, according to the National 4-H Council. In that time, enrollment in the Ohio 4-H program has seen its ups and downs.

Nearly 172,000 Ohio youth participated in 4-H in 2019, taking over a quarter-million projects. One year later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit just as the April 1 enrollment deadline approached.

Enrollment numbers dropped by nearly half, to 90,800. The following year saw yet another drop to 84,300 members in 2021. During the past two years, enrollment numbers increased to close to 157,000 Ohio youth participating in 2023.

There were 26 clubs in Sandusky County with 133 adult volunteers and 622 youth members in 2023. Ottawa County had 19 clubs with 67 advisers and 399 youth members.

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Club advisers face lower member enrollments

Many of the adult volunteers who attended a recent training session for Sandusky County 4-H advisers reported that the greatest challenges facing their clubs are the lower enrollment numbers and trying to schedule club meetings at times that worked for a majority of members.

Summer sports, family vacations and other commitments factor into the time families have available to participate in 4-H meetings as well as finding time to complete 4-H projects.

“I think the demand on expectations of youth have hurt the 4-H numbers,” said Molly Avers, who was a member of Ottawa County 4-H as a child and later spent time as an adviser before becoming the county’s extension educator. “We are slowly bringing the numbers back up.”

4-H, which represents "head, heart, hands, and health," offers youth the opportunity to build lifelong skills with hands-on projects in areas like agriculture, home skills, STEM and citizenship.

For some, 4-H becomes a lifelong commitment

“My biggest joy as an adviser is watching young people gain confidence and blossom from their participation in meetings, projects and county activities,” said Charlene Wilhelm. She and her husband are advisers with The Goal Getters, an Ottawa County club they started with two other families about 20 years ago.

Their sons were members of the club and Wilhelm said all three benefited from their experiences, which included club leadership, county and state fairs, junior leadership, camp counseling, fair royalty, state 4-H conference and national 4-H science and engineering events.

More to 4-H than farming, raising livestock and animals

Although farming and animal husbandry are the first things that come to mind when most people hear “4-H”, the program is not just for farm youths. Approximately 80% of Ohio 4-H members live in towns, cities, suburbs and non-farm rural areas. With more than 30 project categories, there are many opportunities. Projects varying from woodworking, sewing, computers, cooking, science and others.

Quinn Haslinger was a 4-H member from third grade through her senior year in high school and is now the organizational adviser for her children's club. To her, 4-H is a low-pressure opportunity for young people to explore new things and learn from peers.

The 4-H program is also making changes to provide more options.

School-based programming was added in both counties during the 2022-2023 school year. Activities are designed at an age-appropriate level for students to develop and grow topic-specific knowledge and life-skills through fun, hands-on discovery for youth.“We were excited to work with over 1,200 youth,” said Gwen Soule, the Sandusky County extension educator for since 2003.

Ottawa County also started a new No Limit Livestock Show at the 2023 fair, which is a show for youth with disabilities. “We’re very excited to watch it grow this year," Avers said.

“What I love about 4-H is that it is a family activity, not just a kid spectator sport,” said Holly Henn, former 4-H member and now an adviser with the Ottawa County Lamb Chops. “The projects are kid-run and participated in but the whole family helps out to ensure success.”

Henn’s parents have helped her children prepare their animals for judging and taken her daughter birdwatching as part of an outdoor project.

Traditional 4-H begins in third grade

Bridget Day knew nothing about 4-H until her son joined the Woodville Buckeyes in the third grade. She became a Cloverbud adviser a couple years later, did a stint as the organizational adviser and is now Cloverbud adviser again.“I feel projects script them to set goals for themselves that teach them life skills for the benefit of their futures,” Day said. “I am also a shooting sports instructor, so the individual joyful moments are definitely when I can high-five a kiddo who just got a bull's-eye after making a few adjustments.”

Ohio 4-H membership is based on a child's age and grade each Jan. 1. Children can join the Cloverbud program at age 5 if enrolled in kindergarten. That program is a low-pressure group program for younger children. Traditional 4-H, which includes participation in individual projects and competitive events, begins when a child is age 8 and in the third grade.

For help finding a local club that is a fit for a youth and family, call the Sandusky County Extension office at 419-334-6340 or the Ottawa County Extension office at 419-898-3631. Enrollment deadline is April 1.

Contact Rene Dix at 419-307-0914 or via email at rene.dix@email.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: 4-H advisers work to return youths to Sandusky, Ottawa county programs