HELENA — It’s National 4-H Week, a time to highlight the youth, volunteers, and communities that make the program possible.
In Montana, 4-H reaches nearly 20,000 youth annually across all 56 counties. From agriculture to leadership, members say the program is giving them skills they can carry with them long after they graduate.
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“I have loved all eight, nine years of this community,” Cassidy Holm, a member and ambassador for Lewis and Clark County 4-H, said.
4-H clubs across the state give students like Holm and Sara Dearing the opportunity to explore different interests, take on responsibilities, and work toward goals.
“4-H has really changed my life; it has not only been an opportunity for me to grow as an individual, but it has also been an opportunity for me to help others grow,” Sara Dearing, a fellow Lewis and Clark County 4-H ambassador, said.
For many, the program is about more than just the projects; it’s about the people and connections built along the way.
“To me, it’s more than friends; it is family, a big family that we have here,” Dearing added.
As National 4-H Week shines a spotlight on the program, members say they’re proud to take what they learn in 4-H and carry those skills into the future.
“I would say organization, teamwork, and communication are the big three,” Holm said. “There have been so many opportunities that I have gotten through 4-H; I have been able to meet people all around the state from 4h, build connections with people of all ages and find my community, so if you are thinking about it, just do it.”
With local clubs continuing to bring youth together around their interests and goals, 4-H remains a place where kids can learn, grow, and get involved in their community.
