A group of children and teenagers are standing and smiling in a well-lit indoor hallway. They are arranged in rows, with some taller individuals towards the back. Behind them, is a large green and white banner that reads "CONFIDENCE GROWS HERE." The 4-H clover logo is prominently displayed on the banner.

Join 4-H

Join 4-H! It's fun, flexible, & voluntary. Pursue passions, gain hands-on skills, connect with community, and become capable adults.

Join 4-H

Ready to explore the exciting world of 4-H? You can now enroll conveniently from home, without a trip to our CCE Lewis Office!

How to Enroll:

  1. Complete Your Packet: Fill out the 4-H Enrollment Packet entirely. Make sure all required information and signatures are included.
  2. Submit Your Packet: Email your completed packet to lewis-4h [at] cornell.edu.
  3. Make Your Payment:

Your enrollment is complete once we've received both your fully completed packet and payment.

Who Can Join?

4-H welcomes all youth aged 5 to 19!

  • The New York State 4-H year runs from October 1st to September 30th.
  • Ages 5-6: Can participate as a 4-H Cloverbud member (must be 5 by January 1st of the current club year).
  • Ages 7-18: Can participate as a full 4-H member (must be 7 by January 1st of the current club year; youth turning 19 by January 1st are not eligible).
  • Youth with an intellectual disability whose developmental age is between 5 and 19 years old can fully participate.

What 4-H Offers:

4-H is a flexible, fun, and voluntary program focused on hands-on learning. We help young people explore interests in:

  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
  • Healthy Living
  • Citizenship

Through clubs, events, workshops, and school programs, 4-H aims to inspire youth to learn, give back to their communities, and develop into responsible, capable adults.

How It Works:

You choose projects that genuinely interest you! 4-H clubs are groups of at least five youth who meet to work on projects, serve the community, and have fun. Clubs set their own meeting times and places, often in homes, schools, or community rooms (our office conference room is also available).

You can join 4-H by:

  • Finding and joining an established club.
  • Starting a new 4-H club with friends.
  • Enrolling as an independent member.

Membership Fees:

The annual participation fee is:

  • $10 per member
  • $25 per family
  • Late Fees: For re-enrollments only, a $5 per youth late fee applies after January 31st (for re-enrollments between Feb 1st and May 1st).
  • Fair Participation: Youth must be enrolled by May 1st to participate in the County Fair.
  • No Barriers: No one is ever excluded from 4-H due to inability to pay.

Member Expectations:

Each member is expected to complete one project per year and submit a project record sheet. [Click here] for more project information.