Jared Day enrolled in 4-H Club at the suggestion of his mother but stayed close to the program for the next 15 years by choice.
“Originally I went because I was told to go but then as I grew up I just became connected to all the people and all the opportunities you have as a member of 4-H,” Day said.
Since Day started Clover Kids, a program for five to eight year olds too young to join 4-H, he’s seen the organization change in size and perspective.
Since 2004, 4-H has grown 260 percent in membership. Day attributes that growth to the increase in the amount and the diversity of after-school programs sponsored by 4-H.
Day estimates that Missouri 4-H has added 17 after-school programs in the last 10 years.
“We’re making sure that any kid from any background, any demographic, feel like they have a place in 4-H,” Day said.
Missouri 4-H is working to appeal to a larger demographic by becoming increasingly digital.
In October 2014, Missouri 4-H began using a new enrollment system called 4-H Online. It allows members to immediately enroll in and start new projects instead of waiting for paperwork to be processed. It also keeps a history of the member’s previous projects for scholarship applications and recognition.
“Digital makes it a little bit different because it puts all of the information in the hands of our families and our members,” Missouri 4-H Youth Specialist Shannon White said.
White also said that going digital allows members to complete projects at their own pace in areas that interest them individually.
Through the photography project, for example, members learn about the equipment, technical photography skills and using different lenses and film. This program is a departure from the more traditional agricultural projects.
“If you are interested in photography, you can learn about photography. If you are interested in dogs, you can learn more about dogs,” White said.
One local club decided to do just that.
Julie Holle leads the Four Paws 4-H Club in Boone County. The club focuses solely on dog training with agility, obedience and scent recognition.
The group separated from Riverhills 4-H when Holle realized that a group of members had a common interest in doing dog-related activities. Four Paws now has 12 members ages 8 to 17.
“When you get the kids that have the dogs, there’s a lot of bonding that goes with the dogs and the kids,” Holle said. “One thing with the dog project is that it keeps continually going on. You don’t just buy a dog and the first of the year and train it, go to the show and then you sell it and you’re done with it – it’s a lifetime event.”
Holle got her start with 4-H as a child in Iowa more than 20 years ago and agrees that 4-H has changed over time. She said she’s seen the shift from livestock projects to arts and crafts and computer technology.
“I think those kinds of projects that have crept up they didn’t have back in the earlier years,” Holle said. “It’s kind of neat that 4-H is changing with the times.”
But not all of the newer groups are straying away from 4-H’s rural roots. The Hartsburg Sharp Shooters 4-H Club is working on the Western Heritage project. The project was founded in Montana eight years ago to keep older 4-H members interested in Western history by combining historically accurate dress and firearms with technical shooting skills.
Boone County has experienced success with the project and has been certified leaders for the last three years.
“Our focus is not shooting, our focus is youth development,” 4-H Western Heritage State Instructor Jim Sappington said. “The firearms, the archery equipment, and the air arms we use are just a tool to get kids more excited about learning.”
Hartsburg Sharp Shooters leader Niki Jetton said she has been surprised by 4-H since she and her three children moved to Columbia in 2009.
“We started to get them involved in archery and we were introduced to 4-H through archery and it has just evolved from there,” Jetton said. “I’ve got kids who are doing advanced art, so they’re painting. I’ve got kids who are doing archery, the Western Heritage project, and it has really developed them as leaders.”
The Hartsburg Sharp Shooters and all other 4-H Clubs are currently preparing for the county fairs this summer to showcase their projects.