How to Join a 4-H Club

  1. Enrollment for 2024-2025 begins on November 1st. The enrollment deadline is April 1, 2024. Late enrollments are inelligible to participate in competative projects at the Ohio State Fair or the Portage County Fair.

  2. Click here for a list of current Portage County 4-H Clubs.

  3. When choosing a 4-H club, look for a club that meets during a time and in a place that works for your family’s schedule.
  4. If your child will be a Cloverbud (age five as of Jan. 1 of the current year and enrolled in kindergarten), be sure to select a club that accepts members within your child’s age range. 4-H project members must be age eight as of Jan. 1 of the current year and enrolled in third grade.
  5. Look for a club that allows members to take the types of projects your family is interested in (non-animal projects, sewing, livestock, dogs, horses, shooting sports1).
  6. Once you’ve found a club that is a good fit for your family, contact the advisor to learn more about the club. For example, you may want to ask about the club’s meeting schedule, meeting location, participation/attendance requirements, club dues and fundraisers, club size, and what kind of involvement is expected from the members’ parents and/or guardians. You even can visit one of the club’s meeting or activities if you’d like.
  7. Once you’ve selected a club, make it official and enjoy the experience! Be sure to complete the annual enrollment forms with your new 4-H club.To Access your EXISTING family profile OR to create a NEW family profile, click on this link: https://v2.4honline.com/

       New Family/Profile STEP BY STEP GUIDE 

      RETURNING Member: How to Re-Enroll Instructions

If you can’t find a 4-H club that fits your family’s needs, maybe you should consider starting a club of your own! Contact Catie Noyes-Johnson for more information on how to become a 4-H volunteer club advisor and starting your own club. It’s an extremely rewarding experience!

4-H Membership Eligibility

Youth are eligible for 4-H membership as a Cloverbud when a child is age five as of Jan. 1 of the current year and is enrolled in kindergarten. Click here for more information about the Cloverbud program. Youth are eligible for membership in the 4-H club program when a child is at least age eight as of Jan. 1 of the current year and is enrolled in third grade.  Ohio 4-H membership ends Dec. 31 of the year in which an individual becomes 19-years-old. Membership begins when an eligible individual is enrolled in a club or group that operates within the scope of Ohio State University Extension and is under the direction of a trained adult who has completed the Ohio State University Extension volunteer selection process.

When to Join a 4-H Club

The Portage County 4-H enrollment starts November 1, 2024 and the deadline is April 1, 2025. Any youth that wishes to take their project to the Portage County Randolph Fair in the summer must be enrolled in a Portage County 4-H club by April 1, 2025. Therefore, we recommend beginning the process of joining a 4-H club in late fall or early winter, to ensure your family is formally enrolled by April 1.

Across County Line Membership

If you live in Portage County and would like to join a 4-H club in another county, or if you live in another county and would like to join a Portage County 4-H club, you must fill out the Across County Line 4-H Membership form. Click here for our policy and form regarding cross county lines membership.

14-H Shooting Sports: The Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports program teaches young people the safe and responsible use of archery equipment, including the fundamentals of firing air guns, .22 caliber and muzzle loading rifles, pistols, and shotguns; the basic principles of hunting; and the value of studying historic lifestyles and heritage crafts. The 4-H Shooting Sports program only is administered through certified shooting sports instructors, and members may only take shooting sports projects if their instructor has been certified in that specific discipline. Portage County offers on eligible 4-H Club for Shooting Sports: Portage County Rangers 4-H Club. All first year shooting sports members must complete Safe Use of Guns their first year in 4-H.