A green four-leaf clover with the letter H on each leaflet representing the Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

Green represents nature's most common color and represents youth, life, and growth. White represents purity and high ideal

4-H is a program for youth and their families from all segments of society. It provides educational programs for diverse audiences of youth and adults based on practical skills of learning to learn, decision making, public speaking, goal setting, job skills and more. 4-H is the youth development phase of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, supported cooperatively by Oklahoma State University, USDA, and local County Government.

Locally- Most clubs have monthly meetings conducted by the local youth officers. Some clubs also have special project and activity meetings where members work in smaller groups to develop specific project skills. Each club has a designated Organizational Leader. Organizational leaders are the primary contact between the local club and County Extension Office. Organizational leaders depend on the assistance of parents as volunteers in a variety of roles at the local and county level.

County - The 4-H program is managed through the County Extension Office located in Miami, OK. The 4-H Youth Educators, Kathy Enyart and Reba Palmer provide primary leadership. The office is responsible for setting an educational tone and direction for 4-H and youth programs, providing instructional materials and resources, training parents and volunteers and keeping families and local leadership informed through newsletters and general correspondence. 4-H parents/volunteers are essential to the county program. All county 4-H activities and events are planned, implemented, and evaluated by a committee of 4-H parents/ volunteers. 4-H parents/volunteers are encouraged to participate in the 4-H Leader’s meeting which meets monthly on the second Monday of the month.

4-H is a family affair! Members require the involvement and support of the entire family. Your role will include supporting and helping members, without doing it for them; giving praise and encouragement; helping a member select appropriate projects and activities; staying informed about 4-H programs; asking questions; supporting your member in meeting deadlines and following through with responsibilities and commitments; attending meetings and functions with members; and helping members focus on what's really important, not just winning! Be a part of the 4-H team! The team is made up of volunteers, like yourself, helping to provide snacks, transportation, and a meeting place; serving as a project or activity volunteer; being a resource in your area of expertise; asking what you can do at the local and county level; and helping when called upon. 4- H members get more from their 4-H experience when the whole family gets involved.

4-H teaches members to set and accomplish goals for themselves through project work. A member's project manual will assist them in learning to set goals, keep records, and evaluate what they did or did not accomplish. 4-H encourages members to record their goals and how they completed the goals. This is called record keeping. There are several ways for members to keep up with what they do in 4-H.

They can:

• Use a county record book or medal form to record what is done in the project.
• Keep a record tracker (write in it every time you do work in your project).
• Write on a calendar (write down each day what was done).
• A key to successful record keeping is to wait no longer than one week to record project work. The important details and/or simple things are forgotten quickly.

The things that need to be written down include:

1. What you did (number of times, number of items made, number of animals, number of acres planted and harvested, hours spent working on project or project work done, etc.).
2. What you learned (what new knowledge and skills were learned, what funny or sad things happened, etc.).
3. Learning experiences participated in (demonstrations, speeches, tours, exhibits, judging, workshops attended, lessons at local club meetings, day camps, etc.).
4. Leadership experiences you participated in (volunteer leadership: teaching or assisting with teaching, committee work, officer, etc.).
5. Citizenship activities participated in (helping others, providing a service, etc.).
6. Awards and recognition received.

The result of keeping good records is that a member has learned to set goals and see how goals were accomplished.

At the beginning of each year a member will complete enrollment. They will choose 4-H projects that they are interested in learning about. Some projects have a project manual (ask the office for one to be printed off) which will guide the family in learning fundamentals and opening doors to other opportunities. Each manual is developed with age-appropriate materials and projects. The activities and projects outlined in the manual can then be entered in the county fair and other activities throughout the year. Some projects are self-directed, meaning you can use creative ways to learn about a particular subject. 4-H project work can be accomplished very easily by developing a simple plan to accomplish one project/ activity each month during the year.

All county activities and events are posted on the county website and Facebook pages. Write them on your family calendar. Please note and comply with deadlines. Monthly email newsletters are used to supplement Facebook and keep you updated as to times and locations.

• Attend local club meetings. Local club leaders will hand out and make announcements regarding updated information and remind you of upcoming deadlines.
• Set goals and work at completing the goals in a timely manner.
• Keep records of your project work. Do a talk or demonstration at the local club. Participate in local club citizenship projects. Participate in county activities and events. Ask questions at the meetings or call the Extension Office (918) 542-1688.
• All registration forms can be emailed to you or can be picked up at the Extension office.
• Each family is responsible for meeting deadlines and turning in forms. Most registration is done online so make sure to look for the links in emails, social media, or the county website. 

Each 4-H Club covers various projects throughout the year. Ask your local club leader what projects your club will be covering. Projects covered fall under these 13 categories, which our county recognizes in our record book system.

• Animal Science - Large Animal 
• Animal Science - Companion Animal 
• Family and Consumer Sciences 
• Health and Safety 
• Recreation and Leisure Education 
• Mechanical and Technical Science 
• Natural Resources 
• Outdoor Education 
• Plant Science 
• Achievement 
• Citizenship 
• Leadership 
• Public Speaking