Join 4-H

In Rensselaer County, thousands of youth between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in traditional clubs, special interest groups, and school enrichment programs.

4-H Membership Policy

Any person, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, or disability may enroll as a 4-H member.

The New York State 4-H year runs from October 1st to September 30th.

Youth who are 5 to 8 years of age on or before January 1st of the club year and enrolled in kindergarten through second grade should enroll as a 4-H Cloverbud member.

Youth who are 8 years of age by January 1st of the current club year and in third grade or higher but have not reached the age of 20 as of January 1st should enroll as a 4-H member. If a youth is 8 years of age and wishes to remain and participate as a Cloverbud that is acceptable and must be designated as such at the beginning of the 4-H year.

In Rensselaer County, youth who have reached their 19th birthday by January 1st may enroll as a 4-H member; however they are limited to participation in local/county events only.

Persons considered to be mentally challenged may participate fully in 4-H programs as long as their mental age is determined to fall between 5 and 19 years of age.

Registration Fees

Registration fees are $15 per member, and $10 per volunteer.

Families are charged a maximum of $45 for members (for families who have 3 or more youth enrolling), and $10 for volunteers (2 parents can enroll for the price of one). The maximum enrollment fee for a family is $55.

A 4-H club consists of five or more school-age youth, guided by one or more approved adult volunteers. The 4-H Club’s goal is long-term youth development, which encourages its participants to learn life skills that will help them grow into healthy and productive citizens.

Last updated October 4, 2019