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The 2023-24 4-H year officially kicks off Sept. 1, with early enrollment beginning Aug. 15.

Orange County 4-H of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is excited to welcome new and returning members to another year of 4-H programming and opportunity.

4-H is a club for youth ages 8 to 18 in grades 3rd through 12th. All youth can join 4-H for $25 each and will select one or many projects to participate in from the categories of agriculture and livestock, family and community health, leadership and citizenship, natural resources and STEM.

Community service, leadership and scholarship opportunities are also included in the offerings of this program that reaches more than 550,000 youth in Texas each year.

“The start of the new 4-H year is such an exciting time in our program,” Texas 4-H Youth Development Program Director Dr. Montza Williams said. “We hope to see members take advantage of every opportunity that 4-H has to offer this year, and we hope to see new members begin their journey in this life-changing program.”

Youth gain knowledge in the topic area of their choice, and also receive life skills like communication, teamwork, citizenship, giving back and working hard.

“According to past members, one of the most common 4-H benefits is friendship,” Williams said. “Friendship in your county, your district, your state, and even your nation. 4-H is rich in the opportunity to make friends who are interested in the same things you are.”

The new 4-H year is not only exciting for members, but for 4-H volunteers. The Texas 4-H program thrives on adult volunteers, with more than 30,000 registered and background-check-approved volunteers, annually.

“The volunteers are what make this program accessible to all youth,” Williams said. “We are incredibly thankful for the work our volunteers do across the state and encourage adults that have a skill to share to reach out to their County Extension Office about becoming a 4-H volunteer.”

The Orange County AgriLife Extension Office, located at 11475 FM 1442 Orange, sits inside the Orange County Convention and Expo Center. Officials can be reached via email at orange-tx@ag.tamu.edu or by phone at 409-882-7010.

More information about 4-H enrollment or events can be found at orange.agrilife.org.

Orange County 4-H is hosting an Open House Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Orange County Convention & Expo Center. Local families interested in 4-H are invited to join the event for fun, petting zoo, games, hot dogs, popcorn and more.