How do Oklahomans participate in 4-H?

How many Oklahoma youth take part in 4-H?

Who helps with 4-H activities?

Where do Oklahoma 4-H’ers live?

How diverse is Oklahoma 4-H?

Who participates in Oklahoma 4-H?

Organized 4-H clubs 26,185Special interest programs 38,0014-H overnight/day camps 6,662School enrichment programs 59,721Total (without duplicates) 111,208

Farm 22.04%Rural communities 33.14%Towns 16.78%Suburban communities 3.88%Cities 24.16%

American Indian/Alaskan Native 17.53%Asian 1.63%Black or African American 11.35%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.25%White 69.95%More than one race 0.55%Other 4.77%

Adult volunteers 6,455Youth volunteers 1,534Total 7,989

Science & tech programs 86,788Citizenship activities 55,750Healthy living programs 30,093Total special interest programs (duplicates) 172,631

Grades K-2Grades 3-5Grades 6-8Grades 9-12Post high schoolNot in school/other

*Chapman, M., Courtney, P., & Yaroch, A. (2012) 2011-2012 Walmart Foundation healthy living youth grants supporting youth voice: youth choice. Retrieved from the National 4-H Council.

**Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Lewin-Bizan, S., Boyd, M. J., Mueller, M. K., Schmid, K. L., . . . Bowers, E. (2011). The 4-H study of positive youth development: Past, present, and future. Society for Research on Adolescence. Retrieved from https://www.s-r-a.org/announcements/online-newsletter/2011-11-08-4-h-study-positive-youth-development-past-present-and-fut

4-H Research Shows ...

In 2012, more than 4,000 Oklahoma youth participated in a variety of programs funded by the Youth Voice: Youth Choice Healthy Living Grant sponsored by the National 4-H Council and the Walmart Foundation. The final empirical evalua-tion* of the program revealed participat-ing Oklahoma youth have:•A high understanding of nutrition and

exercise and how they affect the body.•A positive attitude toward nutrition

and physical activity and skill in making healthful choices.

•Increased awareness and sensitivity to the number of youth who are hungry on a regular basis.

A longitudinal study** of the national 4-H program indicated that, when com-pared to youth in other out-of-school time programs, youth involved in 4-H, regard-less of their background, gender, race or socio-economic status:•Have higher educational achievement

and motivation for future education.•Are more civically active and contribute

more to their communities.•Are more likely to report healthy behav-

iors like exercise.

EXTENSION

COOPERATIVE

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local governments cooperating. Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amend-ments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

T h e 4-H program has certainly passed a few milestones in recent years. In 2002, the national 4-H program celebrated its centennial, and Oklahoma 4-H commemorated its own platinum

jubilee in 2009. In 2012, the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation memorialized its 50th year of aiding Okla-homa 4-H’ers, and this year – 2014 – marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Lever Act and the birth of one of this nation’s most enduring endeavors: the Cooperative Extension Service.

The Cooperative Extension Service is a unique partnership between county, state and federal government entities. Funneled through land-grant institutions like Okla-homa State University and Langston Uni-versity, Extension promotes research-based education in agriculture, natural resources, environmental management, family and consumer sciences, and positive youth and community development.

Though the signing of the Smith-Lever Act on May 14, 1914 officially launched Extension nationwide, in Oklahoma Ex-tension work actually began in 1908, with the first agents earning just $75 per month for aiding farmers and demonstrating im-proved methods for growing cotton and corn. According to Edd Roberts’ History of Oklahoma State University Extension, these agents “willingly worked long hours, spent their own money, and hesitated at no obstacle.” This same attitude still prevails in Extension educators today, and their ac-complishments in the last century cannot be overestimated. According to the Diffu-

sion of Innovations by E.M. Rogers, Exten-sion is “reported to be one of the world’s most successful change agencies. Certainly it is the most admired and most widely copied.” Today, Oklahoma has more than 400 Extension staff members statewide, and nearly 4,000 Extension professionals are working nationwide to continue the mission of this incredible enterprise for research, education and change.

W.D. Bentley, known as the father of Extension work in Oklahoma, started the first official 4-H club in Oklahoma in 1909. This corn club for boys was incred-ibly popular, and soon a cotton club was established, followed by canning clubs for girls. All of the club work was led by Exten-sion workers, and these 4-H clubs played an integral role in establishing Extension in Oklahoma. Bentley himself said the popularity of Extension grew as young boys and girls “converted their parents to the new idea.” By the time the Smith-Lever Act passed in 1914, 6,720 young people were involved in club work in Oklahoma, led by 65 Extension professionals. In 1925, 65

of the 77 counties in Oklahoma employed county Extension agents who served more than 30,000 rural Oklahomans, and by 1952, more than 78,000 boys and girls were participating in 4-H project work.

Today, 4-H is the largest youth organiza-tion in the world, and Oklahoma 4-H has more than 111,000 youth involved in proj-ects focusing on leadership, citizenship and life skills. Each county has an Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Office, and while Extension and 4-H have remained true to their agricultural roots, both entities have greatly expanded their reach throughout the past 100 years. These incredible or-ganizations have changed the face of our nation and helped both rural and urban Americans learn how to lead a better life. With their time-tested mix of cutting-edge research, engaging teaching methods and strategic outreach, Oklahoma Extension and 4-H are poised to continue extending knowledge and changing lives for another century.

How does it relate to 4-H?

Why are 4-H and Extension still relevant?

What is the Cooperative Extension Service?

Because of its humble origins, so many Americans still believe 4-H is all about “sows, cows and plows.” But while 4-H con-tinues to pay homage to its origins by em-phasizing agriculture, livestock projects and family and consumer sciences, the organiza-tion has grown to include projects ranging

Cotton and corn clubs were the first Extension-led youth organizations to take flight in the state of Oklahoma. In fact, in their first year alone, the corn clubs en-rolled 2,463 boys statewide. These young men competed to see who could have the best yield from one acre of corn. In 1909, Lester Brown of Lexington, Okla., had the highest yield in the state with 68 bushels.

Though it was an incredible achieve-ment at the time, Lester’s work may seem rather trivial when contrasted with to-day’s technologically advanced agriculture and incredibly high crop yields. Seven-teen-year-old Tucker Sawatzky of Weather-ford, Okla., for instance, already farms 680 acres of wheat, raises heifers for exhibition at livestock shows, and owns his own combine, welding trailer and farm truck. Furthermore, Tucker has given back to his community by volunteering at his local food bank, and he has reached more than 18,000 people through his various 4-H leadership, citizenship and public speak-ing activities.

“I have enjoyed being a farmer, and I hope I can do this for a long time,” Tuck-er said. “It’s funny how a little boy’s love of playing in the dirt can grow and turn into a young man renting his own farm, planting his own wheat, harvesting it and feeding families. I feel like 4-H has helped me choose my career path as an agrono-mist, and I know I can achieve my goals because of the life lessons received in my project work.”

In Oklahoma, the initial clubs for girls were organized in 1912. These tomato canning clubs were led by the first female Extension workers in the state. The agents had a home canning kit, and with it they visited the homes of their club members and taught them how to can the tomatoes they grew on one-tenth-of-an-acre plots. With the instruction of these Extension agents, the girls could market their canned tomatoes and other garden products that otherwise would have rotted on the farm.

In the past 102 years, 4-H work with food has changed exponentially. Today’s 4-H members in the food science project not only learn a variety of culinary skills, but they also teach others about healthy eating habits and use their skills to give back to their communities. For example, 16-year-old Katie Oestmann of Yale, Okla., has or-ganized community Thanksgiving dinners, taught “My Plate” to countless children, and displayed historic bread recipes at Yale’s annual Civil War Reenactment. She has even competed in a national cooking contest and opened a small business called “Uniquely FoR U,” in which she creates and sells greeting cards and cookie, bread, brownie and soup mixes. Through the business, she has been able to fund her 4-H trips to Denver, Kansas City and London.

“I have grown so much in my 4-H food science project,” Katie said. “The 4-H pro-gram has so much to offer; whether you are involved in athletics, livestock or shooting sports, there is a place for you.”

It did not take long for the idea of club work to spread and expand, and within a couple of years boys and girls were partic-ipating in maize, corn, cotton, peanuts, pigs, poultry, canning, sewing and cooking contests. Poultry began to receive consid-erable interest in this period, and in 1916 Oklahoma A & M, the forerunner of Oklahoma State University, employed its first poultry expert to organize poultry as-sociations and assist with 4-H club work. That same year, 2,305 boys and girls were enrolled in the 4-H poultry club.

Today, 4-H livestock projects are still going strong, and while many 4-H’ers continue to utilize traditional husbandry methods, some 4-H members have stepped outside the box. One such young man is David Atkins, a recent graduate of Ed-mond North High School.

“I really wasn’t sure what 4-H was all about when I first joined,” David said. “I was only interested in showing my chick-ens, vegetables from my garden and some of my woodworking projects. Little did I know my decision to be involved in 4-H would change my life.”

After building a chicken coop, David decided to install lighting in the facility. He was interested in wind energy, so after much research and experimentation, he designed and built his own wind turbine. Shortly thereafter, he hand-soldered 36 solar cells; combined, these elements gen-erate enough energy for lights, an electric outlet, a timer and an automatic door.

From Cotton and Corn to Advanced Ag and More

Canning Tomatoes and Healthy Life Mottos

From Farm Fowl to PatioPoultry

Embracing the Past and Envisioning the Future

Oklahoma 4-H Project Work

P roject work has long been a def ining characteristic of the 4-H program. In fact, the organization began as a loose conglomeration of project clubs before uniting under the

name “4-H” in 1912. Since the Smith-Lever Act was enacted in 1914, 4-H project work has undoubtedly expanded and changed; even so, 4-H’ers have never forgotten their heritage.

With the skills gained from these projects, David has opened an iPhone repair com-pany, and he has taught numerous work-shops on poultry and alternative energy.

“4-H has shown me I have an aptitude to solve real-world problems,” David said. “I have a passion for increasing the availabil-ity and affordability of alternative energy, and I will make a difference, just like the 4-H pledge says, ‘... for my club, my com-munity, my country and my world.’”

from photography to entomology, wildlife and fisheries, performing arts, citizenship, shooting sports, graphic design, fabrics and fashions, and even robotics. Nevertheless, no matter what project area holds a 4-H member’s interest, the overarching goal of 4-H has remained the same over the past century: to teach youth the skills they need to prepare for a promising future. As we write the next chapter of 4-H history, this important theme will continue to prevail.

We’ve all heard the rather clichéd statement that a “picture is worth a thousand words,” but in the case of 4-H history, this tired adage holds true. So, without further ado, here are 12,000 words about Oklahoma 4-H history!

1909

1950

1994

1936

1966

2008

1912

1959

2002

1948

Early 1980s

2013

An early corn clubs learns from an Extension agent

A female 4-H member works in her garden

Oklahoma 4-H celebrates its first 50 years with a quiz bowl

One of the first canning clubs displays their work

Garfield Co. 4-H’ers show off their champion heifer

A 4-H’er prepares for (and wins) the state tractor contest

4-H’ers learn how to work an early model computer

Senior 4-H’ers work in the wildlife & fisheries project

Youth learn in one of 4-H’s many science workshops

The State 4-H Office celebrates Oklahoma 4-H’s 85th year

The 2013 State 4-H President speaks at 4-H Day at the Capitol

A junior 4-H leader teaches woodworking