Thank you for your interest in 4-H, and welcome to our 4-H family!

What is 4-H?

To learn more about 4-H and the St. Charles Parish 4-H Youth Development Program, we encourage you to explore our webpage for information, opportunities, and more.

Who can join 4-H?

4-H is an equal opportunity positive youth development program of the LSU AgCenter. Membership and participation requirements are based on the following roles:

• 4-H Cloverbuds – Students in Kindergarten through 3^rd grade of the current school year are considered 4-H Cloverbuds. Although not allowed to compete in competitive contests on a regional, state, or national level, 4-H Cloverbuds are invited to learn the basics of 4-H by actively participating in various programs, workshops, clubs, and opportunities.
• 4-H Members – Students in 4^th – 12^th grade of the current school year are considered 4-H members. From clubs and workshops to camps and contests, there are various opportunities for 4-H members to engage in hands-on learning throughout their parish, region, state, and nation.
• 4-H Adult Volunteers - Adults who have surpassed 12^th grade, are at least 18 years of age, and are not currently enrolled as a 4-H member have the opportunity to assist the 4-H program as an Adult Volunteer. All 4-H Adult Volunteers must work with the 4-H Agent for interest, participation, enrollment, background screenings, and trainings.

How do I join 4-H?

To become an official member of the St. Charles Parish 4-H Program, regardless of your role, you must be enrolled and approved in the official Louisiana 4-H enrollment system called 4-H Online.

In St. Charles Parish, the 4-H Agent works with School and Project Club 4-H Leaders to implement the enrollment process that works best for the program. To join 4-H in St. Charles Parish, families should use the method listed below that best fits your club membership:

• For 4-H School Club Members – To join a 4-H club at your school, members should contact the 4-H Club Leader(s) at the school for information on joining 4-H. Schools often provide 4-H enrollment forms at their first meeting, which are usually sent home for parents to complete and return back to school. Each school club may also have a required enrollment fee to join the club. These fees should be sent to school as designated by the School 4-H Club Leader(s). School 4-H Club members will need to complete a paper copy of the 4-H enrollment form included in this article. This form is often provided by School 4-H Club Leaders at that first meeting. After the form is completed and submitted to your School 4-H Club Leader, our LSU AgCenter Office will process the enrollment forms in our 4-H Online system. We ask that all families please read and complete these forms carefully. Any missing information will delay official enrollment, which will affect program participation.
• For 4-H Project Club Members – St. Charles Parish 4-H offers opportunities for 4-H Cloverbuds and 4-H members to join Community 4-H Project Clubs, which are clubs that invite students from across the parish to participate in age-appropriate hands-on project-based opportunities. Each project club will have individual age requirements, fees, and participation expectations. Project Club 4-H members will need to complete a paper copy of the 4-H enrollment form included in this article. This form is often provided by Project 4-H Club Leaders at that first meeting or sent digitally for families to complete. Families are expected to complete and submit enrollment forms to our LSU AgCenter office by the specified due date. After forms are received by our LSU AgCenter Office, our office staff will process the enrollment forms in our 4-H Online system. We ask that all families please read and complete these forms carefully. Any missing information will delay official enrollment, which will affect program participation.
• For 4-H Members-At-Large – Some students may be interested in joining 4-H but do not participate in their school 4-H club or any of our parish 4-H project clubs. We invite these students to join our St. Charles Parish 4-H program as a “Member-At-Large.” These students are invited to participate in the same eligible parish, regional, state, and national 4-H opportunities as School and Project Club 4-H members. Members-At-Large are required to pay a minimal 4-H enrollment fee to be collected at our LSU AgCenter Office. 4-H Members-At-Large can do either of the following: (1) complete a paper copy of the 4-H enrollment form included in this article OR (2) complete their enrollment in the Louisiana 4-H Online system. A digital copy of the 4-H enrollment paper form is provided in this article. Families are expected to complete and submit enrollment forms to our LSU AgCenter office by the specified due date. After forms are received by our LSU AgCenter Office, our office staff will process the enrollment forms in our 4-H Online system. We ask that all families please read and complete these forms carefully. Any missing information will delay official enrollment, which will affect program participation. If the family chooses to complete their enrollment using the 4-H Online system instead of the paper form, we encourage families to read the 4-H Online: 4-H Youth Enrollment for St. Charles Parish article for details on properly enrolling your student in the system. Please note that it is the responsibility of the family to contact the LSU AgCenter Office for any questions regarding membership as a 4-H Member-At-Large.
• For 4-H Adult Volunteers – All interested 4-H Adult Volunteers are encouraged to contact the 4-H Agent with your interest in volunteering with the St. Charles Parish 4-H Program. After discussing 4-H Volunteer roles and expectations with the 4-H Agent, 4-H Adult Volunteers are encouraged to read the 4-H Online: 4-H Adult Volunteer Enrollment for St. Charles Parish article for details on properly enrolling as a 4-H Adult Volunteer in the 4-H Online system.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can I be in a school club and project club? Yes. Families will be required to complete all forms and fees for each club that they join. Questions for school club membership should be directed to the School 4-H Club Leader(s). Questions for 4-H project club membership should be directed to the 4-H Agent or our LSU AgCenter Office.
• Can I pay enrollment fees online? No. St. Charles Parish 4-H members should submit fees to their 4-H School Club Leader(s) as instructed at school or the LSU AgCenter Office for 4-H Project Clubs or 4-H Members-At-Large.
• My child just does 4-H at school. Does he/she still need to complete the enrollment form? Yes. All students who receive 4-H youth development education should complete a 4-H enrollment form.
• What Project Clubs are available in St. Charles Parish? We invite you to explore our website, which has information on our 4-H clubs, including our parish-wide 4-H Project Clubs.

Important Information

Every year our 4-H enrollment begins on August 1. All 4-H participants, regardless of their role, must re-enroll each year that they are planning to participate. Families are asked to follow the steps for joining as listed above based on their 4-H participation.

All families are encouraged to complete all 4-H enrollment forms or 4-H Online enrollment thoroughly. Any missing information will delay official enrollment, which will affect program participation. 4-H participants must be enrolled and approved in 4-H Online to participate in 4-H programming.

For any questions or more information on joining the St. Charles Parish 4-H Program, please contact the St. Charles Parish LSU AgCenter Office at 985-785-4473.