At Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance, we know that family life is filled with activities and commitments that can keep your schedule crowded.
So, as you examine your priorities, what could be more important as a parent than investing time now that can help to significantly shape your children’s future?
All About Colorado 4-H
If you’ve never considered 4-H, you may want to join other Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance 4-H families and take a look at what it has to offer. The 4-H year runs from October through September, so now is the best time to check it out!
Begun in rural Minnesota in 1902 to introduce more innovative agricultural techniques to the next generation of farmers, the organization was officially named 4-H—which embodied the organization’s foundational values of Head, Heart, Hands, and Health—in 1914.
Colorado 4-H and Colorado State University Extension
Colorado’s affiliation with 4-H began in 1910, under the direction of college agricultural agents as part of the outreach mission of the Colorado land grant institution.
Operating with the nationwide Cooperative Extension System (with an office in every U.S. county) and more than 100 land grant universities, 4-H now serves more than six million youths in rural, urban, and suburban communities in all 50 states. The school of higher learning that partners with Colorado 4-H is Colorado State University.
Nearly a century after its modest beginnings, today’s 4-H continues to instill confidence, creativity and the life skills of leadership, independence, and resiliency in young people from 8 to 18. (A “Cloverbud” program for ages 5 to 7 is also available.)
Available 4-H Programs for Students Ages 5-18
In 4‑H programs, students complete hands-on projects in areas they choose, including STEM opportunities, science, health, computer science, civic engagement, agriculture, and many more topics, with the aid and positive guidance of adult mentors.
They are encouraged to take on leadership roles through in-school and after-school programs, community clubs, and 4‑H camps. (During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual 4-H meetings and camps are being offered, along with activity books and resources to guide them from home.)
Positive Youth Development
A core focus of the 4-H organization is the encouragement of positive youth development through experiential learning and theirs is considered a “model program,” based on the creation of four benchmarks:
- positive learning experiences
- positive relationships for and between youth and adults
- positive, safe environments
- opportunities for positive risk taking
Studies have shown that young people involved in 4-H programs outperform their peers in academic achievement, civic engagement, and making healthy choices. Furthermore, 4-H involvement has been shown to correlate with success into adulthood, both socially and financially.
Essential to the 4-H goal of promoting positive youth development and organizational sustainability are access, equity, diversity, and inclusion—and 4-H welcomes young people of all beliefs and backgrounds who want to have fun, learn, and grow.
Parent involvement in 4-H activities is welcomed, as it allows the members to feel supported and self-confident in their participation.
Sign Up for Colorado 4-H
Many Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance policyholders have found their 4-H experience to be a rewarding and memorable family activity.
Visit Colorado’s 4-H website to find out more about 4-H opportunities for your family and 4-h.org for specific information about the 4-H organization nationwide.
Support 4-H with Farm Bureau Insurance
Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance policyholders are also members of Colorado’s Farm Bureau Federation. The Federation supports the farming industry throughout the state, including youth programs like 4-H. If you would like for your insurance policies to also help support 4-H, find a local agent near you. Our agents are insurance experts that can help make sure that your auto, home, and life policies are meeting your needs.