GOSHEN COUNTY – Goshen County 4-H will be providing opportunities for young people and families to get acquainted with 4-H before joining a local club.

The “Discover 4-H Club” will meet weekly, starting on Monday, June 21st at 2:30 p.m., at the extension office.

“Each week we will explore a different 4-H project based on what this group of young people tell us they’d like to learn more about,” Megan Brittingham, 4-H/youth development extension educator, said.

Brittingham said the group will meet until July 26 and according to Brittingham is open to anyone.

According to Brittingham, Wyoming 4-H has more than 45 projects.

“We’re hoping to use that as a springboard for kids to explore and truly and sincerely discover the possibilities in 4-H, because it’s so much more than folks recognize,” she said.

Brittingham said the first week will include an interest inventory.

Goshen County 4-H Alumni and Program Assistant Kadra Clark said, “we basically start by finding out what the kids that come are interested in. We’ll try to do everything that they’re interested in that we can.”

Clark said the group will do a project together and possibly have an activity they can take home and work on for the next meeting.

“It’s a great way to really just dip your toes into 4-H without there being any pressure,” she said. “It’s a great way to get started and then figure out what you’re wanting to do.”

Brittingham acknowledged sometimes it is overwhelming for a family to get started in 4-H. The goal of this club is to ease them into it.

The more visible aspects of 4-H are the fair exhibits. Brittingham said sometimes people do not see the community service projects and educational opportunities that also come with involvement in 4-H.

The hope would be for students in the Discover 4-H Club to learn what it’s like to be in 4-H, then join a local club in the fall.

“My hope would be that parents would have a better sense of what’s about to happen when they enroll in a 4-H club,” Brittingham said.

Brittingham also said each club in Goshen County has their own focuses and style. She would be willing to help families find the right club for them.

The idea for the “Discover 4-H Club” originated last year, but Brittingham said she was not able to pull it off then.

Having talked to several newer 4-H families, Brittingham said it can be overwhelming at first because they do not know about deadlines and how the programs work.

The 4-H enrollment deadline is May 1st every year. That deadline is set because of competitive exhibitions.

Brittingham said every year after that May 1st cutoff, she has heard from parents and kids interested in joining 4-H. The new club gives people opportunities to be involved in 4-H activities, like 4-H camp, even if they missed the deadline for competition.

Though members of this club would not be able to officially exhibit at the fair until next year, Brittingham said the team plans to find other ways for them to get involved at the fair.

“We’re really excited about this. We’re really looking forward to it,” she said.

Brittingham encourages anyone who might be interested to call the extension office at 307-532-2436 if they would like any additional information.

Editor's Note:

A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the extension office's phone number as 307-532-2437. The correct number is 307-532-2436. We apologize for this error, and it has been corrected with this update.