By Tracie Abram

4-H clubs are more than raising livestock.  Tracie Abram, the Mackinac County 4-H Program Coordinator, and Ashley Freed, Luce County 4-H Program Coordinator, would like to raise your awareness about what 4-H is.  4-H is a national program that is part of Michigan State University Extension.  Most land grant universities have a Cooperative Extension Service.  MSU Extension’s mission is to provide research-based programming and materials to help participants help themselves through education.

4-H is as diverse as the volunteers who provide the programming.  4-H is a child-development program that recruits adults who want to share a hobby, interest or expertise with youth between the ages of 5 – 19.  As stated, 4-H is a national program that produces curriculum and materials that can enrich and assist the volunteer’s programming.

In Mackinac and Luce county combined, there are currently 87 active 4-H volunteers who provide the programs or clubs on topics of civic engagement, gardening, mindfulness, arts and crafts, environmental education, STEM/small engine, fishing, culinary arts/international cuisine, digital art, technology and coding, equestrian education, sports, and more.

To become a 4-H volunteer, one must apply to become a Gold Volunteer online at https://msu.samaritan.com.    A “Gold” volunteer is vested to work with children. The process consists of an online application, granting permission to undergo a national and state background check, submitting three references, and viewing four training videos.

Once you have completed all of these and all is accepted in the system, an interview with Tracie or Ashley will be scheduled.   But don’t let that scare you! Tracie and Ashley are here to help walk you through the process to make it as smooth as possible.

If you have an interest, hobby, or expertise in something and have some time to offer please consider contributing to our youth.  Livestock, textiles, shooting sports, nutrition, physical activity/sports, bird watching, foraging, paddling, entrepreneurship, finance, woodworking, board games all are examples of something that can become a 4-H Club.

Contact Tracie Abram today at abram@msu.edu, 906-235-2985 or Ashley Freed at freedash@msu.edu 906-322-6803 or go to the website to apply.