Enrollment is currently open for the 2023-2024 Cass County 4-H program year and it is FREE to join 4-H in Cass County. Thanks to generous donations to our Cass County 4-H Endowment fund, members fees are completely covered in Cass County. Youth in kindergarten through 12 grade are eligible to join. There are 7 Clover Kid Groups and 11 4-H Clubs in Cass County to choose from, most meet monthly. Clover Kid Groups are for youth currently enrolled in kindergarten though third grade. These youth meet with their club and participate in hands-on activities, make new friends, and build life skills. Youth currently enrolled in 4th-12th grade are eligible for 4-H Community Clubs. 4-H helps youth develop leadership and communication skills while exploring new interests and giving back to the community in a fun and safe setting with friends and caring adults.

On October 8th Cass County 4-H is hosting their annual Fall Fest from 2:00-4:00pm on the fairgrounds, 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic. All community members are welcome to attend this event, admission is free, tickets to participate at booths are only 10 cents each. 4-H Clubs host booths with fun activities and share information about what they do as a 4-H group. Plan to attend to have a fun family outing and learn more about 4-H. This event is fun for all ages, you don’t have to be in 4-H to attend Fall Fest!

If you would like to learn more about 4-H, there will also be a New Member/Find Out Night on December 4th from 5:30-7:00pm at the Cass County Community Building 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic. This is a free event, open to anyone interested in learning more about the program and asking questions to County 4-H Staff, volunteers, and current members.

4-H is in Iowa’s 99 counties and offers dozens of project area topics to learn about in addition to agriculture. With the help of caring adult volunteers, we help youth explore their interests—things like entrepreneurship, engineering, child development, music, performance, or art–while preparing young leaders for the careers and challenges of tomorrow. 4-H is uniquely poised to help youth develop life skills such as public speaking, self-motivation, healthy lifestyle choices, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and negotiating. These skills may be a key indicator of future career success when paired with the hard skills often taught in academic settings.

For more information about joining your local Iowa 4-H Youth Development program as a 4-H member or adult volunteer, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass or contact the ISU Extension and Outreach Cass County office.