Georgia 4-H helps youth to acquire knowledge, develop life skills and form attitudes that will enable them to become self-directive and productive members of society. The program sets the stage for youth and adults to learn, grow and work together as catalysts for positive change.
Mission
Georgia 4-H has a mission to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing life skills and forming attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, productive and contributing members of society. This mission is accomplished through hands-on learning experiences and a focus on agricultural and environmental issues, agriculture awareness, leadership, communication skills, foods and nutrition, health, energy conservation and citizenship.
Georgia 4-H is all about exploring and discovering, encouraging and challenging. As a program of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension System, 4-H is part of the nationwide Extension network.
Members of 4-H are known for sharing their research-based knowledge and technology with others where they live and work. Georgia 4-H combines federal, state, and local expertise and resources.
Environmental Education
Environmental education programs are administered by UGA Cooperative Extension at six 4-H centers across the state.
These programs offer teachers and students a combination of resources in the forms of nature and equipment to aid in the learning process. Programs can be customized to meet specific objectives as requested by visiting schools.
Program Objectives
To develop an awareness, knowledge and appreciation for the natural environment
To cultivate curiosity, critical reasoning and evaluation skills
To develop positive relationships between students and their teachers
To make the school program more meaningful by applying knowledge and skills required in the classroom to real-life situations
To provide experiences in scientific processes, such as observing, measuring, classifying, etc.
To develop self-confidence and physical fitness
To develop an appreciation for the local and natural history of an area
In Buena Vista, a vibrant mural at the corner of North Broad Street and Fifth Avenue catches the eyes of passers-by with its bright blue border. Funded by Flint Energies, the mural tells the story of the longleaf pine forests that once dominated Marion County and the turpentine industry, flora and fauna that the trees supported — from gopher tortoises to bobwhite quail.
Researchers and educators at the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant work in a unique kind of lab. On Skidaway Island, staff are surrounded on every side by miles of salt marsh and towering oak trees with vibrant, twisting branches covered in Spanish moss. Egrets soar overhead and squareback crabs scurry over their boots as they cross the maritime forest floor.
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
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