Alleghany County 4-H Program

Virginia 4-H is the youth development education program of Virginia Cooperative Extension, 4-H is rich with learning experiences in which young people partner with caring adults and volunteers in a fellowship unlike any other program available to youth today. Through 4-H, young people are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities that emphasize 4-H's "learning by doing" philosophy of youth development.

Developing Confident Leaders

Standing for head, heart, hands, and health, 4-H uses more than a century of experience in youth development programming to build strong, confident leaders.    

Young people in the 4-H community learn leadership, citizenship, and a vast array of life skills that benefit them for the rest of their lives. Through school-based, after-school, and community clubs as well as camp settings, 4-H members pledge to build a better community, country, and world.

Ready for the Future

4-H participants are youth, ages 5 to 19, taking part in programs provided as the result of actions planned and initiated by Extension personnel in cooperation with volunteers. With a direct connection to research at Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, 4-H is the first experience many young people have with higher education. 4-H is characterized as being community-centered, volunteer-led, Extension-staff supervised, research-based, home- and family-oriented, publicly and privately funded, and responsive to change.

4-H Mission

The mission of 4-H is to assist youth, and adults working with those youth, to gain additional knowledge, life skills, and attitudes that will further their development as self-directing, contributing, and productive members of society.

4-H Motto and Pledge

The 4-H motto: "To Make the Best Better."

The 4-H Club pledge:

"I pledge ... My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service and My Health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

When reciting the pledge, members raise their right hand to their forehead when they say, "my head to clearer thinking." They lower their hand to their hearts as they say, "my heart to greater loyalty." At the line, "my hands to larger service," they extend their hands in front of them, palms upward. At the last line, they stand at attention with their hands at their sides.

4-H Symbol

The 4-H emblem is federally protected under Section 18 US Code 707 and belongs to the Congress of the United States. The official emblem is green with white H's -- the 4-H colors. The white symbolizes purity. The green represents nature's most common color and is emblematic of youth, life, and growth.