The Albemarle/Charlottesville 4-H Program offers many exciting activities for kids! Join a local club and work on hands-on projects; join us for one of our camping experiences; participate in a workshop or contest; enjoy programs offered through our local schools; or contact us with suggestions of other ways we might bring 4-H to your neighborhood!

More specifically, youth can be involved in Albemarle 4-H in four ways:

Join a 4-H CLUB

4-H Clubs are ways for kids to get together with others who have similar interests. We have clubs available for youth ages 5-18. We offer a variety of clubs from which to choose and all are located in either the city of Charlottesville or surrounding Albemarle County.

To join a club, visit our website to see the current club listings and contact the leaders of the clubs that interest you for more information. It is suggested that you attend a meeting or two first to decide if the club is a good fit for you. If not, try another or speak to the 4-H Extension Agent about starting your own club!

Upon deciding which club to join, you will need to fill out the 4-H member enrollment forms in 4-H Online. Parents who wish to volunteer with the club will need to fill out volunteer enrollment forms and trainings in 4-H Online, as well as go through an interview and background check. It is free to join, and all of our programs are either free or as low cost as possible.

Participate in a Unique Camping Experience

Virginia 4-H specializes in the camping experience. 4-H day camps and overnight camps focus on developing leadership and life skills – social, mental and physical. We offer a number of camps all year long! Some are held locally in Charlottesville and others are at our Holiday Lake 4-H Center or other 4-H Educational Centers in Virginia.

Camp dates for 2025 are June 30-July 3.. For more information please visit the Albemarle/Charlottesville 4-H Website.

In-School Programming

We offer programming and support in all ten 4-H Curricular areas: Animal Science; Citizenship; Communication and Expressive Arts; Natural Resources and Environmental Education; Family Sciences; Foods, Nutrition and Health; Careers and Economic Education; Leadership and Personal Development; Plants, Soils and Entomology; and Science, Engineering and Technology.

More specifically we offer direct instruction in the following each year:

• 4-H Public Speaking (January-February) lessons on how to research, write and deliver a speech. Program begins in January and ends in February with a County and District wide Public Speaking Contest open to all youth ages 5-19. Current membership in 4-H is not required.
• 4-H Embryology Program (April). Order fertilized avian eggs and incubate them in your classroom or organization setting.  Complete instructions, curriculum materials, guidance and agent support provided.
• School/Community Garden Education Project (year-round) in partnership with local Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists. For information about assistance we can provide please contact us.

4-H International Exchange Opportunities

We have a number of families hosting 4-Hers from around the world AND a number of our 4-Hers traveling abroad for an exchange program. Some of our students have gone to Costa Rica and Japan and other students from Japan and Norway have been hosted by our families here.

For more specific details you may visit our 4-H International Exchange website. Feel free to contact any of our volunteers listed with questions.