Ritchie County 4-H | Extension | West Virginia University

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What is 4-H?

4-H is one of the largest youth development programs in the United States involving more than 6.5 million young people and 540,000 youth and adult volunteers. The focus is on helping youth learn leadership, citizenship, and life skills by participating in projects and service.

Membership is open to any youth when he/she is in at least 9 years of age and is not older than 21 within the current 4-H year, which runs from October 1 – September 30. The Cloverbud program is open to youths ages 5-7 years of age. On a local level 4-H offers community clubs, specialty clubs, cloverbud clubs, county camp(s), club outings, Achievement Banquet, and more! In 4-H youth socialize, learn, and develop life skills in a safe, educational atmosphere.

Studies show that 4-H members

do better in school
are more motivated to help others
feel safe to try new things
achieve a sense of self-esteem
develop lasting friendships

Ritchie County 4-H News

Contact the Ritchie County Office for current news and to learn about upcoming opportunities in our local area. Ask us for more information about topics including:

Recent WV 4-H News

2026 My Hands to Larger Service mini-grants available

Since 2020, the West Virginia 4-H All Stars have generously funded mini-grants for West Virginia 4-H teens and their respective 4-H clubs to assist in the planning and completion of a community service project through the My Hands to Larger Service 4-H Project.

Mini-Grant Application

Read 2026 My Hands to Larger Service mini-grants available

West Virginia 4-H Announces 2025 Youth in Action Award Winners

The West Virginia 4-H Youth in Action Program announces two young leaders in 4-H pillar areas: civic engagement and healthy living.

Read West Virginia 4-H Announces 2025 Youth in Action Award Winners

Save The Dates For The 2025 - 2026 West Virginia 4-H State Camps

West Virginia 4-H is excited to announce the 2025 - 2026 4-H State Camps Save The Dates. Be sure to mark your calendars as all of your favorite camps are returning for another exciting new year of 4-H fun!

West Virginia 4-H State Camps are open to all interested WV youth and are not only exclusive to 4-H Members. Each camp's description will outline which age groups are invited to participate.

WV 4-H uses the 4-H ZSuite platform for all enrollments and registrations. For information and resources on how to create your ZSuite account, enroll youth, and register for events, visit our How to Enroll in 4-H page.

Read Save The Dates For The 2025 - 2026 West Virginia 4-H State Camps

Older WV 4-H News

Ritchie County 4-H Clubs

Find a Ritchie County 4-H Club

Camp

Contact the Ritchie County Office for more information.

West Virginia 4-H Volunteer Opportunities

West Virginia 4-H offers opportunities that can give youth an edge in life. Our program provides a variety of volunteer opportunities for adults.

Caring Adults act as advisers and leaders for clubs, camps and activities. Each is selected, screened and trained by the WVU Extension professionals who guide the 4-H program.

Neighborhood Clubs give older and younger members a place to belong, a place to identify and a place to practice positive values, build leadership and have fun!

Special Events and Programs at the local, state and national levels support educational and developmental goals through camps, skill development events, exhibits, fairs and challenging contests.

Individualized Learning Experiences let each child choose from more than 100 projects to develop unique interests and skills and explore new ideas. Each project is developed by experts to help children learn by doing.

Leadership Development is nurtured with special emphasis placed on developing communication and decision-making skills.

If you are interested in volunteering with 4-H programs, please read about our selection process at the link below and contact your County Extension Office.

Adult Volunteer Selection Process