Harlan County 4-H School Clubs has begun in all schools in the Harlan County, Harlan Independent,and Harlan County Christian school districts. Over 1,000 students will participate in 4-H school clubs in fourth- through sixth-grades this school year.

These clubs elect a president, vice-president, secretary, 4-H pledge leader, recreation leader, and a 4-H club reporter. Some clubs may also elect a treasurer. The 4-H agent and 4-H assistant meet with the clubs and train officers, and conduct programs each month. 4-H club officers conduct meetings on their own. Classroom teachers serve as 4-H School Club Leaders. Monthly program topics for the 2018-2019 school year include: Parliamentary Procedure training, 4-H Poster competition, 4-H Citizenship, 4-H Speeches and Demonstrations, 4-H Variety Show, Exploring My Community, Your Kentucky, Exploring 4-H, 4-H Camp Promotion, Window Sill Garden and Grow Your Own Tomatoes, 4-H Chick Incubation and Hatching Project. 4-H School Clubs are only one of five 4-H sponsored Clubs.

The second type of Harlan County 4-H clubs established are the 4-H School Enrichment Clubs for sixth- though eighth-grades. These clubs generally do not elect officers, but open their meetings with the 4-H Pledge and the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. 4-H Enrichment Clubs consist mainly of career development, resume writing, job interviews, and workforce preparation projects, which are coordinated through the Family Resource Centers. Family Resource Center staff, classroom teachers, teacher aids and counselors serve as club leaders for these clubs. 4-H Enrichment Club Programs consist of at least six programs during the school year. 4-H Enrichment Clubs will reach approximate 1,200 students in sixth- though eighth-grade.

The third type of 4-H sponsored clubs is Special Interest Groups consisting of one or more meetings on a particular topic or subject. Examples are: Old Fashioned Butter Making, Career Days, 4-H Reality Store, 4-H Environmental Camp, 4-H Summer Day Camps, 4-H Sewing Summer Camp, Field Days, 4-H Rock Sandwich/Geology Lesson, 4-H Butterfly Project, Window-Sill Garden, 4-H Weather Wise, 4-H Bicycle Safety, 4-H ATV Safety, 4-H Food Pyramid, 4-H Nutrition Program/Effects of Sweets, Sugar, and Fats, 4-H Folk Dancing and “Dollars and Sense.”

The fourth type of 4-H Sponsored Clubs is the Cloverbud Club on demand. 4-H Cloverbud Clubs are for students in kindergarten- through third-grade or students who have not reached the age of 9. These clubs are conducted by Harlan County Extension assistants, classroom teachers, and teacher aides, who follow the 4-H Cloverbud Curriculum and conduct such projects as: Tasha, Wash Your Hands, Five a Day Food Pyramid Breakfast Program, Healthy Snacks, Making Healthy Food Choices, Fitness is Fun, Safe at Home, Nature Fun, and much more. Teachers and 4-H assistants choose four or five topics for classroom lessons.

The fifth type of 4-H sponsored clubs is 4-H Teen Clubs. The Harlan County Teen Club meets on the second Monday of each month at 3:30 pm at the Harlan County 4-H Annex Office located beside the extension office at 519 South Main Street in Harlan. Students who are in eighth- through 12th-grade in any school in the Harlan County area are invited to attend. Teens elect officers, perform a program, Community Service Project, or an activity each month. This year we have added a Saturday Teen Club which meets the third Saturday of every other month at noon until 2 p.m. This club is for members in sixth- through eighth-grade and high school students who cannot meet on the second Monday of each month.

The 4-H Environmental Camp for fourth grade students was held Sept. 5 -7 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Martins Fork Lake. Environmental Camp consisted of these classes presented by: The Departments of Water Quality, Forestry Service, University of Kentucky Agriculture, Forestry, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Harlan County Recycling, and Natural Resources and Soil Conservation. Contents were specifically directed to Core Content Areas, which makes the camp a favorite for classroom teachers. The 4-H Energy Club under the leadership of Phyllis Sizemore will continue to meet at the Coal Mining Museum. A 4-H SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) will be implemented in some schools this year. We are looking for a club leader for the SET Club.

The 4-H Reality Store Project, for all freshmen, will be held in November at the Harlan County Extension Depot located on River Street in Harlan. Harlan County High School and Harlan High School will participate in the two-day event. A Reality Store Planning Meeting will be held in October at the Harlan County 4-H Annex Office.

4-H Safety Day will be held in March or April for all fifth graders at the Harlan National Guard Armory.

Anyone interested in becoming a club leader for an after school 4-H Cloverbud Club, 4-H Scrapbooking Club leader, 4-H Dog or Goat Club leader, 4-H Cat or Rabbit Club leader, Homeschool Club Leader or a 4-H Afterschool Community Club leader, contact Raymond Cox, 4-H/Youth Development agent, at 606-573-4464, 606- 273-0835 or rcox@uky.edu..

Raymond Cox is the county extension agent for 4-H/youth development. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.