Sevier County 4-H Clubs to Hold Organizational Meetings Soon

Sevier County students in fourth through twelfth grades may soon sign up for local 2015-2016 4-H clubs.

4-H is the youth organization of the United States Department of Agriculture and The University of Tennessee Extension. It is offered to all 4-12 grade young people in Sevier County regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. 4-H encourages youth to develop their unique skills and talents to the fullest potential. 4-H members “Learn by Doing,” through hands-on activities and community involvement, that empowers youth to develop and strengthen life skills. 4-H educational efforts target ten basic life skills that have been identified as essential for adult success. Targeted life skills include: achieving goals, building relationships, communicating, ethical decision making, healthy lifestyle choices, leadership, positive self-esteem, responsible citizenship, responsibility and teamwork.

Homeschool 4-H Club

The Homeschool 4-H Club will have its organizational meeting for the 2015-2016 4-H year on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 1:30 p.m. in the 4-H Office at 752 Old Knoxville Highway, adjacent to the Sevier County Fairgrounds. The Homeschool 4-H Club is open to any Homeschool or Private School students in grades four through twelve, residing in Sevier County. Following this organizational meeting, the Homeschool Club will meet the first Thursday of each month.

In-School 4-H Clubs

In-school 4-H clubs will begin with organizational meetings scheduled during the month of October. Every fourth through twelfth grade student in the Sevier County School System will have the opportunity to join a 4-H club at their local school. Announcements regarding the 4-H meetings will be made at each school.

Currently there are over 4,000 4-H members in Sevier County in 170 organized 4-H clubs. Each of these clubs has a set of five officers that provide leadership to their individual club. Through the club activities and individual project work emphasis is placed on community citizenship involvement along with the development of leadership and public speaking skills. There are a multitude of learning experiences offered throughout the year. These include: speech, poster, essay, baking and photography contest; 4-H project work; hands-on workshops for each event; craft workshops; pet show, exhibiting livestock; summer workshops and several different camp experiences. There are no fees to join 4-H in Sevier County.

If you need more information about 4-H clubs in Sevier County, contact Glenn K Turner at 453-3695 or gturner2@utk.edu. You can visit 4-H online at http://utextension.tennessee.edu/sevier or like us on Facebook at UT Extension Sevier County.