4-H in Macoupin County

What's it like in 4-H?

In 4-H, you get to decide what topics and projects interest you most. You make 4-H what you want it to be. Work on many projects or focus on one or two. Choose what events sound fun to you, and do them. In 4-H, you have an important role in making your community a better place to live, but you don’t have to do it alone. As a club, you’ll figure out what’s needed most in your neighborhood and find ways to help.

In 4-H, you’re part of a family working together. At club meetings, you’ll learn how to get along with others as you build your skills and help your community. In 4-H, you’ll meet adults who care about you and want to help you succeed. 4-H matches you with mentors who will coach you in areas like problem solving, communicating, and teamwork. 4-H introduces you to potential careers and then gives you the training to get the career you want.

We host several local workshops and programs throughout the year in Macoupin County. If you don't see one listed below, go to our events tab!

Two clear glass jars are being used to plant small terrariums.

Plant Terrarium Workshop

Join us to learn about plant terrariums and create your very own to take home!
A wooden gavel rests on a table in front of two small flags with a 4-H clover, with people seated in the background.

4-H Officer Training

Are you interested in becoming a 4-H club officer—or have you already been elected? Join us for an exciting and interactive session designed to help youth explore officer roles, build leadership skills, and learn how to run club meetings effectively.
A person raises their hand in a club meeting.

4-H Club Leader Training

Calling all 4-H Club Leaders! Join us for an engaging and informative training session designed to equip you with the tools, resources, and confidence to lead your club with impact.
A diverse group of firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and nurses stand in front of a fire truck.

Honoring Our First Responders

As part of our "hands to larger service" commitment, we are collecting donations from a provided list of items to create care packages and tokens of gratitude for local heroes in our unit.
A pair of hands working on a LEGO robot with wheels.

4-H Robotics Team

Join volunteer leaders Greg Behme & Aaron Royer for 4-H Robotics! We're looking for youth who are: Interested in building and coding, Ready to be part of a team, and Excited to develop problem-solving and teamwork skills
A science-themed graphic with a 4-H logo in a beaker that is smoking. The background shows beakers of colored liquid and a periodic table.

4-H STEAM Night

Join us for 4-H STEAM NIGHT at the Carlinville Public Library! 4-H Federation members will be on hand to engage youth in an evening of hands-on STEAM activities!
A person painting a jack-o-lantern face on a pumpkin.

4-H Pumpkin Painting Contest

Can you create the spookiest, funniest, or most creative pumpkin in our unit? Participate in our 4-H Pumpkin Painting Contest!
A cup of a latte on a teal wooden table with orange and yellows leaves around the cup. In the top left corner is a white 4-H logo.

4-H Fall Photo Contest

Capture the beauty of autumn and put your photography skills to the test by entering our fall photo contest by taking a fall-themed photo!
A overhead view of a pumpkin pie surrounded by nuts and pumpkins. A green 4-H clover is in the bottom right corner.

4-H Pie Workshop

Youth will make a pie crust from scratch and work on pie-making skills during this hands-on workshop.
A potted winter arrangement with pine branches and red berries. A green 4-H clover in the bottom right corner.

Holiday Evergreen Porch Pots

Get into the holiday spirit and use nature’s bounty to help you build an evergreen porch pot.
Newsletters

October 2025
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June/July 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024

Fairs and Shows

2025 Macoupin County 4-H Showbook

2025 Public Presentations Exhibit Requirements

Awards

Scholarships

Scholarships

  • McAllister/Robinson Scholarship Application - The Macoupin County 4-H Foundation awards a scholarship to an outstanding 4-H member who is either a high school senior or freshman in college or trade school. The $500 scholarship is awarded at Achievement Night. Scholarship applications are due by September 15.

Required Trainings to Show Livestock

  • YQCA – Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (required for beef, dairy, goats, sheep, and swine)
  • QAEC – Quality Assurance and Ethics Certification (required for dog, cat, poultry, rabbit, small pet, and horse)
  • Due May 1 in order for you to show livestock at your local county 4-H fair.

Do you know the history of Illinois 4-H?

Illinois 4-H has a strong history dating back to 1899 when William B. Otwell formed the first boy's corn club in Macoupin County,  Illinois. Otwell is credited as a pioneer in 4-H. He was elected president of the Macoupin County Farmers Institute, which introduced farm and home topics and comparative classes for rural youth. To create more enthusiasm for the institute,  he purchased the best seed corn he could buy, and approximately 500 boys in the county received one-ounce samples to plant in the spring. Otwell wrote to implement companies and breeders of livestock, asking for donations that would be used as premiums. The response was more than he expected. One implement manufacturing company sent cultivators, another sent windmills, an Angus breeder offered a cow, and other farmers donated hogs and sheep. The result was that over 500 boys and their families were at the courthouse on the opening day of the Farmers Institute.

National 4-H History Preservation Program (Earliest National Event)
More history of Macoupin County 4-H Illinois 4-H Alumni History

History of Macoupin County 4-H

In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act was passed in Congress authorizing the Cooperative Extension Service in each state land-grant college of agriculture. Due to Otwell's experience with getting youth involved in their community, Extension found one effective way to reach rural men and women was through working with their children. C. C. Coots from Palmyra organized the Union Pig Club, the first official 4-H club in Illinois. 13 members exhibited their swine projects, kept records, and received recognition certificates. The following year, 6,032 Illinois boys and girls were enrolled in 487 clubs. The club members learned about corn, pigs, calves, canning, sewing, and gardening.

Ralph Gibbs with his Duroc pig
William B. Otwell
A corn pyramid on display.

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