Home CJMM 4-H in Macoupin County

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.
Scrapbooking craft table with cardstock, wooden embellishments, and the 4-H logo.

4-H Scrapbooking Workshop

Join us for an evening of fun while scrapbooking with friends. Youth will learn basic techniques to enhance scrapbooking skills and creativity.

Illustration of diverse hands stacked together in unity, featuring the 4-H logo in the upper left corner.

Hands to Larger Service: Care Kits

Help us make our goal of putting together 100 Care Kits to be donated to those in need in our local communities!

 Sliced loaf of pumpkin bread on a cutting board, surrounded by whole pumpkins, pinecones, and autumn leaves, with a 4-H logo in the top right corner.

4-H Pumpkin Bread Take-Home Kit

Bake and discover with this fun, fall-inspired take-home kit! Each kit will include a recipe and non-perishable supplies for pumpkin bread.

 A graphic featuring gears on a blue background with a white 4-H logo in the bottom right corner.

CJMM 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 loaf of sourdough bread with two slices cut, next to a jar of starter and a 4-H logo in the top right corner.

Sourdough Science

Get ready to mix, bubble, and bake! In this hands-on class, you’ll make your own sourdough starter and learn how to keep it happy and growing at home.

A person using a cell phone to take an image of a fall scenery. A white 4-H clover is on the bottom left.

4-H Fall Photo Contest

Capture the beauty of fall and put your photography skills to the test by entering the 4-H unit-wide photo contest by taking a fall-themed photo!

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Fairs and Shows

Please contact your local Extension office if you need a copy of the 2026 Showbook.

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.
Otwell's Farmer Boys national roundup of corn growing contestants in 1905 in Carlinville

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)

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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