4-H In Livingston 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.

 

Local Events, Workshops, and Deadlines

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Livingston County Butterfly Festival
Are you looking for a memorable day filled with family-friendly activities? Great news! The Livingston County Butterfly Festival is just right for you! Flutter to the festival for a morning filled with activities for all ages.
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Aim high with Shooting Sports this summer!
Shooting Sports in Livingston County will start in May! Check out our shooting sports calendar.
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Livingston County 4-H Show: July 19-22
Check out all 4-H Show details listed in the 2023 Show Book

Livestock Certifications

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YQCA Certification

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals - YQCA is an annual training is required for 4-H members who plan to show their dairy cattle, beef cattle, swine, sheep, and/or goats at the 2023 4-H Show. Youth may complete the required YQCA certification online ($12) or at an in-person training ($3). Visit YQCA to register. Livingston County is offering an in-person session on May 3. YQCA must be completed by June 1.
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QAEC Certification

Quality Assurance and Ethics Certification - QAEC is a free training for members in cat, dog, horse, poultry, rabbit, and small pets project areas and must be completed only once during a members time in 4-H. Earn your QAEC Certification here. The training site page asks for a token, however, you can simply hit 'next' to continue. QAEC must be completed by June 1.

Information At-A-Glance

Looking for specific 4-H information?

Fairs and Shows

2023

2023 Livingston County 4-H Show Book

Livingston County 4-H Exhibit Report - If unable to attend conference judging, youth may complete this Exhibit Report and have their exhibits judged.

FairEntry

Exhibits need to be entered in FairEntry by June 10. The FairEntry system is now open and may be accessed at fairentry.com or go directly to the Livingston County FairEntry Site.

Livestock:

  • 2023 Livestock Ownership Deadlines
  • Access the virtual YQCA training. This training is required for those with beef, dairy, goat, sheep, and swine. YQCA certification needs to be completed annually.
  • Earn your QAEC Certification here. This training is for members in cat, dog, horse, poultry, rabbit, and small pets project areas and must be completed only once during a 4-H members time in 4-H. The training site page asks for a token, however, you can simply hit 'next' to continue.

Beef

Horse

Lamb and Goat

Swine

How to enroll in Livingston County 4-H?

Exciting news! We're waiving 4-H Enrollment Fees for 2022-2023!

 

Reminder: 4-H is always open to join all year and anytime with waiver opportunities available upon request.
Fee Waiver Form - Cost should never be a barrier to participation in 4-H. If you need a fee waiver for a program or event, please complete this form and submit to the Livingston County Extension Office at 1412 S. Locust St., Pontiac

Questions about enrolling in 4-H, selecting projects, ordering project books, and volunteering?
Contact the Livingston County Extension Office at 815-842-1776.

4-H Clubs in Livingston County

Club Directory

Map of Clubs

Newsletters and Updates

5-26-2023 - Fair Information
5-15-2023 - Fair Information
5-1-2023 - Shooting Sports Calendar
4-17-2023
3-31-2023
3-17-2023
3-10-2023
2-24-2023
2-10-2023
2-3-2023
1-27-2023
1-20-2023
1-13-2023
1-6-2023
12-21-2022
12-15-2022
12-2-2022
11-20-2022
11-11-2022
10-28-2022
 

 

Records and Awards

Member Awards

* Important Note: Applying for the Record Book Award requires both of the following two items:

  1. My Activities Record Sheet
  2. At least one 4-H Project Record Sheet (see above options) or Livestock Record Book

 

Officer Awards

  • Secretary - Submit Secretary Book
  • Treasurer - Submit Treasurer Book
  • Reporter - Submit club scrapbook
  • Historian - submit a notebook or folder of club meeting reports and/or news articles submitted to the local paper

See pages 4-5 in the Livingston Recognition Guidebook for details and application requirements of Officer Awards.

 

Club and Community Awards

State 4-H site for additional state awards can be found on the Illinois 4-H Website

Leader Resources

Officer Training Resources

Treasurer Book

Secretary Book

Reporter Form

Fundraising Approval Form

Long Term Spending Plan

Club Organization Sheet

School Programs

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Butterfly Program

Our school butterfly program offers an interactive session on the life cycle of butterflies, butterfly anatomy, and importance of pollinators. Sessions are led by 4-H staff and each classroom receives a cup of caterpillars to raise and release, as well as classroom resources. View our Butterfly Adventures video series. Level: 4th grade, but can be tailored to other grade school levels. Contact sattig@illinois.edu to request this program.
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Your Thoughts Matter

Mental health is just as important as physical health. This 6-lesson series is designed for junior high and early high school students and focuses on learning more about mental health, why it is important to overall well-being, and steps that promote understanding and action. Level: 7th through 9th grades. Contact sattig@illinois.edu to request this program.
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Mindful Me

The Mindful Me program for 5 to 8 year olds aims to promote mindful practices that lead to improvements in managing one’s own goals, developing a sense of self, time management, stress management, emotional regulation, and mindful eating practices. This is a 5-part workshop series with sessions focusing on affirmations, feelings, mood management, quiet listening. Level: K through 2nd grades. Contact sattig@illinois.edu to request this program.

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Ready4Work

Ready4Work is a workforce readiness program that teaches life skills necessary to increase the number of qualified applicants for the workforce in the United States. This curriculum will focus on how youth can build their resumes and cover letters, dressing for success, interviewing skills, career planning, social media etiquette, time management and more. Level: freshman through senior in high school. Contact sattig@illinois.edu to request this program.
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Cloverbuds in the Classroom

Cloverbuds in the Classroom is designed for kindergarten and first grade students to explore a variety of STEAM related topics. Teachers may request monthly lessons that go along with specific topics from their classrooms or stand alone activities to enhance their current schedule. An example of recent sessions include "Diggin' Those Dinosaurs." Level: Kindergarten and 1st grade. Contact sattig@illinois.edu to request this program.
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Unlock Ag Innovations Challenge

The 4-H Unlock Ag Innovations Challenge is a series of challenges using the “escape room” format. Through a series of interactive, hands-on activities, participants will explore a variety of ag innovations such as selective breeding, GPS/GIS, drones, and the evolution of agriculture. In small teams, students will work through scenarios to solve situations that farmers face. Aligned with NGSS standards. Level: 4th through 8th grade. Contact sattig@illinois.edu to request this program.

State Resources for Illinois 4-H Members and Clubs

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Explore Statewide Leadership Roles
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Educational Programs
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Club Meeting Resources

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Member Projects
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Volunteer with 4-H
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Join the 4-H Alumni Association

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Explore 4-H's Impact
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Support 4-H

Find the latest 4-H News on our Unit 4-H Page!

We are here to help.