AMES – Iowa families have a new way to find a 4-H club. By clicking on the 4-H section of their Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county website and then the ?Join 4-H? link, they can see an interactive map that shows all the 4-H clubs in their county.
The appropriate map appears on every ISU Extension and Outreach county website in a format that fits the screen, regardless of the browser used or the screen resolution. Information for the maps comes from the 4-H Online data system.
?Iowa 4-H Youth Development is committed to serving all Iowa youth,? said John-Paul Chaisson-C?rdenas, 4-H state director. ?Of course, this means making it as easy as possible for families to join 4-H in their county.?
4-H is the youth program of America?s Cooperative Extension Service and is the nation?s largest youth development organization. Nationwide, 4-H serves more than 6 million young people with programs in leadership, citizenship, communication and life skills.
In Iowa, 4-H impacts nearly 100,000 youth, Chaisson- C?rdenas said. Iowa 4-H Youth Development programs are headquartered at the Iowa State University campus in Ames and available through ISU Extension and Outreach offices in all Iowa counties. 4-H is supported by federal, state and county funding, private grants and donations, and fees.
?We serve youth in almost 100 percent of Iowa?s zip codes. 4-H membership is growing in rural and urban areas, and among youth of color,? Chaisson- C?rdenas said.
The Iowa 4-H program plans to update the online club maps twice per year. Iowa 4-H Data Manager Phil Heckman created the live club maps in partnership with ISU Institute for Design Research and Outreach, and Extension Information Technology.
For more information about joining 4-H, Iowans may contact their ISU Extension and Outreach county office or visit the Iowa 4-H Youth Development website.
