4-H Afterschool
“4-H Afterschool is designed to further increase staff capacity to develop and implement effective programs and to work in partnership with other youth-serving organizations. These efforts will ultimately increase the quality and quantity of Afterschool programs in America’s communities.”
[Ferrari et al., 2003 Draft, 4-H Afterschool, pg. 5]
The JumpStart Annual Conference will be held Sept. 26-27, 2008 at Utah Valley University in Orem Utah. The JumpStart Conference is provided by Afterschool Utah Association and Utah Afterschool Network. JumpStart is Utah's premiere afterschool professionals conference with two days of training designed for staff and administrators, share fair and vendor fair, keynote speaker, and networking opportunities. For more information please refer to the following brochure.
The aim of 4-H Afterschool is to increase young people’s opportunities to have fun while developing lifelong skills through experiential learning in safe, healthy, enriching environments.
4-H Afterschool provides opportunities for youth to participate in 4-H projects and clubs during an afterschool program at schools or local community centers. Many schools offer 4-H clubs and project activities in a safe afterschool environment through their existing afterschool program. For schools that do not have an existing afterschool program, they may offer school space for a 4-H club meeting either once/week or once/month.
To find out more information about afterschool programs in your area, talk to the teachers and principal at your school to see what is available. Your county extension office would also be happy to help answer questions that you may have about enrolling students or volunteering to help with 4-H Afterschool.
Afterschool Resources
Afterschool Activity Plans
This page is the equivalent to the “Afterschool on CD 2007,” available at the
Afterschool surveys are designed to find out more about the impact of afterschool programs in
Potentially Helpful References for Afterschool Programs
Document with useful references on the benefits of After School Programs
Want to get an Afterschool program started in your area, but not sure where to start? Click here for a PDF version of our ABC...123 Afterschool Program Handbook, and click here for the Word version. (Word is provided so that you may edit information to more directly apply to your own program).
Useful Afterschool Program Links
4-H Activities for Lights on Afterschool
National 4-H Council website. Contains information to help you create state and county plans of action as well as 4-H Science Activity Plans.
Colorado State University Extension 4-H website- Activity Sheet Downloads
Colorado State University Extension 4-H website. After School Programs Activity Sheets downloads. Curriculum areas include: Food/Nutrition & Science.
University of Wisconsin Extension 4-H website- Activity Sheet Downloads
4-H Afterschool provides “Learn-by-doing” research-based, ready-to-use 4-H curricula covering an array of topics.
Extensive site with many useful resources from funding to activity plans. Their goals are: "Support afterschool statewide community connections and partnerships in policy development, Promote policies that secure resources and funding for afterschool programs. Promote high quality afterschool programs."
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children.
Corporation for National Community Service
Contains online tools and training resources for volunteer or service programs. Shares information with potential grantees to help them apply for Corporation resources. Provides technical assistance to any organization using volunteers to strengthen local communities. The
A specialized non-profit research, consulting, technical assistance and training firm for public and private sector leaders nationwide. Assistance with investment decisions, financing strategies, and building partnerships.
N. Central Region Education Lab
Learning Point Associates helps schools and districts plan, create, and evaluate strong afterschool programs.
Promising Practices in Afterschool
Promising Practices in Afterschool (or “PPAS”) is an effort to find and share things that are working in afterschool programs. The website contains information on: planning activities for your program, finding funding, new curriculum, promising practices from programs around the country, resources and professional development opportunities, and a place to information share.
University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension 4-H Afterschool
Contains information on training, curriculum, and starting 4-H afterschool clubs
National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education this website offers descriptions, professional reviews and links to curriculum for use in afterschool programs.
The S&S "Grant Finder" is FREE and allows educators to search the complete and current database of Fedral, State and Private Foundation grants available to schools and non-profit organizations including Afterschool Programs. The database is updated daily with new grant money.
THE GREENS, is a PBS Web site that encourages kids to explore sustainability and take action. It offers free Activity Guides to educators working with 9 to 12-year olds that seek to deepen kids’ understanding of topics like recycling and global warming and campaigns to reduce junk mail and get drivers to stop idling cars. Guides contain leader notes, handouts, and how-to information for activities that allow kids to learn about a problem and then engage in a hands-on activity that can help solve it. Activities can be conducted over separate one-hour sessions.
