4-H has a rich history — an important history. For those who have worked in Extension or had an affiliation with 4-H in some other way over the years… we need your assistance and your recollections. For those just getting started in your 4-H careers… the more you can learn about history, the better you can understand and perform your 4-H responsibilities.

Unfortunately, much of 4-H’s important history has either been lost or destroyed, or is buried in archives difficult to access by the general public. a group of volunteers — mostly retired state and national 4-H Extension professionals or retired from National 4-H Council — are striving to reverse this situation. The team is retrieving and researching 4-H archival materials and writing about relevant 4-H history. A digitization program has already provided for hundreds of 4-H books, reports, manuals and newsletters, films and other A/V items to become fully accessible to the public. A 4-H history preservation website provides the vehicle for bringing 4-H history into the 21st century. The 4-H History Team works in close collaboration with the 4-H National Headquarters, NIFA, USDA; National 4-H Council and State and County 4-H programs.

If you attended National 4-H Congress in Chicago as an awards winner, attended other national 4-H events, were a member of one of the dozens of 4-H developmental committees planning program curriculum, went on a 4-H international exchange… or were a host family, read the monthly National 4-H News magazine, remember national 4-H Sunday, the National 4-H Calendar Program, 4-H television series like “Mulligan Stew,” all of these areas — and 100s more — are being researched and written.

The digitization program, the website, refurbishing and preserving national poster and calendar original artwork, our grassroots outreach programs “Voices of 4-H History” and “Hands-On 4-H History, and videotaping oral histories all takes money. Remember, the program is operated by volunteers working for free.

If you can help us share your experiences in 4-H history — help us seek out missing items to borrow for digitization — or make a tax-deductible contribution to the 4-H History Preservation Program, we want to hear from you… consider joining our team!

You can contact the 4-H History Preservation team at: Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

You can also make a contribution by going to our website — http:4-HHistoryPreservation.com — and clicking on “Donate”.

Donations can be sent directly to: 4-H History Preservation Program, National 4-H Council, Box 37560, Baltimore, MD 21297-3560

Make checks payable to National 4-H Council and place “4-H History Preservation” in the memo area of your check.

We look forward to hearing from you and we welcome your sharing this information with friends and colleagues who may have an interest in 4-H history preservation.