Shelby County 4-H Youth Development

What We Do

4-H began over 100 years ago, and has since grown into the largest youth development program in the nation. 4-H prepares young people to be leaders in their community and around the world through hands-on experiences alongside their peers and caring adults. Backed by a network of more than 6 million youth, 540,000 adult volunteers, 3,500 professionals, and more than 60 million alumni; 4-H delivers research-based programming around positive youth development. 4-H is delivered through America's 109 land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension Service reaching every corner of our nation.

In Indiana, 4-H can be found in all 92 counties as delivered through 
Purdue Extension. Community clubs, aftershock programs, school enrichment, camps/workshops, and special interest programs are all ways youth across Indiana can be involved with the 4-H program.
 

LEARN MORE

 

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

Office Location

20 W Polk Street, Suite 201
Shelbyville, IN 46176
(317) 392-6460

Office Hours

Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closed on County Holidays

 4-H Staff

b-york-2023.jpg

Bailey York, 4-H Youth Educator
york40@purdue.edu

 

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Cindy Kuhn, 4-H Program Assistant
cmkuhn@purdue.edu

 

Natalie Russell, 4-H Secretary photo 

Natalie Russell, 4-H Secretary
russe238@purdue.edu

 

Record Sheet

 Foods Recipe Card 2023-2024

Enroll Now in 4-H!

The 2023-2024 4-H Program Year Starts October 1st! Traditional 4-H Members, Mini 4-H Members, and Adult Volunteers must enroll each year to participate in the program.

4-H Online

Mini 4-H

Mini 4-H is a program designed to encourage positive development of children, Kindergarten through second grade. The goal of Mini 4-H is to help young children explore friendships outside the family; explore the way in which things work; practice both small and large muscle control; and think about the ways people work together on projects.

Learn More About Mini 4-H

Enroll your Projects

All projects must be entered in 4-H Online and membership fee paid before registering projects in Fair Entry. Log into your v2.4honline.com account to verify projects. Add or delete projects to be exhibited.  You can find the Fair Entry site below. Feel free to call the Shelby County Purdue Extension Office at 317-392-6460. 

Fair Entry

Handbook

The Shelby County 4-H and Mini 4-H handbooks are typically updated at the begriming of the calendar year and will be posted here as well as available for pick-up in our office.

Download the 4-H Handbook here. 

2024 4-H HANDBOOK

Download Shelby County's Mini 4-H Handbook here. 

2024 Mini 4-H Handbook

4-H Camp

Shelby County will be attending 4-H Camp at Camp Shakamak State Park.

Campers must currently be enrolled in Shelby County 4-H and be in grades 3-6th. Camp fee is $100.00 for returning campers. The Shelby County 4-H Advisory Council will pay $50 toward any first time camper registration. Camp fee includes a t-shirt, camp fees, camp insurance, park admission and transportation.  Craft classes and snack food items will require some additional spending money. Please make check payable to SHELBY COUNTY 4-H ADVISORY COUNCIL. 

Paid registrations must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024. This is just going to be too much fun to miss out on!  Shelby County is allotted 20 spots so we can only take the first 20 campers who submit paid registrations, so don’t delay! All others will be placed on a waiting list.

4-H Clubs & Leaders

What is a 4-H Club? A 4-H club is an organized group of at least five youth from three different families who meet regularly with adult volunteers or staff for a long-term, progressive series of educational experiences.

What is the purpose of a 4-H Club? The purpose of a 4-H club is to provide positive youth development opportunities to meet the needs of young people to experience belonging, mastery, independence, and generositythe Essential Elementsand to foster educational opportunities tied to the Land Grant University knowledge base.

Blue Ribbon Club meets at Morristown Elementary in Room 3. Mini 4-Hers are welcome to attend. We meet after school, have an activity and learn more about 4-H. We begin meeting in January. If school is closed, there is no club meeting. Meetings are scheduled for Jan 11, Jan 25, Feb 8, Feb 29, March 28, April 11 & May 9. Meetings will be from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm.

Club Leader

  • Angie Schmidt

We have active, strong growing roots that has ran through Shelby County for over 56 years. Our club has always been active I leadership, project skills, demonstrations, judging contest, parties, activities, parliamentary procedure meetings, officer training, community services and charity deeds. Our main goals are to build leadership skills, confidence, trust, respect, hon-esty, self esteem, and to establish life long friendship. We all spur each other on to “Make the Best Better”. 

Club Leaders

  • Pam Robinson
  • Laura & Andy Bridges
  • Chastity & Trey Davidson
  • Brenda Nortrup 

The Noble Happy Harvesters Club is almost 100 years old. We are a club with roots in Noble Township, but invite members from any part of Shelby County to join us. The meetings will be held at the home of Olivia Cassidy, 2539 E 700 S, Waldron, IN 46182. It is only 10 minutes from Waldron. At each meeting we will follow Parliamentary procedure and have demonstrations to highlight different projects. Our club promotes membership, club activities, and encourages county and state fair participation. Our goal is to facilitate future leaders of our community through 4-H activities. Our scheduled meetings for 2024 are at 6:30 p.m. on the following dates: Jan 10, Feb. 14, March 13, April 10, May 8, and DEC 7th.

Club Leader

  • Olivia Cassidy

Please contact the club leader for more information on this club. 

Club Leader 

  • Frances Jackson

Southwestern Shamrocks 4-H Club is located in the southwestern portion of Shelby County. We welcome and encourage attendance at our monthly meetings for all 4-H’ers, Mini 4-H’ers and parents. The leaders work to help elected 4-H’ers to follow parliamentary procedure at each meeting. We strive to make the best better. Scheduled meetings for 2024 are DEC 12, 2023, Jan 9, Feb 13, Mar 12, April 8, May 14, and May 28. Meetings will start at 6:30 p.m. The meetings will be held at the Kissell Barn.

Club Leaders

  • Cindy Baute
  • Stacy Baute
  • Becca Miller
  • Amber Fiesbeck

The Survivors do Community Service projects, work at the 4-H Café during the fair and works on projects. The 2024 meetings will be on Feb 10, March 18, March 22 and May 26. Please call the leader for times and locations for each of these meetings.

Club Leader

  • Deana Thurston 

Triton Lucky Leaf 4-H Club is a small club with big goals! The kids and leaders work together to make sure all members are informed and get the most from their 4-H experience. The meeting dates for 2024 are Jan 2, Feb 6, Mar 5, Apr 2, May 7 & May 21 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting location is to be determined so please call. 

Club Leader

  • Christa Weaver

No meetings are scheduled at this time for our club. We are all rural 4-H’ers who mostly take Livestock projects. Please call the leaders for meeting dates and times. 

Club Leader

  • Darrin Linville

This club will be meeting on December 21, 2023, April 15, 2024, May 30, 2024 at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. The building is TBD.

Club Leaders

  • Frank Schonfeld
  • Megan Platt
  • Justin Platt
  • Camille Thopy

The Hoosier Horsemen meet in Brinson Hall at the fairgrounds at 7 pm. Meeting Dates for 2024 are Feb 7 @ Brinson Hall, Mar 6 @ FAB, Apr 3 at Brinson Hall. Apr 17, May 1, May 15, & May 29 will be held by the arena at 6:00 p.m. If riding is canceled we will meet at Brinson Hall at the same time.

Club Leaders

  • Linda Martin 
  • Sandy Segneri 
  • Jennifer Wright

We will be learning to show llamas or alpacas with owned or leased animals. This is a good opportunity for a 4-Her to learn to train and bond with an animal.
Meetings will be on Jan 19, Feb 16,& Mar 15 from 6-8 pm in the Brinson Building. These will be meetings to learn basics and get to know each other. The meeting on Apr 20 will be a felting workshop from 1-3 pm in the Brinson Building. Working with the animals will be on April 5, 12, 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31. This will be on the Shelby County Fairgrounds in the show arena and will be from 6-8 pm. 

Club Leaders

  • Vanessa Benagh
  • Tatem Hodge
  • Ellie Bruce
Shooting Sports workshops are scheduled for:
  • January 13 & 27, 2024
  • February 10 & 24, 2024
  • March 9 & 23, 2024
  • April 6 & 20, 2024
  • May 4 & 18, 2024

Pistol & Shotgun - 9 am-11 am
Rifle, Muzzleloading & Archery - 11 am - 1 pm

Shooting Sports Orientation Meeting - December 3, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in Brinson Hall at the fairgrounds.

Club Leader

  • Bill Claytor

The Sheep and Goat Club was formed in 2023 to provide education, support, and fellowship among sheep and goat showmen. Our meetings are fund and educational and often include experts in the industry along with hands-on learning experiences.
January 25, 2024, 6:00-7:00 pm, Family Arts Building
February 29, 2024, 6:00-7:00 pm, Family Arts Building
March 21, 2024, 6:00-7:00 pm, Family Arts Building
April 25, 2024, 6:00-7:00 pm, Livestock Arena
May 19, 2024, 1:00-3:00 pm, Livestock Arena

Club Leaders

  • Andy & Laura Bridges
  • Trey & Chastity Davidson

Livestock & Animals

For more detailed information on the Livestock Auction, please see page 183 of the 2024 Shelby County Handbook.

2024 Shelby County Livestock Auction Form

All county 4-H Exhibitors must also complete a Shelby County Pen Reservation Form, and return to the Shelby County Extension Office. Forms are due by May 15. There will be NO entries accepted after May 15th. 

2024 Shelby County Livestock Pen Reservation Form

DOGS, CATS, FERRETS, AND EQUINE ARE ALL REQUIRED TO HAVE A COMPLETED 2024 VACCINATION FORM PRIOR TO THE ANIMAL ARRIVING ON THE PREMISES FOR ANY 4-H EVENT. 

Horse & Pony Vaccination Form

Cat Vaccination Form

Dog Vaccination Form

Ferret Vaccination Form

Overview
Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care training was developed with Indiana 4-Hers in mind. This
program is a grassroots initiative formulated and facilitated by Purdue Extension, the Purdue
Animal Science Department, and industry affiliates.
The Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care program is a comprehensive training expectation for all
4-H youth participating in beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, meat goats, dairy goats, poultry
and rabbit projects.
The goal of the Indiana 4-H Quality Assurance Training program is to help youth understand
their responsibility in increasing consumer confidence, animal stewardship, and overall gaining
and applying pertinent information and credibility, relating to food systems. The curriculum is
relevant and timely with an emphasis on assisting youth in making their best livestock practices
even better.
Indiana 4-H Quality Livestock Care Training core components and program goals and
expectations will emphasize the importance of care, safety, and youth as industry ambassadors.
The cornerstone beliefs of the training are as follows:
  • Animals from youth livestock programs are treated with the utmost care.
  • Youth livestock exhibitors are contributing to a safe, wholesome food supply.
  • Youth livestock exhibitors are prepared to be ambassadors for animal agriculture.

Policy

To exhibit beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, meat goats, dairy goats, poultry and rabbits at
the county fair and Indiana State Fair, 4-H members must be certified through the Indiana 4-H
Livestock Quality Care training or the online Youth for the Quality Care of Animals program.
Quality Assurance training must be completed by 4-H members annually. For more information
about in-person training in your county, please contact your County Extension Office

Indiana State Fair 2024

Enrollment Guide to 4-H Online

Please view the following guides to enroll in 4-H. Please contact the Shelby County Purdue Extension Office at 317-392-6460 with any questions you have. 

RT2: Read, Taste & Touch

The primary purpose of RT2 is to promote reading, good nutrition, and agriculture awareness among preschool and early elementary aged children. RT2 encourages parents and others to take time out of their busy day to enhance a child's learning experience. 
For 2024, Shelby County RT2 will be open to 4-H members in K-3rd grade. 

Projects

Members have the opportunity to learn more about a subject matter that they choose to study through completing hands on activities. In 4-H, we refer to these as projects. In order to enroll in a project, members must sign up for them at the time of enrolling in 4-H. Each project has a manual that guides the youth through the learning process as well as a set of guidelines that helps them meet the project requirements. Adult volunteers and staff who are knowledgeable on that particular subject often host workshops to allow the youth to learn about that topic in a social environment. Each project has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level to allow youth to build on their knowledge each year and continue to challenge their skills. Projects are meant to be worked on over time, providing an educational opportunity for youth outside of the classroom setting. Often, youth will exhibit and display their project at a local county fair in order to show the community what they have learned. There is no limit to the number of projects youth can sign up for, however, we suggest starting out with one or two your first year.

Junior Leaders

The Junior Leader project allows 4-H members in grades 7-12 the opportunity to provide their Adult 4-H Volunteers with additional assistance in their 4-H Clubs and related activities. Jr. Leaders also serve as mentors and role models to the younger 4-H members by sharing their experiences with them.

Our December Holiday Party & meeting will take place on December 15. 2023 at 6PM in the Extension Office Ed Room. 

 

Record Sheet

One record sheet must be completed for each project you exhibit, place your completed record sheet in your green record book behind your 4-H record of achievement. 
Refer to current program year County Handbook for due date of green record book. 

SPARK Clubs

​​​SPARKS Clubs are open to youth grades 3-12 to “spark” new interest in the Indiana 4-H program.  SPARK Clubs are special interest groups designed to capture the attention of youth with single focus, “out of the box” interests that are likely differ​​rent from state-recognized 4-H projects. These clubs are led by volunteers bringing their subject mastery to the club.  SPARK Clubs include six hours of instructional time that can occur in one day or over a length of time. Most SPARK Clubs end their program with a culminating event or activity.

This SPARK Club will be held on March 22, 2024 from 9 AM - 3 PM at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Participants will learn about/ engage in: pig dissection, insects & forestry, feed rations, and ear notching.  Join us for a day of learning! Register with your 4-H Online account under the 'events' tab. 

Animal Science SPARK Club Flyer

This SPARK Club will be held on March 20, 2024 from 9 AM - 3 PM at the Shelby County Purdue Extension Office. Participants will bake cupcakes & cookies learning how to measure needed items and follow the baking directions. Followed by learning and practicing the basics of icing & decorating their baked goods. Register for this event with your 4-H Online account under the 'events tab. 

Cookie & Cupcake Decorating SPARK Club

Workshops

Workshops are meant to supplement the time the youth spends working on a project and the activities or subject area they complete in the project manual. Typically, these are offered several times a year. We encourage family members to attend these workshops with the 4-H member for the best educational outcome.

This workshop will be held on December 21, 2023 from PM - 3 PM at the Shelby County Purdue Extension Office. This workshop will serve as a time for our youth to learn how to preserve their memories of their family in an organized and creative way. At this workshop youth will have the opportunity to complete several scrapbook pages for their 4-H project. Register for this event with your 4-H Online account under the 'events' tab. 

Scrapbook Workshop

This workshop will be held on March 21, 2024 from PM - PM at the Shelby County Purdue Extension Office. Youth participants will have the opportunity to utilize a Cricut Machine to assist in cutting letters and shapes. Colored paper will also be of use and computers to research needed information for posters. *Posters and sleeves will be available for purchase at this time. Register for this event with your 4-H Online account under the 'events' tab. 

Poster Workshop

4-H Volunteers

4-H Volunteers include Club Leaders, Project Resources as well as 4-H Council and Fair Board Members.  New volunteers must complete an application prior to completing the online enrollment.  Contact our office to receive an application.

Club Leaders

4-H Community Club Leader – provides organization to a 4-H Cub based in a local community, typically representing a certain geographic area.
4-H Project Club Leader – offers educational opportunities to 4-H members based on a certain project or subject area in a club setting.

This resource guide provides club leaders with a plethora of information such as: club leader login access, assistance from the extension office, meeting outlines, training youth officers, and much more. 

Resource Guide 2024

This handout guide is the second part to the Resource Guide. Handouts included in this guide include: mock meeting agenda, secretary report, treasurer report, and much more. 

Resource Guide Handouts 2024