Sun shines into the 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Indiana 4-H students and leaders excitedly wait as judges evaluate the rows and rows of projects, including decorated cakes, handmade clothes and pinned insects. Thousands of 4-H'ers with months of instruction and mentorship from volunteers and judges look forward to this moment. 
The Indiana State Fair is a well-known part of 4-H, but it’s only one piece of the youth programming Purdue Extension leads. In counties across the state, 4-H is offering more participants more programs in more areas. Although the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic presented unforeseen challenges, community dedication helped 4-H to overcome and find new ways to grow.
Expanding project accessibility
Hands-on projects, a longtime favorite of 4-H’ers, are also consistent draw for new members. In the 2023-2024 cycle, 4-H recorded 155,871 projects from 50 categories. 4-H projects not only teach about a particular topic, but they also provide opportunities to develop skills, including time management and organization.
High school student Justice Ulmet, who joined 4-H in third grade, has submitted over 100 projects at the county fair level, with topics including geology, wildlife and photography.
“4-H has something for everybody,” Ulmet said. “Any interest you can have, there's something you can do in 4-H.”
Indiana 4-H community club enrollment is expanding! Although 4-H pivoted to online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs have seen steady increases in participation since 2021. Beth Stokes, a 4-H judge and project leader in Boone County, has seen the quality of 4-H projects improve over the years, especially since 2020.
“When the pandemic hit, the kids did amazing projects,” Stokes said.
Stokes has taught cake decorating to Boone County 4-H'ers for over 20 years and has judged at the state and county level. She emphasized that hosting workshops virtually has benefited many youths. “I have a lot of people asking if we’re recording the workshops because their schedules are so busy. It gives us more options to get these kids involved so that they can still learn these trades and skill levels at their interest.”
Roger Carr, another 4-H judge, has seen similar trends. Carr has given feedback on livestock projects for more than 40 years in over 75 counties, and during that time, he said he’s also seen project quality improve, which he credits to better education.
"The quality of livestock shows currently are at an elite level,” Carr said. “Many people focus on the top end or the champions. As a livestock judge, I try to focus on all. Today you could have last place animals at the county fair, and they still can have quality. It’s impressive that the bottom end is better over the years, and that tells me how good of a show it is and how the industry has improved.”
Offering new programs
Since 2020, 4-H has been breaking down barriers to participation, making 4-H programming accessible to all Hoosier youth, regardless of club membership.
Juntos 4-H, for example, is offered in nine counties. Launched in 2020, the program aims to provide youth and their families with the knowledge, skills and resources to ensure high school graduation and increase college access and attendance rates. The program welcomes students from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Indiana 4-H includes not only community club membership but also opportunities like 4-H camps, after-school programs and special interest clubs to learn STEM skills. Discovery Challenge, another program, brings 4-H into classrooms across the state. The program provides structure and assistance to children in grades 3-5 as they research and present a topic of interest in their classrooms. Children can choose from such topics as science, social studies, arts and crafts, healthy living, environmental stewardship and leadership.
The Next Chapter program prepares middle schoolers and high schoolers for success in their next step after high school. Youth have the opportunity to see themselves in a future they may never have imagined with visits to work sites and college campuses across the state.
With these new offerings, more Indiana youth have learned about 4-H and become Beyond Ready to be leaders in their communities, Indiana and the world.
Sara Coomes, a 4-H leader for almost 30 years, has seen the benefits of these programs in her own county.
“I have seen growth in the 4-H program in Vanderburgh County,” Coomes said. “They strive to reach all areas of our county, both the 4-H kids and other kids in the community that don’t always have the resources to join the traditional 4-H program. There have been multiple programs added to 4-H to continue developing the skills youth need to become productive members of society.”
Increasing community participation
Grants from partner organizations have also helped 4-H to grow in new ways. For example, programs funded through Lilly Endowment Inc. bring 4-H into classrooms while partnerships with National 4-H Council and the Indiana 4-H Foundation have fueled programming related to STEM and AI.
“During 2020 everything got crazy, but once the dust settled, 4-H used that time of discovery to bring in many new people,” said Kjartan Plett, a current 4-H member. “Now, I think 4-H is back to its old self, if not even larger!”
Growth in Indiana youth participation requires more adult volunteers, and they’re answering the call. None of these programs would be possible without the support of adult volunteers.
One volunteer, Sean Sharma, serves as a judge for aerospace projects when he’s not practicing medicine. A former 4-H'er, Dr. Sharma knows the impact adult mentors can have.
“I think we all have a responsibility to support the communities in which we live,” Dr. Sharma said. “The nice thing is that 4-H is a local organization, so you can support the youth and other adult volunteers in the area you live. That's important to help make our community better and make it a better place to live.”
Another volunteer, Molly Knight, gives her time to Beech Grove 4-H Support Committee. Knight was a Beech Grove 4-H'er and youth volunteer through high school, and after she graduated, she continued supporting 4-H as a volunteer. Even though Knight spends most of the year in Boston for college, she attends committee meetings online as often as she can and helps in person when she’s home.
“I like doing it because I had such a great time when I was a 4-H'er, and there were some wonderful volunteers who helped out and made everything possible,” Knight said. “I want to do the same for the kids that are in the program because you can learn so much through 4-H.”
With the steadily increasing number of Indiana 4-H participants, 4-H needs more adult volunteers to serve Hoosier youth. If you are interested in volunteering with 4-H or learning more about 4-H in your community, reach out to your local Purdue Extension office, email in4h@purdue.edu or call 765-496-4446.