4-H

4-H is a national youth development program administered by the Cooperative Extension System under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 4-H provides educational opportunities for youth related to agriculture, STEM, healthy living, family and consumer sciences, leadership, and civic engagement. The name of 4-H refers to the organization's focus on developing four personal qualities among youth: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The mission of 4-H is "to provide meaningful opportunities for all youth and adults to work together to create sustainable community change." 4-H is the United States' largest youth development organization with over six million members nationwide. 4-H operates as a partnership between federal, state, and local authorities. Federal leadership is provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). State-level leadership is provided by each state's land-grant university. Local 4-H programs are facilitated through county-based Extension staff.