4-H Pledge

3 people showing heart, head and hands symbolicall

I Pledge …

my HEAD to Clearer Thinking,
my HEART to Greater Loyalty,
my HANDS to Larger Service,
and my HEALTH to better living

for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

My HEAD to Clearer Thinking

It’s normal for youth to have questions or be unsure about things. Give your youth the information you can to help them plan, organize, make wise decisions, and problem solve. It will encourage your child to think ciritically and use this knowledge throughout life.

My HEART to Greater Loyalty

Success is amazing; some failure is inevitable. Both help youth develop strong personal values and a positive self-concept. Encourage and support all youth, especially your own, to have empathy, concern, and support for others. Show your child, by example, how to cooperate, collaborate, and communicate with those around them.

My HANDS to Larger Service

When you help your family’s club, you model volunteerism, community service, and inclusiveness to your youth. If you don’t have the time to be a volunteer, you can help in many equally important ways. Just by being part of a club, your youth will have an understanding that the world is bigger than themselves and that they have a part in shaping and participating in it.

My HEALTH to Better Living

In addition to keeping youth physically healthy, body and mind, it is important we provide them the skills to make healthy, balanced decisions and to lead healthy lifestyles. Modelling healthy behavior helps create safe spaces to support youth learning and character development.

for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

4-H does not happen without supportive adults in and around the club serving as positive role models. Stay involved as a family/caregiver as best you can; it makes the experience much richer for everyone, and expands the world of not just your youth, but you, too. The more involved our 4-H members are, the more impactful they are upon the world around them.

Elements of this information was adapted from Exploring 4-H for New Families, 2020, Benson & Hoppe.