Ohio State - 4-H Youth Development

Thankful Thursday is here! Today, we’re celebrating the incredible volunteers, educators, mentors, and leaders who make Ohio 4-H stronger every day. Their encouragement, guidance, and support help young people build confidence, discover new passions, and become .

Who has made a difference in your 4-H journey? Give them a shoutout in the comments!

🎉 It’s Auction Time! 🎉
The Ohio 4-H Celebration of Youth Online Auction is officially OPEN!
Support youth development across Ohio by bidding on over 100 amazing items — from 4-H Themed Cooking Basket to a signed Jim Tressel football and so much more!
🗓️ Auction runs from October 6–15
💻 Bid now: go.osu.edu/coyauction
📣 Remember: Bid early, bid often!

The 2026-2027 Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council is off to an incredible start! 🍀🌟

This weekend, 72 teen leaders from 37 Ohio counties came together for the first Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council (TLC) meeting of the year. As representatives of their counties, these members help provide a youth voice in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Ohio 4-H programming across the state.

Each member serves on one of five action-focused committees: Animal Science, College and Career Readiness, 4-H Promotion and Advocacy, STEM, or Healthy Living. Through their committee work, members collaborate to develop programs, resources, and opportunities that positively impact Ohio 4-H youth.

The day was filled with energy, new connections, and leadership development as members participated in team-building activities, discovered their strengths through the Real Colors Assessment, and gave back to their communities by creating more than 140 thank-you cards for healthcare workers. 💌

We are excited to see the impact these young leaders make across Ohio 4-H this year! 💚🍀

Join us today, October 5th in painting the nation GREEN as we kick of ! Snap a pic in your best green gear and post it in the comments below. Let's light up every feed with green!

Let’s paint the nation green! We’re kicking off with a bold splash of Ohio 4-H spirit on MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH. Whether it’s a green hat, shirt, face paint, or even green socks— show the world you’re by wearing green tomorrow!

🍀 National 4-H Week is almost here!

From fairgrounds and community gardens to robotics labs and classrooms, Ohio 4-H youth are proving they’re not just ready for the future, they’re Beyond Ready.

During National 4-H Week (October 4-10), we celebrate the young people, volunteers, educators, and supporters who make 4-H a powerful force for leadership, learning, and service.

Join us in recognizing the skills, confidence, and resilience that 4-H helps build in youth across Ohio and beyond. 💚

The Delaware County 4-H Team is heading back to Ohio after competing at the National 4-H Food Challenge.! The competition was held in Dallas at the State Fair of Texas. Naming themselves the Buckeye Battalion, team members Ashleigh Willyerd, Ellie Whittington, Liz Bender, and Ethan Oberhaus competed in a cooking competition using the surprise secret ingredient of cinnamon raisin bread to create a delicious healthy breakfast dish in 40 minutes. Although they did not advance to the finals, they enjoyed meeting 4-H teams from across the country and sharing cooking tips. The team was coached by 4-H volunteer Angela Willyerd.

Check out scenes from the Farm Science Review--we hope to see you there today and tomorrow!

In 2025 alone, Ohio 4-H youth enrolled in 121,329 projects.

That number represents 121,329 big ideas sparked, new interests discovered and opportunities to develop life-changing skills for Ohio’s 4-H youth.

Inspired by Dolly Parton’s legacy, we’re asking you to help us put more project books in the hands of young people across our state. Give at the link below now through September 25.

https://bit.ly/4reg5n2

Check out this opportunity!

🔥🍗 NEW FOR OHIO 4-H! 🍗🔥

Ohio 4-H is excited to introduce the Chicken & Turkey Barbecue Contest for senior 4-H members ages 14–18!

📅 October 3, 2026

This first-year program is designed to help participants learn the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference contest format while building their barbecue skills!

Participants will take part in:
🔥 A contest overview and barbecue demonstration
🍗 A mock Chicken & Turkey BBQ Contest
👩‍⚖️ Judges' discussion and feedback
🏆 Winner announcement

Participants will learn about scoring and expectations, food preparation techniques, and what it takes to compete at the national level—then put their skills to the test in a mock contest!

🏆 REPRESENT OHIO AT NATIONALS!

Following the 2026 program, one Chicken BBQ participant and one Turkey BBQ participant will be selected to represent Ohio at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference!

📍 National Contest: November 18–19, 2026

🔥 Ready to fire up the grill and represent Ohio 4-H?

👉 Register here:
https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_56i4so0G5ljCJT0

🔗 Learn more about the contest and national rules:
https://ohio4h.org/chicken-and-turkey-barbecue-contest

Don't miss this exciting new opportunity to learn, compete, and show off your barbecue skills! 🍗🔥🏆