Join 4-H

Eligibility

Walla Walla County Residents Eligibility

4-H is open to youth 6 years old by October 1 of the current 4-H year through those in the 12th grade or who have not reached their 19th birthday before October 1 of the current 4-H year.  The 4-H year is October 1 through September 30.  New enrollments will be accepted through March 15 of the current 4-H year.

Exceptions: Please see the following age requirements for the following project areas

• Members must be 8 years old by October 1 of the current 4-H year to be eligible for:
  • Enrollment in large animal projects including beef, dairy, goat, horse, sheep, llama/alpaca, and swine.
  • Competitive situations including livestock shows or sales.
  • Enrollment in food preservation projects.
  • Shooting Sports
  • Motorized Vehicles
• Colt Training: Members must be at least 11 years old by October 1 of the current 4-H year AND have completed at least one year of the Horsemanship Project.

Out-of-County (or State) Residents

Youth who are not residents of Washington State must meet the eligibility requirements in their own state to qualify for membership in a market animal project.  Youth are encouraged to enroll in their home county.  A youth may NOT be enrolled in the same project in more than one county or state. *Oregon residents must be 9 yrs old by September 1 prior to the 4-H year to enroll in Equine or Market Animal projects.

Enrollment and Re-Enrollment Deadlines

The deadline for new and returning youth members, who wish to exhibit or participate in 4-H during the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days, is March 15.  A youth member must be enrolled by March 15 in each project they wish to exhibit at the Walla Walla Fair.

Continuing youth members are required to re-enroll each year.  Re-enrollment occurs in October of every year, and a returning youth member should be re-enrolled for the new 4-H year no later than December 1.

4-H Clubs

Youth may enroll in one or more projects, in one or more clubs, meet regularly, and work on their projects under the guidance of adult volunteers.  Club activities may include demonstrations, fair participation, community service, and social events.  A club program is carried throughout all or several months of the year.  Clubs may be a single project, multi-project (community) club, or family club.  Many clubs allow youth to attend a meeting before enrollment to see if it will be a good fit.