Thank you for your interest in Waseca County 4-H! Are you wondering what 4-H is? What is the process to join the program? Well all of this and more can be answered below! Just click on the section that interests you and read on!
If you have any additional questions or need extra assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Waseca County Extension office in the following ways:
Phone: 507-835-0600
Email: mnext-waseca@umn.edu
Stop In: 300 North State Street, Door #4 on the South Side of the Building, Waseca, MN 56093
New Families
Thank you for your interest in joining Waseca County 4-H! Are you maybe wondering what is 4-H? Or how do I get started? Well, this is the right place for you! Click on the headings below that you would like to learn more about and we look forward to seeing you in the future!
4-H is the largest youth development organization in Minnesota! We offer an out-of-school, hands-on learning program for anyone in Kindergarten through one year past high school. Youth can choose from a variety of projects, topics, and activities to participate in ranging from science to animals to group activities to camps and much more! Whether you live on a farm or in the city, in a house or an apartment, 4-H is for everyone! Opportunities are too numerous to count, so take a look and see what Waseca County is offering.
Most 4-H'ers join a local club at some point. Clubs are fun, regular gatherings where they:
- Make friends
- Find help with their 4-H projects
- Find leadership opportunities
- Take part in activities and events together
Clubs offer
- Small-group learning
- Caring adult volunteer leaders who are screened, trained and guided by local University of Minnesota staff
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See a list of our club leaders and when each club gets together throughout the year.
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- Grounding in research-backed curriculum and best practices for non-formal learning
- Support to help you dive deep into project learning
Waseca County has seven club that meet in various locations, dates, and times throughout the month. To learn more about our seven clubs, check out our Club Information Sheet which will break down each club, their members, and even give you a schedule of their upcoming events!
4-H is based on the concept of project-based learning. This type of learning is based off of allowing the member to choose what they would want to learn about. Many times member will then take what they have learned to the local county fair in the form of an exhibit, demonstration, or just share it with their club! We have many, many projects that anyone can participate in. Choose something that would be of interest to you and see what it is all about! A list of projects can be found on our main 4-H Project webpage. We offer everything from STEM to animal science to gardening to theater and much more!
If you are struggling to think of an area that you would like to try, talk to the Waseca County Extension staff! We would love to help you find a good starting point to begin your 4-H journey.
Now that you know a little more about 4-H maybe you have decided it is time to enroll! Enrolling is a simple, online process that can be done in a few short minutes. Use the 4-HOnline Enrollment sheet to help you get started!
You also have the option to enroll on a paper form. If this interests you, please reach out to the Waseca County Extension Office to receive the hard copy.
If at any point you have a question or need some additional assistance, please email (mnext-waseca@umn.edu) or call (507-835-0600) the Waseca County Extension office.
Thank you for your interest in helping our local 4-H program! Without our amazing volunteers, we would not be able to have the success within our program that we do! Anyone who is at least 18 years old by Sept. 1 can apply to become a screened and approved 4-H volunteer.
Becoming an approved volunteers is an easy, three-step process:
Step 1 - Print, complete and sign an application (electronically or by hand). For best results, download and complete the PDF. Do not open as a Google Doc. Once you have done that, submit the application to the Waseca County Extension office via email (mnext-waseca@umn.edu) or in person (300 North State Street, Door #4, Waseca, MN 56093). If you need a printed copy or one in another language, please contact us and we would be more than happy to get you what you need!
Step 2 - All screened and approved Minnesota 4-H volunteers must successfully complete a criminal background check as part of our commitment to youth safety and protection by following the Online Background Check Instructions. You will then submit through The McDowell Agency, which is Minnesota 4-H's screening vendor.
Step 3 - Complete the 45-minute video orientation. Submit the orientation reporting form by completing the pop-up questions at the end of the video training.
If you have any questions throughout this process, please do not hesitate to contact the Waseca County Extension office! We are here to help!
If this is your first time in the Waseca County 4-H program, our county will send you informational packets four times within your first year as a 4-Her. Each of these packets has a different focus on what we would like to give you information on and we referenced to them as "New Member Mailings". These packets will provide you with a little background on several different aspects of 4-H and provide you with a guide on how to get started!
Mailing 1: 4-H Club Focus (Sent via mail)
Mailing 2: 4-H Project Focus (Sent via email)
Mailing 3: 4-H Activity & Event Focus (Sent via email)
Mailing 4: What are 4-H Records? (Send via mail)
Also, check out our New Member Resources news article with some great documents to guide you through you first time in 4-H!
Once again, if at any point you have any questions feel free to contact the staff at the Waseca County Extension office. We are here to help! Lastly, Welcome to Waseca County 4-H and we look forward to meeting you in the future!
Current Families
For those who have previously been involved with the Minnesota 4-H program and are looking to re-enroll, please take a look at the following resources and information help you get started! We are excited to work with you this next year!
Re-enrolling for another year in 4-H is quite simple! Just follow the step-by-step instructions on the 4-HOnline Enrollment guide. Note: You must be actively enrolled before you can participate in any 4-H event.
1.) Go to 4-HOnline and log in using the email address and password you previously used.
2.) Click on the "Member List" to see existing member records.
3.) Click "Enroll Now" next to the member you would like to re-enroll.
4.) Select the member's current school grade, click the blue "Next" button, and then "Enroll" button.
5.) Proceed through the next several screens to complete the enrollment and make sure to click the green "Submit" button when you are finished.
If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact the Waseca County Extension Office at mnext-waseca@umn.edu or 507-835-0600.
Thank you for looking into renewing your volunteer status with Minnesota 4-H! We greatly appreciate all the work you have put into the program and are looking to add in the future!
The steps to renew are simple and can be found the Volunteer Renewal Guide, which will walk you step-by-step through the short process.
Step 1: Re-take the Safety of Minors training.
Step 2: Re-enroll in 4-HOnline.