MOUNT VERNON, Wash. Enrollment is open for Skagit County 4-H, which offers area children in kindergarten through the 12th grade a choice of 20 clubs covering subjects from animals to technology, home economics, art and more, goSkagit reported. New clubs can also be started.
Many of the projects are shown at the Skagit County Fair in August at the end of the 4-H year. According to its website, the program's mission is to create a supportive environment for youth and families to reach their full potential.
Skagit County Extension 4-H Coordinator Ashley Saenz said the program bundles a lot of skills that are important to kids' development into a single program. Saenz took on the coordinator role in June after working as a high school band teacher, and in her youth she participated in Whatcom County's 4-H program.
She said her first time giving a presentation was on one of her 4-H projects at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden. She remembers being scared, but said those experiences of getting in front of people with their support had a big influence on her becoming a teacher and an educator.
Enrollment for the clubs began Oct. 1 and closes July 31, but students must be enrolled by May 1 to be eligible for events and the fair. Annual enrollment costs $25, and returning members must reenroll every year. To join as either a student or an adult volunteer, families can visit extension.wsu.edu/skagit/join-4-h.