HISTORY

The foundations of 4-H began around the start of the twentieth century, with the work of several people in different parts of the United States. The focal point of 4-H has been the idea of practical and "hands-on" learning, which came from the desire to make public school education more connected to rural life. Early programs tied both public and private resources together to benefit rural youth.

During this time, researchers at experiment stations of the land-grant universities and USDA saw that adults in the farming community did not readily accept new agricultural discoveries. But, educators found that youth would "experiment" with these new ideas and then share their experiences and successes with the adults. So rural youth programs became a way to introduce new agriculture technology to the adults.

4-H membership hit an all-time high in 1974, as a result of its popular educational program about nutrition, Mulligan Stew, shown in schools and on television across the country.

The 4-H motto is "To make the best better," while its creed is "Learn by doing."
Information from wikipedia