Thetford 4-H - revived out of concern for the young and more relevant than ever

In these times children are often glued to smartphones. There is aggressive corporate promotion of "the best kid-friendly video game tablets for 6-7 year-olds."  A pediatrician explained that the average child spends more time on a screen than asleep. Children who engage with screens like this don't move enough to develop core muscles and have weak balance and coordination. That's because the balance system of the brain doesn't learn to work with the body's muscles. This lack of physical strength negatively affects brain development. Screen exposure in young children also increases abnormal sensory processing, perhaps explaining the accompanying heightened anxiety.

 Is there another way to engage children and expand their horizons?

Sarah Freeman, a Thetford resident and mother of three, believes there is indeed another way. Last winter she began the task of reviving Thetford's 4-H program that existed up till a few decades ago. She writes "4‑H programs are grounded in the belief that kids learn best by doing. Kids and teens complete hands-on projects in areas like science, health, agriculture and civic engagement, in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors. Kids can concentrate on one focus area or they can try a variety of programs throughout their 4‑H experience. Kids are also encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles."

4-H stands for this pledge: “I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world." Its motto is “to make the best better.”

The program we now call 4-H began in the US more than 100 years ago. It has since become the largest youth development program in the nation. Its beginnings were in agricultural communities, where farming innovation had become stagnant because of an unwillingness of established farmers to adopt the latest agricultural discoveries, such as hybrid seed corn and better sanitation in milking and food preservation. However the youth in those communities were often curious about the new methods and would experiment with them and show the results to the adults.  Thus programs for rural youth became a conduit for introducing new farming technology in the form of project-oriented youth clubs such as the "corn club," the "canning club"or the "tomato club.”

The 4-H organizations were effectively nationalized in 1914 when Congress created the Cooperative Extension System at the US Department of Agriculture. A diversity of youth clubs focusing on agriculture, home economics and the like were placed under the Extension System. By the 1950s 4-H programs were springing up in urban areas. Their focus also broadened to include life skills that would foster personal initiative to become a productive contributor to society. In the 1960s the many different 4-H groups were combined into a single integrated program.

Sarah's first experience with 4-H was while she was living in California. There the 4-H program is far larger and more highly organized than in Vermont. For instance, 4-H participating youths are required to wear uniforms that they sew themselves - at very least the scarf and the hat - and they have to wear white shirts. Sarah noticed that once the kids had their uniforms they projected a greater sense of belonging to the 4-H program. In Vermont the program is run under the umbrella of the University of Vermont and is more low-key.

Uniforms are not mandated, however one of the first projects for Thetford 4-H has been to hold bake sales to raise the funds for matching 4-H T-shirts. That's about as rigorous it gets in terms of a "uniform" in Vermont.

The first few 4-H meetings, back in the winter of 2024-25 were concerned with explaining the 4-H program to parents and deciding how the program was going to be run. Harking back to the original rural youth whose curiosity got the clubs started, Sarah is letting the interests of the kids themselves lead the Thetford program's activities. Anything of interest has the potential to become a project, though too many ideas and too little focus could be problematic. Fortunately all the participating kids, nine in all, expressed some level of interest in horses and were happy with a horse-themed project. While Sarah owns several ponies the project does not have to include riding or learning to ride. Any aspect of "horse" qualifies - it could be making horse art, or writing about horses, as well as horsemanship.

A second area of interest was fashion and sewing, which could be incorporated into the horse theme through the sewing of a horse blanket or a bag for a riding helmet. The fashion element relates to the County 4-H's annual custom of giving each child $20 to spend on an outfit that they shop for in thrift stores. After creating the outfit they show it off and explain its story, a great way to get used to public speaking.

Every child keeps a record book of their project work. This builds to become a portfolio of their achievements and as children become teenagers the portfolio can help with getting scholarships through the 4-H program. It also archives useful information to draw on for college or job applications.

The 4-H structure requires two group leaders, the second being Elise Bragg, who also has a history of horse ownership. And a number of parents participate in the meetings to keep the children focused, no small feat with a diverse group ranging from 5 to 11 years old. At present they meet monthly in the basement room of the Latham Library on Thetford Hill.

At their next meeting the young participants will get a taste of government. From their ranks they will elect their Board, its president, and vice president. The kids will do it all, adhering to correct process and running a ballot. They will also make decisions on fundraising. The job of Sarah and Elise will be to assist, collaborate, and connect.

One of the goals of the 4-H program is to foster engagement of youth with the wider community. Thus Sarah is hoping to find opportunities for her group to give back by doing some form of community service. So far it's been challenging to find opportunities that are appropriate for her group's age bracket. Perhaps they could bake bread and host a community potluck dinner. She welcomes ideas from residents and also suspects that there are people in town who have skills they might like to teach, like photography or baking, or even archery. 

Sarah hopes that more kids will get away from screens and enroll in the 4-H program, and that it will endure long after she has stepped away. 4-H is so much more than accumulating a project record to obtain scholarships. The 4-H pledge underscores that being enrolled in this program means one has adopted a standard to live by.