Citizenship and Civic Education
Community Pride
Reach out to a variety of people in our community through well-intentioned activities. Learn to plan and facilitate community service events in an effort to take actions that go beyond the 4-H Club level to serve the general community. Projects will include volunteering at the Young Life Pumpkin Patch, making sandwiches for Dorothy’s Kitchen, donating gifts to the Salvation Army, a canned food drive, and more.
Communications and Expressive Arts
Mosaic Arts (Ceramics & Clay Arts)
The mosaic arts class is open to both new and continuing project members. New members start with a picture frame project. Returning members can choose their own projects, or work with Mrs. Silacci to create one. Project members use broken china and ceramics, glass, beads, jewels, jewelry, and other artifacts to create art.
Advanced Arts & Crafts (Creative Arts, Crafts & Hobbies)
Learn a variety of artistic techniques such as mosaic, etched glass, tie-dye, and block printing. Members will help decide what types of projects will be made and are sure to be interesting.
Pedro (Creative Arts, Crafts & Hobbies)
Learn to play the card game Pedro! This is a fun card game that is played with a partner. This project will meet Friday evenings or weekends.
This n' That (Creative Arts, Crafts & Hobbies)
Learn techniques for creating interesting art projects. Techniques and projects will vary and may incorporate drawing, painting, sculpture (mask making), recycling, and the use of fabric.
Vintage Game Night (Creative Arts, Crafts & Hobbies)
Come and play your favorite classic board and card games and learn some new ones with your 4-H friends!
Animal Life Drawing Class (Graphic Arts)
Create pencil drawings of real horses, goats, sheep, dogs, and cows. ANYONE can draw, even if you think you can’t.
Leathercraft
Learn the art of leather tooling, including carving, embossing, and stamping leather pieces. Projects to be made may include key fob, belt, and stool cover.
Photography
The goal of this project is to produce images and learn about digital photography. Lessons will cover the basic functions of digital cameras, including digital color, color management set-up, and proofing; photographic lighting in nature; creating photos for exhibition; and photo printing.
Sewing
Learn to use a sewing machine while you create and sew either easy “fashion” or “home goods” items like a pillow, apron, or maybe something else everyone can agree on. Project will include a field trip to San Francisco, maybe to the hip-T manufacturer.
Environmental Education & Earth Sciences
Astronomy
Discover the secrets of the stars and the moon by joining our Astronomy project. Learn about the moon’s origins and the Apollo missions of 40 years ago. Learn about solstice celebrations and legends surrounding the winter holidays and how they relate to the stars. Gaze in wonder at the night sky through the eyepiece of a 30" diameter “Challenger” Newtonian telescope. We will discover all of this and more by attending presentations, visiting local planetariums, and journeying to Fremont’s Peak.
Take a Hike (Camping, Hiking & Outdoor Adventure)
Enjoy hiking basics with at least 3 planned hikes. Members will most likely find opportunities and adventures hiking at Toro Park, Creekside, and either Jack’s Peak or Garland Park.
Oceanography
Together project members will explore the ocean in motion by seeing some introductory videos, touring some nearby oceanography institutions which may include oceanography ships, and getting hands on experience with the ocean.
Wildlife
Learn and experience the diversity of California’s wildlife, with special emphasis on those species found in Monterey County. Increase your awareness and appreciation of your surroundings by learning to identify the wildlife by their particular signs, the habitat in which they live, and what role they play in our ecosystem.
Healthy Lifestyle Education
Breadmaking (Baking & Breadmaking)
If you enjoyed playdoh, making mud pies, and playing with your food this may be a project for you. We will be making bread the old fashioned way—with flour and yeast, lots of muscle, and patience. We will have three long meetings (about 3 hours) and one make-up meeting in May for members who need a make up or want to make fair entries.
The meetings will be on Sunday afternoons so you can have homemade bread with your Sunday dinner at home. Homemade bread takes a long time to rise, so while we wait for our project to rise we will make quick breads such as muffins, banana bread, and cereal bars. Focus will be on wholesome grains, and the different styles of breads from around the world.
Cookie Baking (Baking & Breadmaking)
Learn to bake cookies for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, and the fair.
Just Baking (Baking & Breadmaking)
Learn how to bake cookies and other goodies! We will try different recipes and even take a tour of a bakery.
Appetizers to Desert (Food & Nutrition)
Members will learn some basic cooking skills making anything from appetizers to baking desserts. This project will include a tour of a local restaurant for one of our project meetings.
Candy Making (Food & Nutrition)
Members will be introduced to a wide variety of candy by visiting a candy kitchen. The amazing choices of sweet treats from chocolates, to hard candies, to chewy and delectable caramels, to nutty toffees; and maybe even taffy. Future project meetings will take place in the kitchen where members will learn how to make their favorite candies. Lots of sampling will be available and completed projects can be used as entries for the Salinas Valley Fair.
Outdoor Cooking (Foods & Nutrition)
Instruction will start with basic barbequing skills—grilling burgers, hotdogs, fish, and chicken—and may finish with preparing a turkey.
Members will need to provide basic food materials for complete meals, such as food and drinks.
Wood Oven Cooking (Foods & Nutrition)
Learn how to prepare a wood-burning oven from beginning to completion. Members will learn about flavors that different wood create and what foods are best suited with each type of wood.
This project will lead members through the set up for the wood oven and food preparation to serving the finished product. Leaders will choose two items per meeting to prepare and serve to those in attendance. Buon appetito!
Baseball Time (Sports)
Learn baseball techniques with a focus on pitching, hitting, and fielding.
Personal Development and Leadership
Beginning 4-H
Enrollment in this project is mandatory for all new 4-H members.Learn the “ins and outs” of 4-H from the uniform and meeting procedures to record keeping. Discover what 4-H can offer you now and in the future. This project promotes attendance at county events as well as demonstrations and public speaking.
Plants and Animals
Beef Cattle
Minimum 6 month commitment, $1,500-2,000 investment: own and raise a market steer, learn handling and grooming techniques. Participate in Salinas Valley Fair and/or Monterey County Fair, including market and showmanship. Members attending MCF only must attend project meetings throughout the year. Animal ownership is not required to enroll in this project. Members can take the project to learn about raising and caring for market beef.
Beekeeping
Learn how bees pollinate food and the importance they contribute to food production. Members will hear from local beekeepers about how they maintain their hives, and will monitor our own hives. Members will harvest and be able to taste fresh honey.
Horses and Ponies
Ownership recommended; all skill levels welcome. Includes riding techniques, horsemanship, and competition. Project will include field trips such as a visit to a farrier and viewing a mare about to foal.
Poultry
Start this project with a visit to a home poultry yard—it may even include collecting eggs. We'll make plans for members’ specific interests, such as maintaining a home flock, hatching eggs, raising chicks, showing at the fair, poultry show fieldtrip, record book keeping, and more. Animal ownership recommended, not required.
Sheep
Minimum 3 month commitment, approx. $400-600 investment: own and raise a lamb for Salinas Valley Fair and/or Monterey County Fair. Learn to manage feeding, rate of gain, handling, and showmanship. Participate in market and showmanship at the fair.
Swine
Minimum 3 month commitment, approx. $350-500 investment: own and raise a market swine for Salinas Valley Fair and/or Monterey County Fair; participate in project activities, market and showmanship. Create educational displays and interact with the community.
Vegetable Gardening (Vegetable Gardens and Crops)
The HARVEST starts this project; it’s that time of year! We’ll harvest, eat, and take home some garden goodies. Plans for the upcoming year will be made and may include greenhouse gardening, Spring planting, fruit tree care, container gardening, fieldtrips, composting, fair entry prep, record book keeping, and more.
Vegetable Judging (Vegetable Gardens and Crops)
You will learn to identify vegetables, vegetable seeds, and weeds. This project will help prepare you for vegetable judging contests. We will go on field trips and have practice contests! Members will also have the chance to make seed or weed collections to enter in the fair.
Science and Technology
Farm Machinery
This project will be an introduction to basic Farm Machinery and Industrial Arts. It will incorporate vehicle maintenance, small engine diagnosis, welding, oxy-acetylene torch cutting, and basic knowledge of tying down various items on a trailer. Leaders are hoping to give a general background in “if you break it, at least you can fix it” scenarios. There may be field trips to various fabrication facilities and parts warehouses. Members will use a gas torch and welder to build projects out of horseshoes and rasps.
<Back