4-H
Vernon County 4-H
Welcome to Vernon County 4-H!
We strive to provide opportunities for youth to practice leadership, learn new things, and laugh and have fun along the way! Your experience with 4-H is all about the time and effort you put into it! We deeply encourage members to be active by registering for county-wide programming and travel experiences, participating in both leadership positions and activities within your club, and contributing to county-wide projects.
So, how do you keep up with everything? Check out our bi-monthly newsletter, link into our Facebook page, or bookmark our Current 4-H Programs, Trips, and Opportunities website page.
Vernon County Thrives
High quality 4-H program settings provide youth a place to belong, matter and explore their personal spark. High quality settings foster developmental relationships with youth, relationships that express care, challenge growth, and share power. These components help ensure that
4-H programs provide a nourishing developmental context – a place where youth can belong and grow.
High quality 4-H programs contribute to PYD (positive youth development) through the intentional promotion of social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral habits of mind. In the 4-H Thriving Model this process of PYD is described by seven indicators of thriving: Openness to challenge and discover, growth mindset, hopeful purpose, pro-social orientation, transcendent awareness, positive emotionality and self-regulation though goal setting and management.
Youth who experience high quality developmental settings in 4-H with an emphasis on these key social-emotional skills achieve key positive youth development outcomes, including academic motivation and success, social competence, high personal standards, connection with others, personal responsibility, and contribution to others through leadership and civic engagement.
Youth who achieve positive developmental outcomes are more likely to also achieve long-term outcomes marked by vocational or academic success, civic engagement, employability and economic stability and happiness and well being.
Latest 4-H News
- On March 14, 4-H youth in grades 3-5 from across the state gathered at Upham Woods for a day of exploration, creativity, and service that also introduced them to Expressive Arts and Camp/Overnight experiences.
- On March 21, Iowa County 4-H hosted its annual Exploration Day, bringing youth together for a full day of hands-on learning, creativity and leadership development.
- Waukesha County 4-H educator James Boling was recently awarded the Sally Jo Michalko Lifetime Excellence in Education Award by the Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc. in March.
- Helping youth gain confidence and seeing the dedication of adult volunteers have been the highlights of Wisconsin 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator Doug Thompson’s 50-year career. He retires in June. “I’ve had many parents be thankful over the years that Shooting Sports was there for […]
- Registration is open for Wisconsin 4-H Summer Academy 2026, where youth in grades 8-11 can explore an expanded 13 tracks to discover fun and exciting pathways to their futures!
Staff
If you have any questions regarding 4-H in Vernon County, please contact:
Emery Bork
4-H Educator
Email: emery.bork@wisc.edu
Phone: 608-637-5279