4-H Projects

4-H engages youth in project-based education. Through project learning, youth can dive deeper into their interests and passions, ultimately mastering new skills. 4-H projects are meant to be hands-on to create a memorable learning experience. Youth learn more than subject matter as they explore projects. They will learn many life skills that you will use every day of your life such as understanding yourself, communicating better, solving problems, making decisions, and working with others.

Projects can be offered at a club or group setting, or on your own outside of the club. While there are over 100 different projects to choose from, 4-H members are encouraged to enroll in only one or two projects for their first year. 4-H members in 3rd grade and higher are eligible to sign up for any 4-H project.

View the 4-H Project Guide here. This resource lists all the possible projects that 4-H offers, with a table of contents list on the first two pages and more detail in the pages that follow. In addition, your club organizational leader or county-based educator can tell you what projects and resources are available in your county.

How Age/Grade Relates to Project Selection

Youth 5K through 2nd grade enroll in 4-H as a Cloverbud. The Cloverbud program is an informal educational program specifically designed for children in 5k – 2nd grades. Cloverbud activity plans can be found on the Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development Cloverbud Project page. Youth enrolled as Cloverbuds can exhibit their projects at the Waukesha County Fair. 248 projects were exhibited by junior 4-H exhibitors at the Fair.

Youth 3rd grade through one year out of high school enroll as 4-H youth members. Youth members choose from over 100 different types of projects. (There are a few limitations for youth younger than 12; for example, shooting sports is for youth 12 and up.) Youth enrolled as 4-H members can exhibit their projects at the Waukesha County Fair. In 2024, 1,389 projects were exhibited by 4-H youth members at the Fair.

Types of Projects

• Club led projects are organized by a leader within a 4-H Community Club for youth in that specific 4-H club. Meetings for club projects are promoted within the club. If you would like more information about community clubs offering projects, please contact James Boling at James.boling@wisc.edu.
• Countywide projects are organized by Waukesha County 4-H staff or approved 4-H volunteers for the benefit of all 4-H youth in Waukesha County with meetings open to everyone in the County.  
• If there is not a project leader available, most projects can be completed independently. The youth use 4-H literature and other resources to learn about and complete their project without meetings or 4-H volunteer leadership. Support from the Extension Educator is available.

Waukesha County 4-H Countywide Projects

Countywide projects are organized by Extension staff or approved 4-H volunteers for the benefit of all 4-H youth in Waukesha County with meetings open to everyone in the County. Below is a list of the 4-H Projects offered to Waukesha County 4-H members in 2026.

*Meeting dates, times, and locations listed below are general and subject to change throughout the year. You can find current meeting information on the Waukesha County 4-H Calendar, or contact the Project Leader for information.

Project Name	Description	Ages	Meeting Days/Times	Meeting Location	Project Leader(s)
Muckey 4-H Cloggers		open	Weekly – Thursdays (occasional Fridays); beginners at 6:30pm, seasoned cloggers at 7pm		Gayle Nicoll, gaylenicollphd@gmail.com
Dairy Project			Monthly – varies	Cozy Nook Farm	Brittany Renn, brittrenn11@gmail.com
Dog Project	The 4-H Dog Project helps 4-H Youth learn to become responsible dog owners. PDF Flyer	3rd grade and up	Showmanship, Obedience, and Rally: Sundays (January-May) 3-5:30pm; Agility: Tuesdays (April-July) 5:30-6:30pm	Sundays: German Shepherd Dog Club – Big Bend Tuesdays: Menomonee Falls	Vicky Lewis, waukesha4Hdogproject@gmail.com
Goat Project	For youth who want to learn more about goats!		varies	varies	Faith Jenson, fastell@yahoo.com
Horse Project			Meets on Project Nights in 2026		Megan Peterson, waukesha.horse@gmail.com
Horseless Horse Project					Maureen Martin at mmnmartin332@gmail.com
Poultry & Sheep Projects			Poultry: Monthly at 6:30-8pm Sheep: Varies, 6:30-8pm	Citizens Bank Waukesha (2109 Corporate Drive, Waukesha);	Jenny & Matt Bugenhagen, mjlrkb@yahoo.com
Quilting Project		open	Meets at Project Nights		Carrie Sindorf, precisesewing2@gmail.com
Rabbit Project					Patti Missall, pappi22@hotmail.com
Rabbit Hopping Project			Twice/month at 6:30-8pm	Waukesha County Fairgrounds Expo – North Hall	Donna Towell, dlwoolees@centurytel.net
Robotics FIRST Lego League	For youth interested in robotics, programming, and engineering				Peter Bruce, 4hyouthinaction@gmail.com
Rocketry			1-2x/month (Jan-May), tentative launch in May		Elias Wilson, eliaswilson1@yahoo.com
Shooting Sports (Archery)	Learn about archery equipment, safety, and technique with an educational focus on life skills development, safety procedures, and responsible use of archery equipment. $5 to shoot, $8 for rentals each practice. PDF Flyer	ages 9+	2nd & 4th Fridays during February-April at 4:30-5:45pm	Buck Rub Outfitters, (N13 W28400 Silvernail Road, Pewaukee)	Flash Gordon flash_rescue31@hotmail.com
Swine Project					Jon Anderson, janderson@estrotect.com
Woodworking Project			Meets at Project Nights winter through spring		Bill DeMeyer, wademeyer@live.com

Projects by Category

Projects listed with a blue link to details and additional resources about that project on the Wisconsin (statewide) 4-H website. For resources or additional information on projects without a link, please fill out the 4-H Interest Form.

Animal Sciences

Arts & Communication

Family, Home & Health

Mechanical Sciences

Natural Sciences

Plant & Soil Sciences

Social Sciences

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

Examples of 4-H Youth Projects

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