From fabric to fashion and farm to fork, from learning to leading and from one student to the entire world—these are the core focuses for 4-H, a nationwide organization that teaches children and teens to see the world beyond themselves.
Out of nearly six million 4-H members in the nation, 116 are from Liberty Hill. The local chapter is part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, a division of the Texas A&M University System, in partnership with Williamson County. 4-H membership is for anyone in grades 3 through 12, and each community club is run by volunteer club managers and project leaders.
There’s basically no limit to the projects children and teens can get involved in with 4-H. Chapter members can learn about everything from dairy cattle and goats to entomology and horticulture, as well as global citizenship, public speaking, computer science and shooting sports, such as archery.
“There’s tons of opportunities,” 4-H Sponsor Julie Norris said. “You can choose to do an animal project, but if you’re interested in something like photography or fashion and interior design, that’s there too. I think a lot of people don’t realize that.”
4-H stands for heart, hands, health and head. These pillars, which make up the organization’s mission, are what the kids use and learn while working on various projects.
The first “H,” heart, covers many community service projects 4-H members participate in. For example, Liberty Hill 4-H members recently hosted a bake sale at McCoy’s, and the proceeds went toward buying coats for Operation Liberty Hill. Members raised $600 and bought approximately 75 coats to donate.
“I think it’s important to give back to the community that you grew up in because they gave you so much,” 4-H President Kristen O’Neill said. “Now you’re giving back to them.”
The next “H,” hands, is relevant to several 4-H activities which all require students to do hands-on work. The Liberty Hill chapter offers photography, interior design, dog care and much more. 4-H Manager Terresa O’Neill runs the fashion and interior design project, and said her students do everything from sewing to working with different types of fabrics.
“We focus on both fashion and interior design with learning about fabrics,” Terresa O’Neill said. “That works for both clothes as well as draperies and upholstery. It works for both industries. We do fun things. We do what’s called a burn test where we can determine whether the fabric is a cotton or a natural fiber.”
Terresa O’Neill also leads the food and nutrition project for the Liberty Hill 4-H, which falls into the third “H”, or health category of 4-H. She said her goal is to cook at every meeting.
“We cook and hopefully it’s edible once we get it done,” she said. “Then we talk about the nutritional value, and If it’s not something that’s particularly healthy, how we could have made it a little bit healthier.”
The last “H,” head, can fall into each category because every project and activity requires students to think outside of the box and use their minds to overcome difficulty. 4-H also offers science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) projects. Norris said she runs the photography project, which falls under the STEM category.
“Teaching kids to look at things a little bit differently kind of opens their eyes to things,” Norris said. “Something that maybe they wouldn’t have thought they could take a picture of. That’s just a project I’ve loved for many years.”
4-H also offers a unique opportunity for its members to hold leadership positions within the organization. 4-H member Sophia O’Neill is the current reporter for the Liberty Hill chapter, and also serves as a tier-two Texas 4-H water ambassador. The role of a water ambassador includes having a genuine interest in water and natural resources and the willingness to take the responsibility of educating youth and adults in their communities and beyond for 12 months.
“I mainly wanted to be an ambassador because, when I’m older, I want to be a marine biologist,” Sophia O’Neill said. “This past summer, we went on the tier-two trip, which was to Galveston and College Station where we got to go on a dolphin tour. I learned a lot through that, and it will also help me with my future.”
Liberty Hill 4-H will hold its first meeting for the upcoming school year in September, as well as an open house and informational night in August. Norris said Liberty Hill 4-H is always looking to grow their membership and expand the opportunities offered to members.
We’re growing,” Norris said. “I think it’s important for people to understand that if there’s someone in our community that’s interested in 4-H that wants to do a new project, that opportunity is there for them.”
For more information on the Liberty HIll chapter, email libertyhill4hclub@gmail.com or visit Liberty Hill 4H Club on Facebook.
