An In-Depth Look at 4-H Enrollment and Retention

The membership of 4-H is a highly fluctuating, variable body, with youth coming and going at all ages. A more complete understanding of this fluctuation can be obtained by examining enrollment and retention trends, allowing agents to identify key strategies to increase membership in their own counties. By using the ES 237 data for Colorado from 2002 and 2003, it was possible to recognize patterns that have implications for the ways agents handle recruitment. Increasing retention in 4-H is most closely linked to enrolling youth at an early age and preventing the loss of first year members.